_edited_edited.png)
American Samoa Government - PR001-10272025
Posted: October 27, 2025
The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation hosts Employment Summit
TAFUNA, American Samoa - The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, a line agency within the Governor’s Office, hosted an “Employment Summit” to advance the fundamental objective of bringing the employers and the youth with disabilities together to sensitize both parties regarding their respective needs. The “Employment Summit” staged on October 22, 2025, was held at the Department of Youth and Women’s Affairs Complex in Tafuna starting at 9:00 a.m. and ending at 12:00 p.m. This “Employment Summit” marks the culminating event of the series of activities implemented throughout the month of October to celebrate and to commemorate the 80 th Year the National Disability Employment Awareness Month was first declared in 1945.
The attendees included students from the Public High Schools except for Leone, enrolled in the Special Education Program of the Department of Education, teachers, employers, State Rehabilitation Council members, government agency partners, parents, and the public. The following organizations set up booths visited by the students exposing them to the myriads of available employment opportunities and how to access these job options: Back on Track; Small Business Development Center; Special Education; Office of Protection and Advocacy; Arts Council; WIOA; Department of Agriculture; Department of Youth and Women’s Affairs; and Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.
To’omaga Dr. Hermann Scanlan, Deputy Director for Operation, who was the Master of Ceremony, kickstarted the “Employment Summit” by offering opening remarks extending a warm welcome to all summit participants. The invocation was offered by President Penaia Faalii, 1 st Counselor to the Stake Presidency, Pago Pago, Samoa Stake Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints. This was followed by the reading of the National Disability Employment Awareness Month by Students – Siatau Siapo from Samoana High School read the English version and M.J. Muskiano Apelu and Samantha Talifaia, also from Samoana, read the Samoan version. The amazing revelation was one of the students was blind and was reading the Samoan Version of the Proclamation using the braille language platform. A remarkable feat observed as well was the melodious and uplifting musical rendition provided by Tafuna High School Students.
The Director of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation echoed the welcome extended by Deputy Director To’omaga Dr. Hermann Scanlan and also vociferously declared her overwhelming gratitude and gratefulness to students with disabilities, President Penaia Fa’ali’i, the SRC, the Employers, Parents, Partners, Teachers, Bus Drivers, the public, and Executive Advisor for Health and Human Services who elevated the status of the Employment Summit by their presence. Your presence and participation in this Employment Summit stridently demonstrated your concern about the lives of our people, particularly our children, struggling with disabilities.
Director Adrian Vasai introduced Dr. Catherine (Cayte) Anderson from the University of Wisconsin-Madison who came especially to discuss employment challenges and possible best practices to increase the number of implement placements for individuals with disabilities. The Director extended the gratitude of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation for honoring its invitation to share her vast expertise and experiences on creating pathways for individuals with disabilities to attain employment.
Dr. Cayte Anderson of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Innovative Partnership for Advancing Rehabilitation Research and Training (IPARRT) team delivered a positive message in the National Disability Employment Awareness Summit, emphasizing the power of partnership between employers, communities, and the public Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program.
Dr. Anderson highlighted Vocational Rehabilitation’s (VR’s) vital role as both a social impact and workforce development program. Through a dual-customer model, Vocational Rehabilitation serves both individuals with disabilities and employers; helping businesses retain valuable workers, access skilled candidates, and create inclusive workplaces. Key themes included:
● Employer Engagement: Building trusted partnerships where Vocational Rehabilitation helps employers recruit, train, and retain talent.
● Economic Benefits: Research shows disability-inclusive companies outperform peers in revenue, profit, and retention.
● Return on Investment: Every dollar invested in VR yields multiple dollars in economic and community return.
● Local Success Stories: VR-supported retention and training programs have helped workers in hospitality, government, and small businesses stay employed after injury or illness.
● Call to Action: It is critical that local leaders invest in VR’s capacity, celebrate inclusive employers, and ensure full program funding to maximize federal matching funds.
Dr. Anderson concluded by reminding participants that “Partnership with Vocational Rehabilitation is not charity—it’s smart policy and smart business strategy.”
Executive Director Adrian Vasai acknowledged and endorsed the key takeaways from Dr. Catherine (Cayte) Anderson’s presentation as they personify the essence of our duties and responsibilities and the absolute need for all of us to build bridges to provide a seamless pathway for our people living with disabilities to journey towards the attainment of fiscal self-sufficiency and full integration into their community. The cliché “it takes a whole community to educate a child” so too “it takes the entire community to impart full equity for employment and quality of life for those of us living with disabilities”.
The students were dispersed to visit the Booths so they could ascertain for themselves different employment options available in the workplace along with learning how to secure help regarding building skillsets reflective of the needs of employers. After an hour of interaction with the partners who had booths, the official session was reconvened. The summit concluded with the closing prayer and the signing of the Lo Ta Nu’u – reaffirmation of who we are and our core values.
###
