The Counseling Service of Addison County has received two Personal Accessible Dwellings (PADs) that will soon be installed on properties in Shoreham to serve adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. The PADs, made by Wilmington, Vermont-based WheelPad, are expected to become part of the solution to the county’s housing crisis. Photo by Steve James/The Addison Independent This story by John Flowers was first published in The Addison Independent on May 21, 2026. MIDDLEBURY — Necessity is indeed the mother of invention. So when Julie Lineberger and Joseph Cincotta learned that their 26-year-old godson — rendered quadriplegic following a tragic swimming pool accident — was unable to find a fully accessible living space in his milieu of Portland, Oregon, they put their considerable building and architectural skills to work. Cincotta invented what they now call a “personal accessible dwelling,” or PAD, of around 200 square feet. It’s a mobile single-story unit featuring bedroom/living area and roll-in toilet/shower that can seamlessly and comfortably accommodate a wheelchair-using resident. And rather than make it a one-off, the couple turned it into a business plan that, a decade later, has become WheelPad, a Wilmington company that continues to grow and facilitate independent living for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. WheelPad made its presence known in Addison County on May 15 with news that two of its latest PADs are headed to Shoreham, where they’ll be occupied by adults currently residing with relatives or with a host family. The Counseling Service of Addison County’s recent purchase of two StudioPAD units was made possible through collaboration with WheelPad and funding from the Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living, the Vermont Low Income Trust for Electricity and proceeds from St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church Peasant Market. As CSAC Development, Outreach Engagement Director Beth Tarallo put it, the new PADs are “the latest addition to CSAC’s supported housing toolkit, enabling us to respond more flexibly to the needs of the people we serve across Addison County. This model provides dignified and accessible homes, which can accommodate supported living when needed as well as the transition to independent living — a journey unique to each member of our community.” One of the new StudioPADs was on display May 15 for a special celebration on CSAC’s Catamount Park campus. It’s 28 feet long and 8.5 feet wide and can be safely towed behind a heavy-duty pickup truck. The resident will be able to cook, clean, wash and enjoy other aspects of independent living. The inside of one of the WheelPads. Photo by Steve James/The Addison Independent Taylor Morley, executive director of CSAC, was thrilled to see WheelPad roll in a new housing option for folks who don’t have one-size-fits-all needs. “We do very hard work here. Our community supports itself, and at the end of the day, it’s not just about getting by, it’s about thriving, it’s about finding the moments of joy,” she said. “This WheelPad unit is one such moment of joy today, and it’s going to provide a wonderfully dignified and safe place for some of our community members to live.” Beth and Mike Davis are the parents of a young adult, Craig, who’ll be living in one of the new WheelPad abodes. Craig has been living with his parents in Shoreham for the past five years and is excited to be under his own roof, according to his mom. “He really doesn’t want to live with us, and we’re getting to the point where it’s difficult for him to live with us,” Beth Davis said. “This (PAD) will give him a way to test the waters. It will be steppingstone for him to be more independent.” Davis noted there are many others in Vermont who need the same steppingstone. Currently, almost 40% of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities live with their parents and other family members, some of whom are in their 70s and 80s. “And many of these parents are baby boomers. We know we have an aging population in this state,” Davis said, raising the question of how these adult children of boomers will be taken care of when they outlive their parents. A report for the Vermont Legislature called “The Road Home” includes four main recommendations for lawmakers to pursue on behalf of folks with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They are: • Creating a new housing advocate position at DAIL. • Coming up with additional funding for the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board to develop service-supported housing. • Marshaling more resources for rental housing. • Establishing an advisory council to ensure “The Road Home” recommendations are accomplished. Davis was pleased to report on May 15 that each of the four recommendations had made its way into legislation this session. She praised Rep. Robin Scheu, D-Middlebury, for her consistent support on “The Road Home” recommendations. The Davises are among a group of 150 Vermont families dubbed the Development Disabilities Housing Initiative, which has been lobbying for new housing choices. “Our hope is that new service-supported models of housing … will be built in the next few years, so all adults will have a choice of forever homes in their communities, with the supports they need to live happy and fulfilling lives. The StudioPad here will play an important role in realizing this dream,” Davis said. Shared home Chelsea Carl has been a shared living provider at her home in Shoreham for the past 12 years. The second of the two Addison County WheelPad homes will be sited on her property for an adult with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She said she’s had the privilege of becoming a part of people’s lives “in a very real, human way. I’ve seen growth that didn’t seem possible. I’ve seen independence take shape in small, powerful moments.” Carl didn’t have to think twice when asked if she’d be open to hosting a PAD on her Shoreham property. “I’m proud to be part of something that has the potential to create more opportunities for independence, for connection and for a better quality of life — not just for one person, but for many,” she said. “For me, this isn’t just work. It never has been. … It’s 24 hours a day. It’s your home, your time, your energy. It’s late nights, early mornings and everything in between. It asks a lot of you — sometimes more than you think you have to give. But it also gives back in ways that are hard to put into words.” Carl hopes others will step up to host PADs and become part of the housing solution for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. “Yes, it’s a commitment, but one I believe in deeply. Because if we want to see real change in how we support people, we have to be willing to do things differently. We have to be willing to invest not just professionally, but personally,” she said. Lineberger and Cincotta were on hand for the May 15 celebration. Lineberger said WheelPad is looking at ways to make the PADs more affordable. The company’s SuitePAD currently goes for $133,000, while the StudioPAD sells for around $165,000. The company, which Lineberger called a “low-profit limited liability partnership,” prides itself for paying its employees a livable wage. “If we could, we would make these less expensive so more people could use them. We’ve now gotten to a place where we have a repeatable, innovative and scalable (product),” she said, adding: “This is a mission-driven thing — that everyone should be able to live in a beautiful house.” Read the story on VTDigger here: Counseling Service of Addison County, builder join forces on new homes. ...read more read less