Product Description:
The unemployment rate of American Indians and Alaska Natives with disability living on tribal lands is extraordinarily high and has been for some time. This unacceptable condition is undoubtedly linked to the overall lack of economic vitality and employment conditions on tribal lands. In order to improve the employment opportunities for American Indians with disability living on reservations and Alaska Natives with disability residing in Native villages, we need a clear understanding of the factors that contribute to this outcome and a broad strategy for addressing them. One such factor is that the infrastructure for supporting the employment of people with disability living on American Indian reservations and Alaska Native villages is frequently inadequate. This infrastructure includes concrete resources such as accessible transportation, housing, health services and public services, but also encompasses other community resources such as employment opportunities, education and training, tribal laws and policies, and procedures that facilitate participation of members with disability. This inadequate infrastructure must be addressed in order to create sufficient employment opportunities for tribal members with disability and can be accomplished through partnerships across tribal sectors. However, solutions cannot be imposed from the outside. Rather, tribes need to address, for themselves, these gaps in employment infrastructure, including using technical assistance to develop solutions that fit their circumstances, that are culturally relevant and that respect tribal sovereignty. The Tribal Disability Actualization Process (TDAP) offers such a model for self-directed disability and rehabilitation service development by incorporating elements of economic and community development practice.
