[NFB-VT] NFB of Vermont Needs Your Help to Stop Eugenics against Blind Parents

[Justin Salisbury]

>From the National Federation of the Blind of Vermont

Hi everyone,

As you all probably know, Vermont recently issued an apology for eugenics. That's nice, but we really need the State of Vermont to stop practicing eugenics on the blind. The state continues to take our children away from us, and that needs to stop.

We have a bill:

H.506 - a bill that will create a right to parent for people with disabilities so that our disabilities are no longer used to justify the state taking our children away from us. I have attached the bill to this message if you're interested in reading it.

In the past year, we have published these opinion pieces about the topic:
Rutland Herald, "Disabled Parenting," https://www.rutlandherald.com/opinion/letters/disabled-parenting/article_6de04d07-38d8-5f7f-8bbf-10523345d30b.html
VT Digger, "Justin Salisbury: Ongoing eugenics against disabled Vermonters," https://vtdigger.org/2022/02/10/justin-salisbury-ongoing-eugenics-against-disabled-vermonters/

If you want to help advance this bill, the #1 thing to be done right now is for people to send emails to Rep. Maxine Grad, Chair of the House Committee on Judiciary mgrad at leg.state.vt.us<mailto:mgrad at leg.state.vt.us>, respectfully requesting that she "take up H.506 in committee and hear testimony from invited speakers."

This will give us the opportunity to talk with the committee about the issue and any possible tweaks to the language of the bill. We will ask for one small change, but we will deal with that when it is time to talk with the committee.

If you could please send an email to Rep. Maxine Grad, you will be helping keep our families together.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Justin


Justin MH Salisbury, NOMC, NCRTB (he/him)
Legislative Director | First Vice President
National Federation of the Blind of Vermont
351 North Avenue, Unit 209
Burlington, Vermont 05401
Phone: 802.585.3787
Email: President at Alumni.ECU.edu<mailto:President at Alumni.ECU.edu>
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-salisbury
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Justin_Salisbury


"Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot un-educate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore."

Cesar Chavez


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