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Rural Telecommunications
and Individuals with Disability

For several years advocates have envisioned telecommunications as the solution to many rural problems. Key to achieving this vision are access to the technology and matching content with the appropriate medium. Do rural people with disabilities and rural service providers have access to telecommunications, and to what degree? Unfortunately, we have little information.

Rural areas have historically been late adopters of technology, and it is likely that many rural consumers and providers lag behind in access to telecommunications. We must assess and monitor access to, and use of, telecommunications technology for rural rehabilitation and independent living, and evaluate the effectiveness of various strategies. Our studies identify and evaluate strategies for improving the use of telecommunications technologies for the delivery of rural health, employment, education, and social services to people with disabilities.

Publications:

Ruralfacts Disability and the Digital Divide: Comparing Surveys with Disability Data 2006

Rates of Computer and Internet Use: A Comparison of Urban and Rural Access by People with Disabilities

Research Progress Report: Selected Contributions and Impacts from RTC: Rural's Research and Training: 1997-2001, Rural Disability and Rehabilitation Research Progress Report #12, 2001 

Telecommunications Access and Rural Americans with Disabilities: An Overlooked Frontier, by A. Enders and T. Seekins, in P. Stenberg (Ed.) Telecommunications in Rural Areas:  Proceedings of a Workshop held September 14-15, 1998 in Washington, DC 

Telecommunications Access for Rural Americans with Disabilities, by A. Enders and T. Seekins, in Rural Development Perspectives, Vol. 14:3, 1999.  PDF File    

Resources:

Advanced Telecommunications in Rural America: The Challenge of Bringing Broadband Service to All Americans, USDA, 2000. 

Getting Online: A Guide to the Internet for Small Town Leaders, available from the National Center for Small Communities

Falling Through the Net/A Nation Online Series:

A Survey of the "Have Nots" in Rural and Urban America, 1995

New Data on the Digital Divide, 1997

Defining the Digital Divide, 1999

Toward Digital Inclusion, 2000

A Nation On-line: How Americans are Expanding their Use of the Internet 2002

A Nation Online: Entering the Broadband Era 2004

United States Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service

For more information, contact:

Alexandra Enders, Project Director,  RTC: Rural, The University of Montana Rural Institute: A Center of Excellence in Disability Education, Research and Services, Missoula, MT 59812-7056  |  888-268-2743 or (406) 243-2655     rural@ruralinstitute.umt.edu

Questions? Would you like to receive periodic updates about our research and training activities? Do you have comments or suggestions about this site? E-mail your requests, comments and suggestions to dspas@ruralinstitute.umt.edu or call 888-268-2743 and ask for the Information Coordinator.