Disability Rights Vermont

Protection and advocacy for developemental disabilities program serves to enable persons with developmental disabilities to become independent, productive, and integrated into their communities. There were 279 individuals served under this grant, 150 individuals who received information & referral services or technical assistance and approximately 24,275 people with disabilities whose Rights were enforced, protected or restored as a result of non-litigation group advocacy.

Protection and advocacy of individual Rights program serves to assist in the establishmenet of systems for the protection and advocacy for the Rights of individuals with disabilities that are beyond the scope of the prior mentioned programs. There were 107 individuals served under this program and a total of 622 information and referral requests. Of cases not withdrawn by the client or found to be without merit 43% were resolved favorably for the client.

Protection and advocacy for individuals with mental illness program protects and advocates for the Rights of indiviuals with mental illness and investigaes incidents of abuse and neglect of individuals with mental illness if the incidents are reported to the system or if there is probable cause to believe that the incidents occurred. The organization worked on 191 individual cases for 176 clients. Of cases not withdrawn by client or found to be without merit 67% were resolved favorably for the client. There were a total of 677 information and referral requests.

Other program services include technology related assistance to individuals with disabilities, work to encourage participation in the electoral process by people with disabilities, and the provision of information and referral services regarding traumatic brain injury services for providers and consumers. In addition the organization provides information and advice about social security work incentives, and supports and advocates for disabled children and adults who have suffered physical, sexual, financial or emotional harm as a result of the commission of a crime. This assistance is available to victims or survivors of domestic, sexual, dating, stalking, and elder abuse as well as of financial exploitation. The Vermont communicatio support project (vcsp) recruits, trains and certifies communication support specialists who can assisst people with disabilities in court, administrative hearings, and related meetings. The accomodations that are offered by a communiation support specialist support communication in order to overcome barriers to effective communication caused by Disability. The vcsp is the first program of its kind in the nation and offers people with disabilities equal access to the justice system and state services.