The American Indian Disability Technical Assistance Center (AIDTAC) was inaugurated in October 2000 with an initial five-year grant by the U.S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration, as a national center to provide information, training, and technical assistance to vocational rehabilitation and employment-related services assisting American Indians and Alaska Natives with disabilities. The work has expanded to include Native Hawaiians.  In conjunction with other programs at the Rural Institute of The University of Montana, AIDTAC addresses issues of employment, transportation, health, independent living, voter participation, and education.

The Technical Assistance on Native American Culture project (TANAC) is funded by the Social Security Administration (SSA). The goal of the TANAC project is to increase the knowledge and understanding of Native American culture and social and economic conditions of Community Work Incentive Coordinators (CWICs) to improve their ability/capacity to provide work incentive planning and assistance services and to conduct outreach effectively with Native American beneficiaries with disabilities. The project provides training and technical assistance on cultural awareness to (CWICs) working with Native American SSA beneficiaries with disabilities to create employment opportunities.

The Native American Considerations and the Electoral Process Project (NACEPP) is funded by Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Administration for Families and Children. The project provides training and technical assistance for Protection and Advocacy staff (P&As) to improve awareness and understanding of the historic and cultural barriers faced by American Indians and Alaska Natives with disabilities that may prevent their full participation in the electoral process. NACEPP’s goal is to promote the participation of American Indians and Alaska Natives in the electoral process, and addresses issues such as registering to vote, casting a vote, and accessing polling places.

AIDTAC provides training and technical assistance through teleconferences and supporting materials, publication of a wide range of materials in a variety of formats, information transmitted via listservs, curriculum development, and regular updates to our websites.  AIDTAC collaborates with other individuals and organizations to conduct training. Audiences served include individuals, Work Incentive Planning Assistance (WIPA) projects, P&A projects, tribal governments, tribal and state vocational rehabilitation agencies, employers and employer representatives, urban Indian centers, and others.

AIDTAC publications are available at the website of The University of Montana Rural Institute, Research and Training on Disability in Rural Communities

Contact info:

Julie Clay
AIDTAC Director
The University of Montana Rural Institute: 
Center for Excellence in Disability Education, Research and Services
032 Corbin Hall, The University of Montana
Missoula, MT 59812-7056    
Email Julie

Jeanie Castillo
Technical Writer
Email Jeanie
406-243-2448

Site updated April 24, 2007
The University of Montana Rural Institute: 
Center for Excellence in Disability Education, Research and Services
52 Corbin Hall, The University of Montana
Missoula, MT 59812-7056    

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