National Disability Employment Awareness Month takes place each October – in efforts made by Southern Ute Vocational Rehabilitation to bring more awareness to the reservation, Chairman Melvin J. Baker and the Southern Ute Tribal Council proclaimed Oct. 12, 2022, as Southern Ute Disability Employment Awareness Week. This year, Vocational Rehabilitation hosted the Disabilities Employment Awareness Workshop on Thursday, Oct. 16 at the Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum. The workshop featured different trainings and open discussions, educating and spreading awareness regarding disabilities, employment barriers, and sharing the services offered by the Southern Ute Vocational Rehabilitation Program.
The all-day workshop took place in the Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum’s large classroom, where attendees gathered to engage in meaningful discussions, understand disabilities within the workplace, and to create a culture of belonging. Programming included:
- Understanding Disability and Disability Etiquette, Reasonable Accommodations and Disclosure Decisions, and Autism and Mental Health in the Workplace, presented by David Atkinson and Tiffany Garcia from the Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (CO DVR) Business Relations Unit.
- Time Management and Organization, presented by Annette Bernal, CO DVR Counselor
- Acts of Kindness, presented by Michelle Wagner, Southern Ute Human Resources Training and Development Coordinator.
- The Importance of Self-Care, presented by Constance Lehi, Ute Mountain Ute Vocational Rehabilitation Director and Bobbie Rosa, Southern Ute Vocational Rehabilitation Program Manager.
The workshop saw strong participation, from tribal members to community members; each attendee gathered to enjoy the insightful event. Southern Ute Voc. Rehab. Program Manager, Bobbie Rosa said, “It is so important that each and every one of us feels like we belong here – we must have these discussions and continue to take part in these trainings because the more effort we put into learning the more we realize that the diversity we have within our communities is our superpower,” Rosa said. “I was incredibly happy to see the people who took time out of their busy schedules to come and join us. This year we also prepared traditional foods to share, so we had blue cornmeal in the morning. Louise Wilson made corn soup which comes from her people the Absentee Shawnee, I prepared green chili stew, and Velma Armijo and her sister made their traditional Pueblo bread and frybread.”
“I want to extend my thanks to those who attended, those who gave presentations and to the Southern Ute Indian Tribe for continuing to support the Vocational Rehabilitation Program” Rosa said. “To be able to host this workshop and hear stories about what people are going through within their work lives or personal lives, it brings people closer and this helps us realize that we are all just human. We deserve to have the same opportunities; we all just want the same things.”
The Southern Ute Vocational Rehabilitation Program is designed to provide vocational rehabilitation services, including culturally appropriate services, to Native American individuals with disabilities who reside on or near the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. Services include vocational counseling, vocational evaluation, job-seeking skills, job development, physical or technical aids needed to accommodate a disability within the workplace, tools and job equipment, and more. The program focuses on assisting individuals who experience challenges to their employment goals based on their medical diagnoses and other barriers that they may experience.
More trainings will be announced closer to the upcoming spring season, and the annual Disabilities Employment Awareness Workshop will be held again next October. “I would like to give a shoutout to; The Southern Ute Tribe, the Southern Ute Museum and Cultural Center, Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Ute Mountain Ute Vocational Rehabilitation Program, Southern Ute Human Resources, Velma Armijo, who assisted with bread for the meal, JoVonna Miller who assisted with blue corn meal for breakfast, Louise Wilson and Misha Weaver who helped in the event planning and food preparation, Raven Nyx from SASO who provided valuable input regarding service animals, and again everyone who attended the event.”
For more information about the event, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, or Southern Ute Vocational Rehabilitation Program services, you can contact Program Manager, Bobbie Rosa via email at brosa@southernute-nsn.gov, call Rosa’s direct line (970) 563-2333 or the office line (970) 563-4730.