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Research & Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities

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Rural Disability Research

Leaders in rural disability research
As leaders in rural disability research, we collaborate with disability community members across the country to shape our research agenda and ensure that our evidence-based solutions fit their rural contexts. Together, we work to improve the ability of people with disabilities to engage and thrive in rural life.
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NIDILRR-Funded Research:

Powering Rural Independence & Innovation

RTC:Rural is a proud, diligent steward of funds received from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). For the last 47 years, NIDILRR funds have supported disability-focused research, training, and dissemination across the domains of health, employment, and independent living. In FY 2023, NIDILRR funding supported 271 grants and 1,500 projects, which resulted in publications, products, tools, and technology to support people with disabilities to live and thrive in their communities.

This information sheet highlights the impacts of our work in rural communities nationwide. Alternatively, view our NIDILRR-Funded Research webpage.

NIDILRR-Funded Research Information Sheet

Focus Areas

Our work spreads across several Focus Areas. You can find links to our research findings and products in each Focus Area, including journal articles, fact sheets, toolkits, infographics, websites, and more.

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Community Living

Community Living resources promote accessibility and participation in rural communities.
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Employment

Employment resources focus on rural community development and service delivery.
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Health

Health resources focus on the management of secondary health conditions and health promotion.
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Rural Disability

The RTC:Rural uses a wide variety of data from large public datasets to help answer questions about the disability experience in rural and urban locations.
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Disability Maps

Disability Maps resources include geographic representations of large dataset analyses.
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Disability Counts

Disability Counts includes data dashboards and tools to provide access to state and county-level disability data, as well as data on individuals who are institutionalized in correctional facilities (i.e. prisons and jails) and nursing homes.
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RTC:Rural Spotlight

Olmstead Plan for Montana!

The state of Montana asked the Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities to help coordinate the creation of an Olmstead Plan. An Olmstead Plan is a state's plan to ensure people with disabilities can receive State services in their communities. It is about helping people with disabilities live where they want.

This process will be from Spring 2024 to Winter 2025. This summer we will be traveling all over Montana to talk with people and learn what people think about the plan. Check back here for more information on Olmstead and details on this summer's engagement sessions, coming soon!

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Disability Counts

Disability Counts provides multiple tools for accessing national data about people with disabilities in America. The dashboards include interactive maps of county-level data, state-level data, and data on individuals who are institutionalized in correctional facilities and nursing homes. You can also search by geographic areas and disability variables to generate your own unique dataset. This easy-to-use tool includes a tutorial to assist users in navigating the site.