The Rehabilitation Act was founded on the belief that every individual has the
right to work and make choices that affect his or her life. In 1998, Congress
amended the Rehabilitation Act, reinforcing the values and principles on which
it is based and also establishing a new vision and direction for rehabilitation
programs that operate under its authority.
The Rehabilitation Act Amendments established new expectations for assisting
individuals with disabilities to achieve employment and make choices, including:
The right of a participant to make informed choices
is broadened to all aspects of the rehabilitation program
Staff development activities and minimum
qualifications are established to ensure that individuals with disabilities
receive services from qualified staff
Service providers are required to meet minimum
standards established by TRIBAL VR to ensure participants receive professional
services from qualified providers
Cooperative working relationships are required among a variety of providers
involved in services to insure a seamless service delivery system
Each of you plays an important role in helping TRIBAL VR become a program that
demonstrates these values and principles every day. Many of you are in a position
to make decisions that affect participants' lives and to make decisions about
how to spend Tribal resources. Because participants rely on you for advice and
support, you must understand and use the authority of your position and the resources
available to meet the needs of program participants to the best of your ability.
This web site has a two basic purposes. One is to provide guidance to you in
the hope that it will make your job easier. Secondly it is to provide a basis
for your policy and procedure manual. Some sections will convert easily and some
will only provide guidance for the development of your program's manual.
