Partnerships Create Innovation and Accessibility in Vermont

On Friday May 15th, the WheelPad team, and a group of supporters and collaborative partners gathered at the Counseling Services of Addison County (CSAC) offices to publicly display one of the two WheelPad® StudioPAD modular homes being installed in Addison county here in Vermont. The event was a demonstration, and a celebration of affordable, inclusive, universally accessible housing that was both designed and manufactured in Vermont thanks to a collaborative public-private partnership of multiple organizations and the State of Vermont.

WheelPad received funding from the Vermont Low Income Trust for Electricity (VLITE) and Projects for Housing Accessibility and Training (PHAT) to design and prototype its first Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU), the StudioPAD modular accessible home, at its Wilmington, Vermont, manufacturing facility. Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) has supported WheelPad’s growth, helping the company expand accessible housing solutions for Vermonters through financing, partnerships, and long-term business development support. Together with VEDA and state partners, BDCC is helping WheelPad create jobs, grow manufacturing capacity, and make it easier for people to live comfortably in their communities.

CSAC’s services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, which pairs affordable housing with supports, received funding from the Vermont Department of Disabilities Aging and Independent Living (DAIL) to purchase two WheelPad accessible modular homes.

See additional news coverage of the event: 

WPTZ - Vermont Company unveils new modular design for independent living

NBC 5 - Innovative modular home unveiled in Middlebury designed to give more flexible housing options

Vermont Biz Magazine - WheelPad: Creative housing solution made in Vermont