Vermont Center for Independent Living

06/12/2026

Do you know a business or organization that is leading the way in accessibility and inclusion? Help us recognize their efforts by submitting a nomination for the VCIL Ally of Accessibility Award & please share widely!

Nominations will be accepted through June 26, 2026.

Find the form and more information here:

06/11/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out on such a beautiful day to enjoy our Open House. A special shout out to Rowan and his family for making it possible to give Rowan our Youth Leader Award in person at the event!! And to Ed and Gini for the lovely music.

06/09/2026

Requiring in person floor voting is voter suppression.

It robs many older and disabled voters from the right to vote in local elections.

The town will explore a move to Australian ballot voting.

06/06/2026

Free Japanese Cooking Club for Disabled Youth 10-24!

VCIL is excited to share our summer 2026 offerings for youth and young adults as part of the statewide Vermont Pathways to Partnerships program.

Up first is our Japanese Cooking Club!
Learn to make boba and popular dishes featured in anime each week- no cooking experience needed.

Participants will receive a $100 Amazon gift card to order the materials/supplies needed from the list we provide, and a $50 Visa gift card so that they can shop each week at the store for the weekly recipe ingredients needed.

Learn more and join: https://tinyurl.com/makeboba2026

06/04/2026

In a time when Vermont needs more ASL interpreters especially in legal and medical settings we’re excited to see this student headed off to become an ASL interpreter.
Vancro Integrated Interpreting Services

Sponsor Spotlight: A first-generation college student discovers a passion for ASL, and making communication more accessible for others.

06/03/2026

https://www.waterburyroundabout.org/news-archive/trail-opening-planned-at-pratt-refuge-birding-hot-spot-in-duxburynbsp

The Vermont Land Trust invites the community to a trail opening celebration this Thursday in Duxbury at the Pratt Refuge on Ward Hill. 

05/27/2026

Since 2021, Montpelier Pride has kicked off ‘Pride Season’ in Vermont with a Sidewalk
Parade and Festival at the Statehouse Lawn on the last Friday in May.

This year’s Parade and Festival will be on Friday, May 29th from 4-6 PM. In addition to the Parade and Festival, Pride Events take place during May and June throughout Montpelier, organized by many local businesses, restaurants, and non-profit partners.

The following Events are those organized by the Montpelier Pride Team:

Saturday, May 23, 6 - 8:30 PM at The Chapel, 36 College Street – Community Dinner &
Silent Auction - All Are Welcome! $20-$30 suggested donation; no one turned away for
lack of funds

Friday, May 29, 9:00 AM at City Hall – Pride Flag Raising & Pride Month Declaration
with Mayor Gwinn

Friday, May 29, 3:00 PM at the Unitarian Church of Montpelier, 130 Main St.
–Sign-making party - All Are Welcome! Supplies provided, or bring your own

Friday, May 29, 4:00 PM -- Pride Parade Kick -off at corner of Main St. and State St., led
by Brass Baligan and the GSA Students of Main Street Middle School and Montpelier
High School

Friday, May 29 from 4 - 6 PM at the Statehouse Lawn -- Montpelier Pride Festival with
information, resources, and giveaways from local nonprofits, dancing, games, face
painting, food, performances, and more -- ALL FREE!

Between now and the end of June, here are highlights of additional Pride
Events ( details can be found at montpelierpride.org/events):

Tuesday, May 26, 6 - 7 PM at the Barre Social Club (105 N Main St. #2,
Barre) -- LGBTQ+ Story Hour
Thursday, May 28, 4 - 10 PM at Charlie O's (70 Main St., Montpelier) --
Pride Party, Gourmet Hot Dogs, Drag Show & more!

Friday, May 29 from 6:30 - 9 PM at the Unitarian Church of Montpelier
(130 Main St.) -- Benefit Concert with Small Axe for CVRAN ( Central VT
Refugee Action Network)

Saturday, May 30 from 4 - 6 PM -- Pride Stroll & Socialize with The
Venture Out Project

Sunday, May 31 from 5 - 6 PM at Christ Episcopal Church ( 64 State St) --
Vermont Symphony Orchestra Montpelier Pride Concert

Friday, June 5 from 6:30 - 8:30 PM at Naive Melody (95 State St.,
Montpelier) -- All-Ages Q***r Open Mic Night with Nate

Friday, June 5 - Sunday, June 14 at The Savoy Theater (26 Main St.,
Montpelier) -- Q***r Film Fest 2026!

Monday, June 15, 6:30 PM at VCFA Dining Hall (1 West St., Montpelier) --
Karaoke, Dinner, and Salon for the Reclusive, Strange, and Delightful

Thursday, June 25, 3 - 8 PM at Skinny Pancake Montpelier (89 Main St.) --Crepes for a Cause! 20% proceeds benefit Montpelier Pride.

05/14/2026

VCIL offers technical assistance and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act and our team is top notch drawing from their professional experience and lived experience.

Peter and Cara educating state employee through their training on Reasonable Accommodations.
Photo credit: Patricia Parker

05/13/2026

📣 WE’RE HIRING: PART-TIME PATIENT REPRESENTATIVE! 📣

MadFreedom Advocates is seeking a passionate, collaborative Patient Representative to amplify the voices of people held involuntarily in the psychiatric unit at Rutland Regional Medical Center. The role ensures that individuals' voices are heard, represented, and acted upon.

This is a part-time, non-exempt (up to 20 hours/week) hybrid role that includes:
• Weekly on-site visits
• Remote work between visits
• Paid training opportunities
• No prior experience required

Compensation is $22.50/hour to start; $25/hr after successful completion of three months.

Patient Representatives visit the psych unit weekly to:
• Share information about patient rights
• Support individuals in writing grievances
• Model Intentional Peer Support (IPS) values of mutuality and shared learning
• Foster two-way communication with treatment teams

Whether you’re an experienced advocate or just beginning your journey, your lived experience, voice, and vision matter here. Help shape a grassroots, peer-run organization committed to psychiatric survivor leadership and building community rooted in justice.

📩 To apply:
Send a resume (or equivalent life experience summary) + a short letter (500 words max) describing why advocacy matters to you.

Email: [email protected]
Subject line: “Patient Representative – [Your Name]”

Or apply online on the Join Our Team page on our website.

05/13/2026

For those interested in what’s happening in the old VCIL office Vulcan Community Fitness is rebuilding the space and creating a community fitness center. You know that our heart remains in that space and we’re so happy to see it all coming back to a useable space with an owner focused on the community.

I know we loved peaking into the videos to see all the spaces revisioned and rebuilt and can’t wait for their opening this summer!!

💙

Getting the flooring measurements locked in ✔️
One more step closer to bringing Vulcan Community Fitness to life. The vision is slowly turning into a real training space and we’re excited to keep sharing the progress with you all 💪🔥