Board of Directors

Doris Dennison, President

My name is Doris Dennison and I am a member of the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona. I am 38 years old. In 1986 I sustained a spinal cord injury at the C-5/6 level. After my accident, I was totally dependent on others. With a lot of determination, hard work, and support from my family, today I am pretty independent with the help of a personal care attendant. I am self-employed through the sale of my native arts & crafts. I am able to do this because of assistance I received from the Navajo Nation Office of Special Education & Rehabilitation Services, and the New Mexico State Vocational Rehabilitation Services. I have a lift equipped van with special hand controls that allow me to drive independently. Currently I am on the Board of Directors for ASSIST! to Independence in Tuba City, Arizona, serving as President. I am also on the advisory committee for DNA, and a Board Member for Iinah Iliih, Inc. As a disability advocate for my community, I have done various presentations at the local, state, and national level.

Peterson Yazzie, Vice-President

My name is Peterson Yazzie. I have lived in Vanderwagon, New Mexico (31 miles south of Gallup) with my wife and kids for 19 years. I have a spinal cord injury due to a pedestrian auto accident, and have been in a wheelchair for quite some time. Currently, I am employed with B.I.A. Branch of Road in Gallup, New Mexico. I work as a computer draftsman, designing roads all over the Navajo Nation, and have been employed there for 17 years. I really enjoy my job. The people that I work with are great, and they treat me just like everybody else. I received an associate degree in Drafting from Utah Valley State College in Provo, Utah. I also took some courses at University of New Mexico on overhauling automatic transmissions, and I do this on a part time basis. In 1998 the President of the Navajo Nation appointed me to serve on the Advisory Committee on Handicappable. Currently, I am also on the Board of Directors for ASSIST!, in Tuba City, and Iinah Iliih, Inc. in Gallup, NM. Being on these committees is a great challenge and a good experience, and I have learned a lot. My main focus is to help people that are disabled become independent and get out in the world, and to help them not feel sorry for themselves. I have a pretty good idea of what people go through once they get injured, and I hope that sharing my own experiences will help make things easier for others.

Madeline Sahneyah, Secretary/Treasurer

Madeline Sahneyah is a descendant of the Tewa Tobacco Clan from Hano Village on First Mesa. She is also Hopi. Her father’s clan is the Spider/Stick/Evergreen. Madeline is proud of her children: Branyon - who is employed by the First Mesa Village Police; Ritchie and Iva - who are students at Hopi Jr/Sr High School; and Ivy - who is in grade school. Madeline experienced non-acceptance and denial she found that her daughter Ivy was deaf at the age of two. Through the years this child has taught her that acceptance of a person’s disability leads to greater things, especially when the person sees you not being ashamed of them, thus learning to have self-confidence and self-esteem; because they know by your actions that you love and respect them as they are. This experience has taught Madeline to be sensitive to issues faced by people with disabilities. She is employed as a parent advocate for the Native American Protection & Advocacy (NAPAP) Project, which is a project of DNA - People’s Legal Services. NAPAP is a non-profit legal services organization that provides free legal assistance to people with disabilities. Madeline also hopes to fulfill the obligations of being Secretary/Treasurer for the Board of Directors of ASSIST! to Independence, in Tuba City, Arizona.

Cecelia Fred

Cecelia Fred is an Injury Prevention - Disability Awareness Presenter with Iinah Iliih, Inc. She is from Red Rock area, south of Gallup, where she resides with her husband and two boys. Cecelia has a childhood disability and has worked with other individuals with disabilities for most of her life. She also volunteers as a peer mentor and presenter with Iinah Iliih.

Arthur Hardy

My name is Arthur Hardy Sr. I was born at Ganado, AZ 49 years ago. I have four children. They are now all grown up, and live their own lives. I also have three grandkids. I went to school at Ganado, and got as high as ninth grade. I received my G.E.D. through the United States army in 1972. I received and honorable discharge from the Army, and upon my return to the states worked at various jobs. I worked for Neilson Construction, out of Cortez, Colorado for 18 years, then worked for Navajo Engineering & Construction Authority for six more years. I got injured while employed with N.E.C.A. in 1992; sustaining a spinal cord injury which left me in a wheelchair. In 1996, I met a woman named Kathleen Livingston, and now have three step-children. We reside in Church Rock, New Mexico. I went to school for VCR & TV Repair, and am now a certified technician. Presently, I am employed with Iinah Iliih, Inc.- “Precious Life”, in Gallup, New Mexico. I am also on the Board of Directors for ASSIST! to Independence Tuba City, Arizona, and a member of the Paralyzed Veterans of America in Phoenix, Arizona.

Eric Billy

Eric was born and raised in Dilkon, about 90 miles west of the Dilkon Chapter. He graduated from Winslow High School in 1969. He was involved in a car accident in 1970, which left him totally blind. Eric follows traditional culture and Dine’ philosophy, and wants people to know that life goes on after disability. He believes blind individuals need to learn to read and write in Braille, and that this skill makes it easier to get into technology. He uses a personal computer with a screen reader, scanner, and a Braille Lite Millenium 20. Eric helps other blind individuals through orientation and mobility, and daily living skills training.

Sophie Quotskuyva

My name is Sophia Quotskuyva and I am a member of the Hopi Tribe. I have two children. My son is 28 years old and has two children of his own. My daughter is a sophomore at Tuba City High School. She is blind as a result of a premature birth, weighing only 1 pound and 8 ounces. She uses braille for reading and math. I am a certified teacher for the blind and visually impaired (TVI), and employed by North Central Regional Cooperative in Flagstaff. I serve students with visual impairments in Tuba City, Tonalea, and Kayenta. I have been a TVI for the past eight years. I serve on several boards that deal with disability issues: ASSIST! to Independence, Four County Conference on Disabilities, Native American Protection and Advocacy Program, Arizona Center for Disability Law in Tucson, Arizona Council for Family Support, Hopi Advisory Board for Special Needs to name a few. I am also a member of the Hopi Parent-to Parent support group. Aside from disability issues, I serve as a Board Member/Trustee for the Hopi Foundation, and the Tuba City Lions Club for the past 8 years. “It is awesome to see individuals with disabilities mingled within our communities; because so many opportunities and resources are accessible, and to become contributing members and enjoy the same quality of life and happiness”.