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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: People with disabilities

Travel Behavior of Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations: Trends and Geographic Disparities
Analyzes travel behavior and mobility of the elderly, people with disabilities, low-income households, and those living in rural areas. Utilizes data from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) to analyze driving behaviors, transportation modes, trip purpose, and use of smartphones, with information broken down by demographic variables, including urban, suburban, second city, small town, or rural location.
Author(s): Jeremy Mattson, Antonio Molina
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute
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America at a Glance: An Update on Rural-Urban Differences in Disability Rates
Examines data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 2015-2019 estimate to describe disability rates in rural communities. Presents data on metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore disability rates by type, age, and race/ethnicity. Describes how these rates have changed since the ACS 2010-2014 estimate.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities
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2021 FTA Section 5310 Compendium
Provides an overview of the Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities program, which is designed to support the specialized transportation needs of older adults and people with disabilities. Discusses the role of Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) using Section 5310 funding to develop and manage accessible transportation programs. Includes case studies and examples of how AAAs used Section 5310 funding, including programs serving rural residents.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
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Aging and Disability Services are Unequally Distributed Across the United States
Results of a study examining how the availability of aging and disability services (ADS) differs based on county characteristics. Includes a U.S. map showing locations of ADS deserts and features statistics on the probability of a county being an ADS desert, with breakdowns by metro, rural adjacent, and rural nonadjacent location.
Author(s): Claire Pendergrast, Danielle Rhubart
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion
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2021 Transportation Trends
Identifies trends and issues affecting the availability of accessible transportation for older adults and people with disabilities. Includes sections on rural community engagement and rural volunteer transportation programs. Highlights examples of programs underway in rural areas to address transportation needs.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
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Medicaid and Counties: Understanding the Program and Why It Matters to Counties
Discusses the importance of Medicaid in county-level healthcare. Describes the role Medicaid plays in financing and delivering healthcare for children, the elderly, the disabled, and rural residents. Highlights the impact of COVID-19 on the Medicaid program and challenges for county governments.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Counties
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Assessing Factors Associated with Social Connectedness in Adults with Mobility Disabilities
Examines social connectedness among people with mobility disabilities using National Survey on Health and Disability data from October 2019 to January 2020. Identifies factors associated with social activity, social isolation, and loneliness among people with mobility disabilities, and makes comparisons among people with mobility disabilities and non-mobility disabilities. Includes comparisons of rural and urban populations.
Author(s): Jean P. Hall, Noelle K. Kurth, Kelsey S. Goddard
Citation: Disability and Health Journal, 15(1) Suppl., 101206
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
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State Summaries of Lifespan Respite Grant Activities and Outcomes: Final Reports, FY2017 – FY2018 Grantees
Summaries of final reports from the fiscal year 2017 and 2018 Administration for Community Living (ACL) State Lifespan Respite Care program grantees. The State Lifespan Respite Care program aims to create coordinated systems of accessible, community-based respite care services for family caregivers of children and adults of all ages with special needs. Describes each of the 11 project's outcomes, accomplishments, and partnerships. Highlights programs serving rural areas.
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center
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Early Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Experience With the Use of Telehealth to Address Disparities: Scoping Review
Provides an overview of Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)-funded research on using telehealth to address health disparities. Describes barriers and facilitators to implementing telehealth in populations at risk for disparities, including people in rural areas, and identifies themes across studies.
Citation: Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(12), e28503
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
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Virginia Rural Microtransit Project
Case study of a microtransit program in rural Virginia that aims to provide transportation to senior centers that require meal delivery, as well as fixed route and demand-response transportation to aging residents and residents with disabilities. Describes the cost of the project, coordination with community entities, and impacts of COVID-19.
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
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