As early as the 1940s the U.S. Government recognized that Native Americans with disabilities were less likely to be served by vocational rehabilitation programs than their non-native peers. Following decades of advocacy and a highly successful demonstration project led by the Navajo Nation, the Rehabilitation Act was amended in 1978 (Title 1, Section 121) to provide tribal members with disabilities the opportunity to access culturally specific vocational rehabilitation services.
Currently Washington State has seven tribal VR programs operated by sovereign nations within our borders. The seven programs are: Colville, Cowlitz, Lummi, North Intertribal, Samish, SPIPA, and Yakama. Eligible tribal members with disabilities can choose to be served by either the general VR program or by a tribal VR program, or can request that both programs work together to support their efforts to go to work.
Consortia of Administrators for Native American Vocational Rehabilitation (CANAR)
Map of tribal VR service areas
