Department of Workforce Development

For more information, contact:
Judy Norman-Nunnery, 608/243-5603
R.F. Truesdell, 608/243-5608

Madison, WI — Federal grants totaling nearly $4 million have been awarded to a consortium, including the State Department of Workforce Development (DWD), to help American Indians with disabilities find and keep jobs.

The state agency announced today that the grants were made to the Great Lakes Intertribal Council and the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin. Along with Northern Arizona University and the American Indian Rehabilitation and Training Center, the DWD Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) provided staff and technical assistance to the consortium.

"These grants will enable those in the consortium to provide vocational rehabilitation services to American Indians living on or near reservations," said Judy R. Norman-Nunnery, DVR administrator.

Norman-Nunnery said there is a disproportionately high incidence of disability among American Indians.

"Many live in rural areas where employment rates need to be increased," she said. "Access to assessment, training, job placement and other employment-related services will be greatly improved by these grant funds."

Cultural differences often complicate communication between Native Americans and other groups, she added. "That interferes with native Americans being able to secure the full range of available and needed employment-related services."

R.F. Truesdell, director of DVR client services, said that DVR has co-sponsored multi-cultural exchanges during the last eight years with several Wisconsin tribes and the Inter-Tribal Council.

The exchanges "exposed native American communities to vocational rehabilitation services for people with disabilities, and DVR staff to native American culture," he said.

Another result of the cultural exchange was DVR sponsorship last year of a grant-writing workshop, which led to applications for grants now being awarded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services.