Afro-Latino brown man with a beard and faded copper-dyed afro hair. He wore a grey polo shirt. Background: white wall with a wood bar on the horizon level behind him.
Synopsis:
I’m the current president of the Vermont Association of the Deaf. I’m sharing some important news with you. Disability Advocate Day occurred on February 11, 2026. I met with some legislators to raise awareness about the H.143 bill at Montpellier, VT. This proposal bill is attempting to establish an act for a support service program, specifically a support service provider (SSP) in serving the DeafBlind community. Representative Theresa Wood of Waterbury introduced H.143 in the Human Services Committee in February 2025, but this bill is still on the table and has not advanced due to insufficient time. Instead, the committee intends to add this provision to the state budget (Governor’s Recommendation FY 2027 Budget). SSP funding will be ongoing in part of the state budget. We will know the result in mid-late May. Joint Public Hearing seeking public testimony about the state budget on February 19. The sign-up for testimony is full in both virtual (Zoom) and in-person testimony. Instead, you have three options: #1) submit the written statement to the Joint Public Hearing through email. #2) Record your statement in ASL video and submit to the public hearing, but this option is currently unavailable due to ongoing conversations with other organizations about logistics. #3) You can send your written testimony to your legislators in your county through email. Option #1 and #3 are recommended; legislators will take note of the significance of this program from you directly. They should advocate for voting on this budget on your behalf.
Submit your written statement (testimony) to the following email: testimony@vtleg.gov
Any questions or concerns? Please feel free to reach me at admin@deafvermont.com
