Addressed to the Vermont Legislative Body of 2026 Dear Legislators,
On behalf of the Vermont Coalition for Disability Rights, we thank you for your service and for your commitment to the well-being of all Vermonters, including the more than one in four of us who live with disabilities.
As you begin the 2026 legislative session, you will face urgent decisions shaped by rising federal pressure, limited resources, and real human consequences. In that context, VCDR offers this statement of principles as a shared compass for your work, grounded in Vermont values and in the lived experience of disabled Vermonters and our families.
We ask that you put people first and advance policies that protect dignity, strengthen community supports, and make it easier for Vermonters to live, learn, work, and age in the places they call home.
We know you will encounter a wide range of perspectives, strong emotions, and competing strategies on complex and sensitive issues. The pace will be fast, the docket will be full, and you will often be asked to make consequential choices with little time to spare.
We stand ready to help. VCDR’s member organizations bring practical expertise, on-the-ground insight, and lived experience across disability communities. We offer ourselves as partners and resources, available to share data, identify unintended impacts, elevate the voices most affected, and help craft solutions that are effective, equitable, and respectful of people’s rights and autonomy.
Principle One
Disability is a natural part of the human experience. It should not be justification for prejudice.
Principle Two
We all rely on community, so put community and appropriate supports first, not institutions.
Principle Three
Everyone deserves their autonomy. Support self-determination and independent living, and the community supports that make that possible.
Principle Four
Forced treatment is violence—not care. Vermont should invest in voluntary, community-based supports, including peer-run options, grounded in consent, harm reduction, and prevention.
Principle Five
All people deserve dignity and respect regardless of the need for supports. Dignity includes independent living to the greatest extent possible, with equitable access to basic needs, such as education, food, housing, and employment.