Welcome to the website of the North Carolina Rehabilitation Association.  If you are not already a member of the Association, I encourage you to join us in education, advocacy, and fellowship without delay! If you are already a member, we hope that this website serves you well with information about upcoming and past events at the local chapter and state chapter levels.  Please let us know if you have suggestions or feedback for enhancement of this site.

2010 has already been a busy and successful year for NCRA.  We had 13 members attend the Government Affairs Summit in Washington, DC back in March, where we participated in discussions of current legislative issues that affect the rehabilitation profession and service to people with disabilities.  We also met with our 2 North Carolina Senators and 12 of our 13 Representatives and/or their staff to raise awareness and garner their support for NRA issues.  Many thanks to the members who made that trip, and especially to our Commissioner on Government Affairs, Cheryl Revels, whose exceptional planning and organizational skills made our work there a breeze!

Our next major event was the annual C. Odell Tyndall Legislative Breakfast, held in Raleigh in June.  There, leadership and staff of several state rehabilitation agencies gathered along with State Representatives and Senators to hear speakers, particularly consumers, from the Vocational Rehabilitation and Independent Living programs talk about the importance and effectiveness of these services. Representative Verla Insko, from Orange County, was presented with the C. Odell Tyndall Award for her legislative support of rehabilitation issues. Thanks especially to Cheryl Revels, Kim Stewart, Dean Bunn, and Steven Allman for their efforts in making the event so successful this year.

Most exciting of all is our upcoming joint training conference for NCRA and the Southeast Region National Rehabilitation Association.  Thanks to Conference Co-Chairs Lynn Furr and Kent Millsaps, plus our terrific conference committee, “The Art and Craft of Rehabilitation” is sure to be a fantastic experience of learning, networking, and enjoying the company of our fellow rehabilitation professionals in beautiful Asheville, NC.  So, beat the heat, and join us in the North Carolina mountains September 7-10!

Donna Sobotkin

2010 NCRA President