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  • - Meals On Wheels
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• About VCIL

  • - Overview
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    • VCIL Timeline

    • - VCIL History
    • - Independent Living
    • - VCIL Board of Directors
  • - VCIL Staff
  • - Letter From The Director

VCIL Timeline

1. 1978: Project Outreach Study interviews approximately 750 Vermonters with disabilities throughout Vermont
2. 1979: United Disabled People of Vermont is formed
3. VCIL is founded February 13, 1979. First federal funding begins in August.
4. 1980: VCIL founders successfully advocate state legislature for a state funded pilot for the Participant Directed Attendant Care Program.
5. 1981: VCIL hires our first 4 peer advocacy, outreach and advocacy staff
6. VCIL begins the Vermont's Client Assistance Program, an ombudsman service for individuals served by Rehabilitation Act Programs. The program now operates as a program of the Disability Law Program at Legal Aid.
7. Charles Mott Foundation funding made it possible for VCIL to pay local disability advocates to support cross disability advocacy groups in local communities.
8. 82: VCIL joins the Vermont Coalition for Disability Rights. Annual advocacy on accessibility civil rights, and disability programs becomes a way of life.
9. 1983: VCIL interviews younger people in nursing homes about their independent living interests and barriers. Final report calls for independent housing and support options.
10. VCIL produces "One in Eight" the first publication profiling statistics on disability in Vermont
11. VCIL begins Home Modifications and Assistive Technology Programs
12. 1985: Options for Independent Living Project helps people with disabilities avoid or leave nursing homes. Later becomes the Sue Williams Freedom Fund a joint project of the Statewide Independent Living Council and VCIL.
13. 1987: VCIL, Coburn and Feeley, and twelve individuals with disabilities develop Vermont's consumer run first attendant care cooperative.
14. 1987- VCIL Deaf Independence Program begins
15. 1995- VCIL hosts ADAPT Action at Governors Association meeting in Burlington, opens Bennington and Brattleboro offices, and begins Meals on Wheels program.
16. Deaf Independence staff train police and courts on Deaf culture and begin planning the Deaf Victims Advocacy Services, a new organization for Deaf victims of abuse.
17. 2000: VCIL becomes the Vermont Affiliate of the ADA Center at Adaptive Environments in Boston
18. Burlington Office Opened
19. Fair Housing and Benefits to Work programs start.
20. VCIL, Green Mountain Self-Advocates & Vermont Psychiatric Survivors form partnership to advocate for consumer choice and control of Medicaid funded disability services.
21. 2001: Youth Leadership Program becomes a program at VCIL
22. VCIL begins Emergency Management Initiative
23. 2002: VCIL's Home and Community Access Program sponsors Vermont's first Universal Design Conference.
24. VCIL transportation task force works with other advocates to found ROVER a transportation users advocacy group.
25. 2004: Medical Education Partnership offers disability and health education sessions at three Vermont hospitals and two primary care practices.
26. Fair Housing and Voting Rights videos produced and new PAS educational materials field tested by users of consumer directed personal care programs.