These will all be coordinated under a central administration. The following chart was devised as part of the Navajo Comprehensive Education Planning process, and will be included as one of the components of the Navajo Comprehensive Education Plan. The chart represents the activities that must occur over a 15 year period to accomplish Navajo Vocational Rehabilitation Project objectives. The solid lines and arrows indicate a "time" relationship between the input organizations, goals, and time controlling components. Solid lines indicate a heavy involvement from certain input organizations during a specified time period, while arrows signify a less significant, but essential task or administrative detail necessary for the accomplishment of a goal. Solid lines and arrows in the "Goal" section signifies the relationship of goals to activities."15 year plan" E. NAVAJO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN The economic development policy of the Navajo Tribe is "the efficient development of a viable Navajo economy, which will afford the Navajo people the maximum opportunity for choice of both style and standard of living." Following are resources of the Navajo Tribe with economic development potential: The problems or constraints in achieving economic development are: Underskilled labor force, scarcity of development capital, difficulty of acquiring land, and scarcity of managerial talent. It is no coincidence that these criteria also apply to the development of comprehensive vocational rehabilitation services. Of the above-mentioned economic growth areas, the following would most likely have potential for handicapped employment: (1) The Navajo Irrigation Project - Some (3) Government Services Handicapped persons should be encouraged to take training in areas that will help them compete for government jobs both of a professional and technical nature, including support services such as clerical/secretarial work. Jobs for the handicapped in this category may also result from subcontracting goods and services to sheltered workshops and homebound industries. (4) Industry Service jobs and subcontracting have potential here as well depending on the nature severity of the handicap. Employment produced by Navajo economic development will not be sufficient in the immediate future, however, to hire significant numbers of disabled persons particularly the severely handicapped. The NVRP needs to follow the basic economic goals of the Navajo Tribe in creating employment opportunities for handicapped persons. Non-handicapped persons would benefit also, but to a lesser degree. A critical barrier to commercial economic development is the absence of persons willing and able to become enterpreneurs and who have managerial skills. The NVRP will serve as a "business intermediary" for handicapped persons desiring to enter the business world by providing facilities, on-the-job experience and technical expertise as necessary. For example, a handicapped person wanting to attempt saddlemaking and repair may have great skills but is reticent about the business part of the operation. The sheltered workshop would initiate the business, handle books, accounting, and provide a place of employment until the individual gains the self-confidence needed to become independent. As with the Navajo Tribe, the NVRP will follow a policy of "import substitution" where goods and services produced or provided off-reservation would eventually be established on-reservation. One particular area where economic growth is expected is in communication. As the economy expands, the demand for telephone services and therefore operators and technicians will increase greatly. Physically handicapped individuals, including the blind, could be trained in this area. F. Economic Development Activities The possibilities for economic development activities are numerous. Many have been suggested-some are feasible, some are not. A few that seem to have excellent potential are mentioned here and will serve as a good beginning to the creation of employment for the disabled. A. Wood carding and spinning. Raising sheep for wool and food has long been an economic activity associated with the Navajo way of life. Three million pounds of Navajo wool are sheared and sold annually, with one-half of this purchased by the Navajo Wool Program - a Tribal enterprise. At the present time, the wool is purchased and received at any of six warehouses located throughout the Reservation. Grading and baling is done at a central warehouse in Shiprock, New Mexico. Beginning this year, it will be a yearround operation. Graded wool is then sent for washing and sale to large textile manufactures throughout the U.S. A new industry, in which many handicapped persons could participate, is wool carding and spining. Navajo "hand spun" wool is believed to have tremendous marketing potential both to local weavers as well as to offreservation entrepreneurs who would market it in hobby shops and shopping centers. An initial order for several thousand pounds from one buyer is outstanding with no one to produce. The Navajo Wool Program is anxious to enter into a cooperative agreement with an enterprise employing Navajo handicapped persons to card and spin wool. Wool carding and spinning is currently being done in a local sheltered workshop setting off-reservation. It has been successful on a small scale. Traditional methods of carding and spinning which include the use of a hand carder and a hand operated spindle are slow and arduous, making it difficult to earn a decent wage at current market prices. Equipment of an intermediate technology is available which is still very labor intensive, but speeds up the process. This type of industry could be conducted in the workshop or at the hogan with minimal capital investment. The NVRP will initiate this enterprise as soon as initial funding, staffing and facilities are available. The wool industry has potential for even further "vertical integration". Spun wool could be further processed and blanket manufacturing could eventually be the result. The market is great and the supply low for Indian design wool products, including "do it yourself" kits for weaving and crafts. The wool industry is one that it easily adapted to by handicapped persons. In fact, plans are underway to have six handicapped persons (V-R clients) in the Shiprock, New Mexico, area placed at the Wool Receiving Warehouse there through on-the-job training contracts. If successful, they will soon be employed full-time. This was brought about as a direct result of NVRP efforts in cooperation with the New Mexico Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. B. Janitorial and Maintenance Services The presence of the Federal government as the "big business" on the Reservation could well compensate for the dearth of industry for sub-contract work. Contracting for janitorial and maintenance work through the Buy Indian and the Wagner O'Day Acts is very promising in terms of delivering jobs. Again, the capital investment is small. Interested clients will receive training at the Rehabilitation Center. The team concept will be employed, whereby the necessary number of employees or trainees under supervision will clean buildings contracted from BIA, PHS, the Navajo Tribe and the community. This type of training and on-going support should lead to permanent and independent employment of handicapped persons. BIA Plant Management officials have indicated an interest in contracting. Current janitorial personnel that would be supplanted by a contract would be encouraged to become employed as trainers or supervisors under the program. Contracting for janitorial services is the first stage. Later stage might involve contracting the maintenance function both inside and outside buildings (ground maintenance). C. Commerical Laundry Services A large volume of laundry is shipped to the bordertown each year for the BIA Boarding Schools and Public Health Service hospitals as well as motels and other facilities. Though the Toyei facility is not the best location due to an inadequate water supply, other locations such as Many Farms and Chinle are ideal and should be pursued. The initial equipment cost for a laundry operation would be $45,000.00 not including plumbing alterations. About 30,000 lbs., of flat and rough dry laundry is needed in a ratio of 3 to 1 to make the operation profitable. About 8 to 10 jobs or trainee slots for handicapped persons would be necessary to run the operation. Though much of the laundry service being performed offreservation is by "Buy Indian" contractors hiring a majority of Indian people, enough are not to sustain an operation of the size we propose. Boarding school enrollment is decreasing at a slow rate, but is expected to level off. The demand for laundry services is in fact, expected to increase. D. Small appliance and Audio-Visual Equipment Repair A recurring suggestion received from BIA procurement and school officials is that a rather large volume of money is spent offreservation for the maintenance and repair of appliances, particularly audio-visual equipment. An inordinate amount of time and money is lost in shipping. A local repair shop would be a welcome innovation. The cost of equipping such an operation would be minimal. The key is to identify a number of disabled persons who could be trained in this field. A shop would initially be established at the Rehabilitation Center which would also serve as an ongoing training program. Trained individuals would then be encouraged and assisted to return to their home communities to set up shop if the demand is sufficient to insure an adequate income. Training funds and maintenance could be paid by DVR counselors with Section 110 (case service) dollars. E. "Flea Market" The traditional model of "salvage and sale" employed by Goodwill Industries would probably not be workable on the Navajo Reservation, since the economic base is insufficient to support such an approach. However, several Goodwill programs in the surrounding area have indicated an interest in supplying the NVRP with salvaged goods for repair and resale here. It is speculated that the market would be good for used furniture in good repair, mattresses, and clothing as well. Furniture and clothing repair would then provide training and employment. The cost is minimal. Refurnished goods would best be resold initially through a "flea market" approach. Space would be donated or rented at Window Rock on Tribal and Federal "pay days". We will attempt to capture the market of those persons traveling to bordertowns on shopping trips. F. Woodworking Considering the present dearth of housing and public facilities, the demand for persons skilled in carpentry would seem great for the future. Since permanent housing is difficult to obtain, and programs are opting for mobile homes which often require wooden portable steps. The rehabilitation center should be equipped with basic woodworking equipment, the cost of which would be approximately $7,000.00 Rough lumbers may be procured at a relatively small cost from the Navajo Tribal Warehouse or directly from Navajo Forest Products at Navajo, New Mexico. The production and marketing of useful household items as well as novelty items will also be pursued. The Arizona Association of Rehabilitation Facilities is attempting to procure through the National Industries for the Severely Handicapped a government contract for the production of furniture. Workshops in the state would be eligible to participate in the production. G. Kitchen Helper Training Program The rehabilitation center will initially contract for meals from the school plant on which it is located. By June 1, 1977, through assistance from the Arizona Vocational Rehabilitation Services Bureau, the facility is expected to become self-sufficient in this respect by setting up its own kitchen and dinning facilities. This will serve as an excellent training opportunity for disabled persons to enable them to compete for jobs in the community as well as provide continuous jobs for persons at the facility. H. Leathercraft A training program will be established in leathercraft at the facility or in the home. Purchase of materials and marketing will be done by the program. Tools and supplies may be purchased on an individual client basis by the appropriate VR counselor. Many other economic activities have potential including the following: (1) Production of Navajo language curriculum materials Few bilingual educational materials exist, but several programs are developing them, including Rough Rock Demonstration School and Navajo Community College. Perhaps collating, and assembling of materials could be done by severely handicapped in a workshop setting at the curriculum centers. (2) Industrial subcontracting Three industries located on the Navajo Reservation have been contacted and see potential for subcontracts. General Dynamics Corporation at Fort Defiance, Arizona, is investigating the possibilities for packaging and assembly operations that could be subcontracted from their Pomona Division. American Indian Industries also of Fort Defiance, is negotiating a Federal contract for the production of "nipples" (used in pipefitting), which is a simple operation requiring little training and skill. The Utah Navajo Development Council has a contract to produce puppets for retailing on a nationwide scale. They are interested in hiring handicapped persons or subcontracting to a workshop employing Navajo handicapped persons in Utah. This does not currently exist. (3) Greenhouses A fresh, local, and year (4) Tree planting and landscaping - Seedlings The possibilities are virtually REHABILITATION SERVICES The second step in the development of comprehensive rehabilitation services is to phase in a Navajo Vocational Rehabilitation Program under the Tribal administrative structure that has the same mandate for delivery of services as the States within reservation boundaries. This approach is in line with the current Federal policy of Indian "Self Determination". Several steps must take place to insure an orderly transition: (1) Career Development Three of the current NVRP Navajo staff are pursuing professional careers in vocational rehabilitation fields, including counseling and rehabilitation administration. If Navajos are to be truly self-determining in this regard, a cadre of professionals, including rehabilitation, counselors, evaluators, administrators, psychologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists and other health-related careers must be formed. At the present time, one Navajo person has a master's degree, and one has a Ph.D. minor in the field. Another is an undergraduate student. In order to most effectively serve Navajo handicapped persons, the counselor must be abreast of current knowledge and counseling skills as well as to have the understanding and empathy that can only come from being Navajo and speaking the language. We propose a career development program similar to the highly successful Navajo Teacher Education Program in which interested paraprofessionals may pursue bachelor's and master's degrees in vocational rehabilitation related fields, while remaining on the job. Except for summers sessions, which would be held on campus, the Instructors would be brought to the local community. The Navajo Health Authority has a very active career counseling program for health-related careers and they, as well as the Navajo Tribal Scholarship Program, have funds to pay tuition and other costs. The NVRP hopes to expand its current counseling effort from Arizona to New Mexico and Utah. This would be accomplished by initially using CETA positions in each of three offices in Gallup, Farmington, and Blanding (Utah), and later requesting support from the appropriate state V-R agencies to continue the positions. Analysis of the caseloads will show that Navajos who receive service, in many instances, are those who are most aggressive, bilingual and highly mobile. With limited staff available in the V-R offices, those who do not fit this description are often left out, and not necessarily by choice! |