These resources have been created by RTC:Rural to support people with disabilities living in rural America, their families, service providers, policy makers, and advocates.
Rural Disability Resource Library
– This website was created to be an easily accessible and searchable set of resources for people with disabilities, their families, and service providers. It contains fact sheets, how-to guides, information about conducting workshops, web resources, and much more!
#RuralDisability eNewsletter – The RTC:Rural #RuralDisability eNewsletter is sent once or twice a month, and includes new resources, upcoming events, and news in the fields of disability, rural studies, vocational rehabilitation and employment, independent living, and health and wellness.
ScholarWorks – An open-access collection that showcases and preserves published and unpublished works by University of Montana faculty, students, and staff, including RTC:Rural and the Rural Institute staff. Topics include Early Childhood, Education, Employment, Health & Wellness, and Independent Living & Community Participation.
Community Participation & Independent Living
Disability Counts is a collection of online tools and resources that provide accessible data about disability in rural areas and communities across the U.S. These resources include the Disability Data Lookup Tool , the Disability in America Map Series, and our Guide to Accessing Disability Data.
Defining Rural – What makes an area rural? It depends on the definition you use. This page lays out the various definitions of rural used by different agencies, and the pros and cons of each one.
Toolkit for Operating a Rural Transportation Voucher Program – The Toolkit for Operating a Rural Transportation Voucher Program provides a model that describes how to bring together community members and resources to develop and operate a transportation system for people with disabilities in rural areas.
Advocacy Skill Building Toolkit – This toolkit is a guide for conducting interactive and engaging workshops to facilitate the development of advocacy skills of emerging Independent Living leaders and youth with disabilities. It includes a facilitator guide, activities, worksheets and discussion topics.
Rural Options at Discharge – Model of Active Planning (ROADMAP) Project Products – This project created and tested an enhanced discharge and rural transition support program that facilitates patients’ transitions from in-patient hospitalization back home to a small town or rural community. Project manuals and other documents are available to encourage replication of the model.
Employment & Vocational Rehabilitation
Telecom Toolbox – Online tools are a great (and under used) way to boost the success of rural Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) programs and their clients. The Telecom Toolbox website is full of resources for job seekers and service providers to help people with disabilities use online career development tools to find employment.
Health & Wellness
Living and Working Well with a Disability
– The Living Well and Working Well with a Disability programs are evidence-based, peer-led health promotion workshops provided by organizations that serve people with disabilities.
Community Activated Living Well (COALW)
– Community Activated Living Well (COALW) is a set of guidelines designed to help plan and implement Living Well with a Disability. It includes ideas, agendas and procedures that community members can use to organize and conduct Living Well with a Disability.
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