Class of 2020

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Consortia of Administrators of Native American Rehabilitation (CANAR)

We are proud to induct Consortia of Administrators of Native American Rehabilitation (CANAR) into the Susan Daniels Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame.

CANAR is a national membership organization representing eighty-eight (88) American Indian/Alaska Native Vocational Rehabilitation service projects serving tribal members with disabilities in over 100 native communities throughout the United States. The CANAR organization began in 1993 with six (6) project administrators from AIVRS projects.

The purpose of CANAR is to advance and improve vocational rehabilitation services in American Indian/Alaska Native communities by:

  1. Providing a national forum for tribal projects dedicated to expanding quality rehabilitation services to American Indians with disabilities.
  2. Providing a resource to organize and convey the collective position of tribal administrators on issues affecting vocational rehabilitation on reservations, trust lands, Alaska Native villages
  3. Providing a means of communication within CANAR and with other organizations, governmental bodies and/or other entities on matters relating to vocational rehabilitation service provision, education and research for American Indian/Alaska Native consumers.
  4. Conducting, participating in and influencing the design of research, which leads to demonstrations or policies/practices, that improve vocational rehabilitation services for American Indians with disabilities on or near reservations, trust lands, Alaska Native villages, and at the national level.
  5. Promoting and maintaining high quality vocational rehabilitation service outcomes.
  6. Promoting professional development for practitioners in vocational rehabilitation whose career goals are in services, education, and administration of tribal programs.
  7. Ensuring consumers have access to culturally appropriate, traditional healing practices.
  8. Maintaining the capacity to actively and consistently compete and seek out funding that aligns with the mission and purpose of CANAR, Inc.

Our Federal/Tribal funded, tribal government-based American Indian and Alaska Native vocational rehabilitation services projects are located in 26 States, from upstate New York to California to the remote villages of Alaska. AIVRS projects are funded under Section 121, Part C of the Rehabilitation Act as Amended; the American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services (AIVRS) program with matching funds from the tribe. Some projects have been funded entirely by their tribe when federal funds are scarce or projects have lost funding. We generally refer to our members as Tribal VR.