Vermont State Disability Resources

Complete update - 1/2008
Partial update - 3/3/2008

The offices listed on this state sheet are primarily state-level offices. Even if an office is not close to your home, they can usually put you in touch with resources in your community, as well as provide you with information and assistance about disability issues in your state. If you find that an address or number has changed or is incorrect, please e-mail us at nichcy@aed.org and let us know.

Age of Eligibility

Each state sets eligibility ages for services to children and youth with disabilities. For current information concerning this state, please contact the office listed under Department of Education: Special Education.

State Agencies and Organizations

United States Senators
Honorable Patrick J. Leahy (D)
433 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-4242; (800) 642-3193 (in VT)
E-mail Web Form: http://leahy.senate.gov/contact.html
Web: http://leahy.senate.gov

Honorable Bernard Sanders (I)
332 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-5141; (800) 835-5500 (V/TTY)
E-mail: http://sanders.senate.gov/comments
Web: http://sanders.senate.gov

United States Representatives
To find the contact information for your representative in the House of the U.S. Congress, visit the HouseÕs Web site at: www.house.gov, or call: (202) 225-3121; (202) 225-1904 (TTY).

Governor
Honorable Jim Douglas
Office of the Governor
109 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05609
(802) 828-3333; (802) 828-3339 (Fax)
(800) 649-6825 (in VT only)
E-mail Web Form: http://governor.vermont.gov/contact.html
Web: www.vermont.gov/governor/

Official State Web Site
Web: www.vermont.gov/portal

State Department of Education: Special Education
Karin Edwards, Director
Student Support Services
120 State Street, State Office Building
Montpelier, VT 05620-2501
(802) 828-2755
E-mail: karin.edwards@state.vt.us
Web: www.state.vt.us/educ/new/html/pgm_sped.html

State Coordinator for NCLB (No Child Left Behind)
Gail Taylor, Director
Standards & Assessment
Student Support Services
120 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05620-2501
(802) 828-5158
E-mail: gail.taylor@state.vt.us
Web: www.education.vermont.gov

Programs for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities: Ages Birth through 2
Helen Keith, Director
Family, Infant and Toddler Program
Department for Children and Families
Child Development Division
103 S. Main Street
Waterbury, VT 05671-2901
(802) 241-3622
E-mail: helen.keith@ahs.state.vt.us
Web: www.dcf.state.vt.us/cdd

Programs for Children with Disabilities: Ages 3 through 5
Special Education Unit
Department of Education
120 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05620-2501
(802) 828-5114
Web: www.state.vt.us/educ/new/html/pgm_sped.html

State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency
Diane Dalmasse, Director
Vocational Rehabilitation Division
Department of Aging and Independent Living
Agency of Human Services
103 S. Main Street
Waterbury, VT 05671-2303
(802) 241-2186
E-mail: diane.dalmasse@ahs.state.vt.us
Web: www.vocrehab.vermont.gov/

Coordinator for Transition Services
K. Michael Ferguson, Special Education Consultant BEST Team
Vermont State Department of Education
120 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05620
(802) 828-5110
E-mail: michael.ferguson@state.vt.us
Web: http://education.vermont.gov/

Office of State Coordinator of Vocational Education for Students with Disabilities
Ebony Kirkland, Special Needs Consultant
Vocational Education for Disadvantaged and Handicapped Programs
Department of Education
120 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05620
(802) 828-5132
E-mail: ebony.kirkland@state.vt.us
Web: www.state.vt.us/educ

State Mental Health Services
Charles Biss, Director
Department of Mental Health
Agency of Human Services
P.O. Box 70
Burlington, VT 05402-0070
(802) 652-2000
E-mail: cbiss@vdh.state.vt.us
Web: www.healthvermont.gov/

State Mental Health Representative for Children and Youth
Charles Biss, Director of the Child, Adolescent and Family Unit
Department of Mental Health
P.O. Box 70
Burlington, VT 05402-0070
(802) 652-2000
E-mail: cbiss@vdh.state.vt.us
Web: www.healthvermont.gov/

Programs for People with Developmental Disabilities
Theresa Wood, Deputy Commissioner
Division of Developmental Services
Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living
103 S. Main Street, Weeks Building
Waterbury, VT 05671-1601
(802) 241-2648; (802) 241-2614
E-mail: theresa.wood@ahs.state.vt.us
Web: http://healthvermont.gov/

Councils on Developmental Disabilities
Karen Schwartz, Executive Director
Vermont Developmental Disabilities Council
103 S. Main Street
Waterbury, VT 05671-0602
(802) 241-2612 (V/TTY); (888) 317-2006
E-mail: karen.schwartz@ahs.state.vt.us
Web: http://ddc.vermont.gov

Disability Rights Advocacy
Nancy Breiden, Director
Disability Law Project
57 N. Main Street
Rutland, VT 05701
(802) 775-0021; (800) 769-7459 (V/TTY)
(800) 889-2047 (state office); (802) 229-1603 (TTY)
E-mail: nbreiden@vtlegalaid.org
Web: www.vtlegalaid.org

Ed Paquin, Executive Director
Vermont Protection and Advocacy, Inc.
141 Main Street, Suite 7
Montpelier, VT 05602
(802) 229-1355; (800) 834-7890 (In VT)
(802) 229-2603 (TTY)
E-mail: info@vtpa.org
Web: www.vtpa.org

Client Assistance Program
Nancy Breiden, Director
Disability Law Project
57 N. Main Street
Rutland, VT 05701
(802) 775-0021; (800) 769-7459 (V/TTY)
(800) 889-2047 (state office)
E-mail: nbreiden@vtlegalaid.org
Web: www.vtlegalaid.org

Programs for Children with Special Health Care Needs
Steve Brooks, Operations Director
Carol Hassler, Medical Director
Children with Special Health Needs
Department of Health
108 Cherry Street
P.O. Box 70
Burlington, VT 05402
(802) 863-7338
E-mail: chassle@vdh.state.vt.us
Web: www.healthvermont.gov/family/cshn/cshn.aspx

State CHIP Program
(health care for low-income uninsured children)
Dr. Dynasaur
103 S. Main Street
Waterbury, VT 05671
(800) 250-8427
Web: www.path.state.vt.us/Programs_Pages/Healthcare/drdynasaur.htm

Programs for Children and Youth who are Blind or Visually Impaired
Fred Jones, Director
Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living
Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired
103 South Main Street, Weeks IC, Room 109
Waterbury, VT 05671-2304
(802) 241-2210; (888) 405-5005
E-mail: fred.jones@ahs.state.vt.us
Web: www.dail.state.vt.us/dbvi

Programs for Children and Youth who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Lori Yarrow, Field Services Manager
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
103 S. Main Street, Weeks 1A
Waterbury, VT 05671-2303
(802) 241-2186 (V/TTY) ; (802) 241-2199 (TTY)
E-mail: lori.yarrow@ahs.state.vt.us
Web: www.vocrehab.vermont.gov

Robert W. Carter, President
Vermont Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
209 Austine Drive
Brattleboro, VT 05301
(802) 258-9500 (V/TTY)
Web: www.vcdhh.org/wp/

Telecommunications Relay Services for Individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or with Speech Impairments
(800) 253-0195 (V)
(800) 253-0191 (TTY); 711 (TTY)
(800) 229-5746 (Speech to Speech - English)
(866) 260-9470 (Speech to Speech - Spanish)

State Education Agency Rural Representative
Department of Education
Special Education Unit
120 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05602
(802) 828-0555
Web: www.state.vt.us/educ

Regional ADA & IT Technical Assistance Center
Valerie Fletcher, Executive Director
Oce Harrison, Project Director
DBTAC - New England ADA Center
Adaptive Environments Center, Inc.
180-200 Portland Street, First Floor
Boston, MA 02114
(617) 695-1225 (V/TTY); (800) 949-4232 V/TTY)
E-mail: adainfo@newenglandada.org
Web: http://adaptiveenvironments.org/neada/site/home

University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
Susan Ryan, Executive Director
Center on Disability and Community Inclusion
University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service
University of Vermont
208 Colchester Avenue
Burlington, VT 05405-1757
(802) 656-4031 (V); (802) 656-8499 (TTY)
E-mail: susan.ryan@uvm.edu
Web: www.uvm.edu/~cdci

Technology-Related Assistance
Julie Tucker, Director
Vermont Assistive Technology Project
103 South Main Street, Weeks Building
Waterbury, VT 05671-2305
(802) 241-2672 (V/TTY)
E-mail: julie.tucker@ahs.state.vt.us
Web: www.dail.state.vt.us/ATP

State Mediation System
Susan Boyd, Coordinator
Vermont Department of Education
120 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05620-2501
(802) 828-3136
E-mail: Sboyd@doe.state.vt.us
Web: www.state.vt.us/educ/

Special Format Library
Teresa R. Faust, Consultant
Vermont Department of Libraries
Special Services Unit
578 Paine Turnpike North
Berlin, VT 05602
(802) 828-3273; (800) 479-1711
E-mail: ssu@mail.dol.state.vt.us