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Elevating Rural Disability Data for Policy Impact

On September 24, we are digging into the data! RTC:Rural has teamed up with the Urban Institute to host a summit to examine equity, access, and representation in disability data collection. Please plan to join us and our diverse panel of rural data experts for an engaging and informative discussion on improving rural disability data.

Census Bureau to Meet with Stakeholders on Disability Data Needs

Our voices matter! The Census Bureau has announced plans to meet with disability community stakeholders on September 30 to better understand challenges in disability data availability and access. You may recall that changes to the American Community Survey (ACS) proposed in February 2024 would have resulted in inaccurate disability data, including a severe undercount of Americans with disabilities. In response to over 12,000 public comments on the proposed changes, the Census Bureau has made no changes to the 2025 ACS and will thoroughly engage with the disability community to inform their collection of disability data. RTC:Rural and our partners are proud to have been part of this vital effort to ensure accurate data and meaningful representation of disability community.

New Publication - Veterans in Focus: Disability and Veterans in Rural America

There are an estimated 17 million Veterans living throughout the United States. Relative to the general population, Veterans are more likely to experience disability. Veterans are also disproportionately represented in rural areas across the U.S. As people with disabilities are also disproportionately represented in rural areas, it is valuable to explore the intersection between Veteran status, disability, and rurality. In this factsheet, RTC:Rural researchers Hannah Pepprock and Lillie Greiman use publicly available data from the American Community Survey to examine service-connected disability rating status and the questions on functional ability as they related to U.S. regions and rurality.

New Veterans Maps

We’re mad about maps at RTC:Rural and have added Veterans with Disabilities to our interactive interface at Disability Counts. Since both Veterans and people with disabilities are disproportionately represented in rural areas, this is valuable data to explore. You can access Veterans maps by state on the Disability Data Dashboard or generate a data table with the Data Lookup Tool. If you need a hand figuring out the site, check out our tutorial before navigating or contact Lillie Greiman.

Welcome Marci Olsen

RTC:Rural is pleased to welcome Marci Olsen to our team. Marci Olsen is joining RTC:Rural as a Research Associate, after obtaining her B.A. in Psychology. Her diverse experience spans roles such as Peer Mentor, Resident Assistant, Housing Navigator, Community Navigator, Prison Education Advisor, as well as Behavioral and SPED Paraeducator. Additionally, her role as a Youth Treatment Technician involved aiding in transitioning teenage boys with mental health diagnoses back into the community. Marci is known for her commitment to fostering personal growth and community well-being. After gaining more research experience with the RIIC, she hopes to explore and advance our understanding of mental health— particularly its intersections with identity, group dynamics, empathy, and prosocial behavior. Marci intends to apply what she's learned to improve the quality of living for individuals and communities. She is grateful for the opportunity to focus on individuals with disabilities in rural areas. In her free time, Marci can be found enjoying the mountains and/or movies. She also volunteers with a local non-profit to bring meditation and mindfulness training to individuals who are incarcerated at the Montana State Prison.

© 2024 RTC:Rural, All rights reserved

The Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities (RTC:Rural) conducts research on disability as part of the Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities at the University of Montana.

RTC:Rural is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) grant number 90RTCP0008 to improve the ability of people with disabilities to engage in rural community living.