Bringing together disability advocates representing individuals, service providers, and state agencies, this panel will share insights into the short- and long-term impacts of recent legislative and administrative actions affecting the disability community. Topics to be discussed include Medicaid funding, eligibility for Home and Community Based Services (HCBS), healthcare adequacy and provider system sustainability, and changes to education policy. This session will be hosted and moderated by Jon Meyers, Executive Director of the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council.
Learning Outcomes
- Participants will learn about the range of recent legislative and policy activities affecting the disability community in Arizona and nationwide.
- Participants will understand the upcoming effects of legislative and policy activities on services and supports for individuals with disabilities and caregivers.
- Participants will be better prepared to advocate with policymakers to ensure continued funding and availability of disability services and supports.
Encompassing state and federal policies and policymakers, this session explores public policy priorities, advocacy, and decision-making as they touch the lives of people with disabilities, caregivers, service providers, and government service systems. The session also includes a detailed update on key legislation affecting the disability community in Arizona and nationwide.
Post-employment services are an essential yet often overlooked component of the tribal vocational rehabilitation (TVR) process. While placement is a significant milestone, long-term employment success depends on timely, responsive supports after a participant begins work. This session highlights how post-employment services help individuals maintain employment, regain employment if separation occurs, and advance along a meaningful career pathway.
Participants will explore how these services address unexpected challenges that may threaten job stability, including workplace adjustments, changes in functional capacity, or evolving employer expectations. Emphasis will be placed on proactive planning during development of the Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE), including identifying and documenting anticipated post-employment needs at the outset. Attendees will gain practical strategies to strengthen employment retention, promote career advancement, and improve long-term outcomes.
Learning Outcomes
- Present the criteria for the provision of post-employment services
- Discuss the rationale and distinction between PES and re-opening vs opening a new case
- Present and discuss the scope of services that are allowable under a PES Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE)
In Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation (TVR), success is built on “Critical Connections”, strong, respectful partnerships between staff, participants, and their communities. Shifting from a Western “expert” model to an Indigenous empowerment framework, TVR rejects paternalism in favor of shared responsibility. Guided by the Native philosophy that no one succeeds alone, the participant acts as an equal partner and architect of their own journey.
This session explores how TVR counselors foster trust through clear, culturally responsive communication, often in Native languages, to support informed decision-making. By integrating community resources like housing, mental health, and State VR agencies, counselors address holistic barriers beyond employment. Attendees will learn to cultivate these essential relationships, ensuring participants have the autonomy and support necessary to achieve personal growth and lasting career success.
Learning Outcomes
- To provide participants with information about AIVRS service delivery model
- Discuss the importance of establishing an effective outreach and referral process
- Review steps required to developing and effective outreach plan.
The American Indian–Rural Youth Apprenticeship Development (AI-RYAD) Project is designed to support American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation (AIVR) programs and their workforce partners in building culturally grounded, community-driven pre-apprenticeship pathways that expand employment and economic opportunities for tribal youth with disabilities.
This sectional will introduce participants to how pre-apprenticeships provide an entry point into apprenticeships by providing youth and young adults an opportunity to explore the skills, expectations, and potential of a given occupation. This session provides strategies and a framework to use when considering how the pre-apprenticeship model can be used in your community, as well as the first steps to consider and implement for developing pre-apprenticeship opportunities.
Learning Outcomes
- Participants will be able to describe the components of a quality pre-apprenticeship as well as potential partners for developing these opportunities.
- Participants will have materials to begin exploring pre-apprenticeship opportunities in their community and consider what their first steps are in developing a pre-apprenticeship
- Participants will know how to access pre-apprenticeship tools and resources available to them on ExploreVR and other networks.
Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation Personalized Approach to Traditional Holistics (TVR PATH) is a systems visualization tool designed to support Cultural Services provision within TVR programs. Developed through an inclusive, community-driven process involving TVR directors, counselors, and Tribal partners, TVR PATH maps 27 interconnected elements that shape whether participants can achieve their employment goals and fully engage in Cultural Services. It is presented with cultural imagery instead of conventional systems diagram schematics. This session 1) introduces TVR PATH, demonstrates how TVR and state VR professionals can apply it to their work, and shares how programs can personalize it to fit their unique culture and community.
Learning Outcomes
- Describe TVR PATH, how to access it, and how to navigate its main diagram and sub-diagrams.
- Identify applications of TVR PATH for TVR professionals and state VR professionals working across systems.
- Recognize when and how to personalize TVR PATH while honoring key principles.
Nearly 1 in 2 U.S. adults with disabilities (49%) live in households in which someone has had a court case for a civil, criminal, family, or traffic matter. This is substantially higher than the rate for adults without disabilities (29%). Overall, adults with disabilities make up approximately 30% of the general population, according to a recent national poll by The Pew Charitable Trusts. The topic of criminal justice is one of the hottest topics in the disability community today, especially when one looks at the layers within the Arizona criminal justice system. This proposal proposes a panel discussion with individuals who interact with the justice system daily, giving their own perspectives and answering questions. Panelists include attorneys, law enforcement officers, and criminal justice advocates.
Learning Outcomes
- Understanding barriers for individuals with disabilities in the criminal justice
- Understanding criminal justice from multiple points of view
- Collaborating together to explore possible solutions
Families of medically fragile students often operate under an “illusion of competency,” assuming schools are equipped for emergencies. After the tragic loss of their son Landon, Julie Lazzara and Mark D’Aprile transformed their grief into a legislative roadmap for change. This session moves beyond one specific story to provide a scalable blueprint for disability advocacy in Arizona. Using the success of SB1383 and the current push for HB4043 as case studies, the founders of Landon’s Legacy Foundation will detail how to navigate the Arizona Legislature. Attendees will learn the importance of incremental “stepping stone” legislation, how to engage stakeholders for buy-in, and the practical mechanics of the Request to Speak (RTS) program to ensure the most vulnerable voices are heard.
Learning Outcomes
- Map the Legislative Path: Identify the key stages of an Arizona bill (Committee, Caucus, Floor) and determine the optimal times for public testimony to influence disability-related policy.
- Utilize Advocacy Technology: Demonstrate proficiency in the Arizona Request to Speak (RTS) system to register support and provide impactful comments on pending legislation.
- Apply Incrementalism to Policy: Explain why "stepping stone" bills (like HB4043) are often more effective than "all-or-nothing" proposals in gaining stakeholder buy-in and overcoming legislative hurdles.
