Resilience is the ability to function well both mentally and physically in the face of major challenges, such as coping with a disability. It is the product of both personal factors (such as age when disability occurs or positive attitude) and environmental factors (such as education level or social support available).
In this study, researchers from the University of Kansas will interview individuals from our Ecology of Rural Disability study to understand how and why they overcome personal and environmental barriers to participate in their communities.
Questions the project addresses:
- How do rural people with disabilities identified as “resilient” cope with everyday stressors associated with having a disability?
- What personal and environmental factors promote their resilience?
- What coping strategies and resources do they use that could inform development of interventions for others?
With a greater understanding of personal and environmental factors and how they interact to create resiliency, service providers can take advantage of naturally occurring strategies to develop targeted programs and policies to increase quality of life and community participation for their consumers.
- Project dates: 2013-2018
- Funded by: National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research Grant No. H133B130028
- Principal staff: Craig Ravesloot, Ph.D.
- Related projects:
What the Research Says…
- Research Findings
- How People with Disabilities Thrive in Rural Communities (infographic poster, printable file available)