Transcript: bit.ly/AIAe051

Hoskie Benally Jr., is a Member of the Navajo Nation and is Legally Blind. He is currently employed with the Native American Disability Law Center as the Community and Government Liaison engaged in Disability Systems Advocacy with the Navajo Nation and other Native American Tribes. Benally is also involved with the National Congress of American Indians, Disability Sub-Committee. Prior to joining the Law Center, Benally was the CEO of a Residential Treatment Center for Native American Youth that successfully integrated Navajo culture into western-based mental health treatment. Benally is the current President of the Navajo Nation Advisory Council on Disabilities, a former Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, and a former Member of the New Mexico Developmental Disability Planning Council. Grounded in Navajo tradition and fluent in Navajo, Benally is an experienced cultural instructor. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from Brigham Young University.

For more than three decades, Joseph Ray has advocated for disability services in tribal communities, with a focus on independent living, elder care, and vocational rehabilitation services. Based in Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico, he is the Board Chair of the National Congress of American Indians Disability Subcommittee, one of the oldest advocacy organizations for native populations in the country. Joseph is also on the Board of Directors of Uniting Nursing Homes in Tribal Excellence (UNITE), and a member of the Pueblo People with Disabilities group. He has a special interest in strengthening support services for individuals with spinal cord injuries, particularly tribal youth, and is active in adaptative sports and long-term care programs.

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