Left to right is Bob Shurden, director of the Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation school of adaptive computer training, with Morris Taylor, director of the PBPN Vocational Rehabilitation Program.
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July 13, 2012 – MAYETTA: The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation (PBPN) Vocational Rehabilitation was named the Association of Rehabilitation Programs in Computer Technology (ARPCT) Outstanding Business Partner of the Year at the 2012 ARPCT/SkillSoft Conference held in Orlando, Florida in May.
Morris Taylor, director of the PBPN vocational rehabilitation program, received the award recently from representatives from the Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation at their area Business Advisory Council meeting in June that is now hanging in the Social Services computer laboratory.
In 2010 the PBPN vocational rehabilitation program set up a training center/distance education computer laboratory for disabled Native American people with partial funding for the laboratory given by the Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation (CPRF) that is located in the Social Services Department.
The award is presented annually to a business partner of an ARPCT member program that displays a commitment to promoting employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Bob Shurden, School of Adaptive Computer Training Director of the Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation (CPRF), nominated the PBPN Vocational Rehabilitation and PBPN partners for all the support provided in assisting with CPRF’s vision to develop training opportunities via video-conferencing technology.
Since the distance learning program opened 18 months ago, 21 individuals have graduated from the program and 19 of them are employed. Five presently work for the PBPN government and seven are employed at the Prairie Band Casino & Resort. The rest have been placed in other organizations and businesses.
ARPCT is an international organization that has provided 35 years of quality training and placement services for people with disabilities. ARPCT was founded in 1977 under sponsorship from IBM to promote training and employment opportunities for people with disabilities in the field of computer technologies. ARPCT currently has over 50 member programs from across the U.S. and Canada. Each year ARPCT accepts nominations for several different awards and presents these at its annual conference. |