HR 17

                     State of Vermont
              House of Representatives
                               Montpelier, Vermont
                              House Resolution
                                         H.R. 17
   Offered by Committee on Human Services
  House resolution affirming that all Vermonters are presumed to be competent to
communicate and must be provided effective communication resources of their choice
  Whereas, in the early 1990s, facilitated communication (FC) was introduced in
Vermont, and, in 1994, practice and validation guidelines to enhance FC’s integrity
were implemented, and
   Whereas, in 2000, an important step in serving those Vermonters for whom
alternative communication methods are essential occurred with the establishment of the
Vermont Communication Task Force, a statewide communication network that works in
coordination with the Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living’s
Developmental Disabilities Services Division, and
   Whereas, the fundamental tenet of the Task Force is “that all persons are competent,
can communicate, and must receive the support, training and technology needed to
actively participate in all aspects of life,” and
   Whereas, the Task Force, with the support of two regional communication
specialists, offers guidance, policy recommendations, research monitoring, and training
on the individual, provider, and State levels, in the context of developmental disabilities
services, and
   Whereas, this operational structure is intended to ensure Vermonters receive the
necessary support to communicate through the method of their choice, and
   Whereas, it is of the utmost importance that individuals’ communication challenges
not be viewed as indicative of a limitation of their intellectual competence, and
   Whereas, the Rapid Prompting Method of communication assistance may be a
beneficial option for assisting individuals to communicate, now therefore be it
   Resolved by the House of Representatives:
   That this legislative body affirms that all Vermonters are presumed to be competent
to communicate and must be provided effective communication resources of their
choice, and be it further
    Resolved: That the Clerk of the House be directed to send a copy of this resolution
to the Vermont Communication Task Force.
                                                                            VT LEG #389313 v.1