RSA-227 for FY-2025: Submission #19

Provide some examples of some interesting cases during the past fiscal year. The Law Center's region covers portions of four states & two primary Native American communities [Hopi & Navajo] that have tribal VR programs. We remain concerned that the State, but more importantly, the tribal VR programs are not providing information to clients about the American Indian Consortium CAP. As a result, we are not receiving calls from potential clients, who have been denied VR services. One reason the Law Center does not have any I&R services to report is because we take every eligible caller for direct services in order to increase awareness of the CAP. Despite these efforts & ongoing community outreach, we are not receiving calls from CAP eligible clients. The Law Center continues to reach out to local VR offices & has developed contacts with the Hopi VR program; however, the Navajo VR program remains resistant to providing information on the Law Center's CAP program despite RSA direction to the contrary.
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Since we did not have individual clients over the past year, the Law Center continued to advocate for changed policies that will increase access to VR services, employment & independent living services for Native Americans with disabilities.

National Council on Disability
The Law Center’s Community & Government Liaison, Hoskie Benally, is an appointed member of the National Council on Disability. He attends the regularly scheduled meetings & speaks for Native Americans with disabilities across the country to raise awareness of the unique needs of this community.

Navajo Advisory Council on Disabilities
Mr. Benally also remains the President of the Navajo Advisory Council on Disabilities, which advises the Navajo Nation on policies impacting Navajos with disabilities. Over the past year, the Law Center has coordinated activities with the Advisory Council to address barriers such as employment accommodations, housing access, & public transportation. These initiatives are focused on improving community-based opportunities & access to employment, government services, & education.

Inter-Tribal Disability Advocacy Council
The Inter-Tribal Disability Advocacy Council (IDAC) made significant progress in strengthening its structure, direction, and long-term impact. One of the Council’s most important accomplishments was the development of comprehensive Guiding Principles. These principles formally establish IDAC’s vision, purpose, and core values, affirming its responsibility to advocate for Indigenous relatives with disabilities and promote self-determination, equity, and culturally grounded approaches to disability advocacy. By outlining commitments to Indigenous definitions of disability, community education, systems change, and partnership building, the Guiding Principles now serve as the foundational framework guiding all current and future Council initiatives. In addition to solidifying its guiding values, IDAC dedicated substantial efforts to implementing strong membership standards and operational expectations. The Council established membership criteria that honor cultural identity, lived experience, and advocacy expertise, ensuring representation from diverse tribal communities—including the inclusion of a youth member—and strengthening its commitment to respect, integrity, compassion, and teamwork. FY2025 also marked the development of essential administrative elements, including officer roles, meeting procedures, documentation expectations, and consensus-based decision-making processes. These steps created an accountable and organized structure that supports long-term sustainability and cohesive governance.
A major focus of FY2025 was the initiation of planning for the National American Indian Disability Symposium, a two-day virtual gathering dedicated to uplifting Native people with disabilities and strengthening the systems intended to serve them. IDAC played a central role in shaping the symposium’s vision, initial agenda, and thematic direction. Importantly, planning for the event is being developed in collaboration with the University of Arizona, Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities, whose partnership helps ensure cultural relevance, accessibility, and alignment with national research and policy priorities. Together, IDAC and the Sonoran Center are working to gather community voices, highlight systemic barriers, uplift traditional knowledge, and develop community-driven policy recommendations that honor sovereignty, self-determination, and the lived experiences of Native people with disabilities. Through these achievements, IDAC strengthened its internal foundation while also influencing broader regional and national conversations about disability in Indigenous communities. FY2025 represents a year of intentional growth, partnership-building, and strategic planning—work that positions the Council to elevate Indigenous voices, address systemic inequities, and guide meaningful, culturally grounded change in the years ahead.