Ed Paquin

Ed Paquin, of Barre, Vermont, describes himself as a “recovering politician” in “the civil rights business.” With a BA in the Study of Religions, he has been a factory worker, a silversmith, a carpenter, a substitute teacher, a six term member of the Vermont House of Representatives, and for the last eleven years, the executive director of Vermont's protection & advocacy system - Disability Rights Vermont (DRVT). He has lived with a physical disability for nearly 25 years but has focused much of his attention on Vermont's mental health system. He wonders if it is too much to expect that the day will come when contact with “the system” is more a comfort than a trauma. And NARPA is food for his soul. DRVT has played an active role in creating disability awareness training for law enforcement in Vermont and has, through settlement, worked to influence the use of Tasers in circumstances involving individuals with disabilities.