This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: People with disabilities

Personal Care Assistance in Rural America
Discusses Personal Care Aide (PCA) scarcity in rural areas using 2013-2017 American Community Survey data. Presents maps and graphs of self-care disability prevalence and PCA availability with breakdowns by region. Also provides graphs comparing rural and urban PCA demographics, including poverty rate, race, educational attainment, sex, age, language spoken at home, and U.S. or foreign place of birth.
Author(s): Lillie Greiman, Rayna A Sage, Timothy Bates, et al.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities, University of California San Francisco Health Workforce Research Center (UCSF HWRC)
view details
Seeking Solutions: Dental Health and Disabilities in Indiana
Assesses needs of Indianans related to dental health and disabilities utilizing information gained from secondary research as well as interviews, focus groups, and surveys. Includes statistics on those with healthcare needs, explanation of report framework, and literature review covering availability, accessibility, accommodation, acceptability, and affordability of services. Includes case studies focused on rural areas.
Author(s): Megan Wilkinson, Angel Winchester, Alysia Marshall-Seslar, Lettie Haver, Barbie Vartanian
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organizations: AWS Foundation, Delta Dental Foundation, McMillen Health
view details
Health Care Access and Use Among Adults With and Without Vision Impairment: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2018
Analyzes insurance status, access to usual source of care, healthcare utilization, and unmet healthcare needs due to cost among adults with vision impairment. Utilizes 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data to examine 426,302 adults by age, sex, race/ethnicity, poverty level, health status and behaviors, disability type, U.S. region and territory, and metropolitan or nonmetropolitan status.
Author(s): Qi Cheng, Catherine A. Okoro, Isabel Mendez, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 19
Date: 11/2022
view details
Personal Care Aides: Assessing Self-Care Needs And Worker Shortages In Rural Areas
Results of a study addressing the need for and supply of workers to provide personal care services in rural communities. Features statistics on characteristics of personal care aides employed during 2013-2017 with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and county-level maps showing percentages of adults with self-care disabilities and supply of personal care aides per 1,000 adults with self-care disabilities.
Author(s): Susan A. Chapman, Lillie Greiman, Timothy Bates et al.
Citation: Health Affairs, 41(10)
Date: 10/2022
view details
"Sympathy" vs. "Empathy": Comparing Experiences of I2Audits and Disability Simulations
Presents results of a qualitative study which interviewed 12 participants in rural disability simulations or inclusive, interdisciplinary community planning workshops (I2Audits) designed to identify environmental barriers for people with disabilities. Compares responses to disability simulation and I2Audits, and identifies interview themes including stigma, embarrassment, empowerment, and engagement. Discusses access, awareness, and community participation in rural areas.
Author(s): Emily C. Hicks, Meg A. Traci, Karin Korb
Citation: Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences, 3, 876099
Date: 09/2022
view details
Examining Rural-Urban Disparities in Perceived Need for Health Care Services among Adults with Disabilities
Compares perceived need for healthcare services among adults with disabilities in rural and urban areas, especially as it relates to preventive care. Discusses difference in perceived need for care as a potential contributing factor to disparities in care access and care availability.
Author(s): Gilbert Gimm, Catherine Ipsen
Citation: Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences, 3, 875978
Date: 09/2022
view details
2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers
Report details and defines a national support strategy for family caregivers of all ages. Highlights strategies for caring for children, elderly adults, people with disabilities, people with chronic conditions, and post-acute conditions, among others. Also, discusses recommendations for caregivers residing in rural areas.
Additional links: Actions for States, Communities, and Others, Federal Actions, First Principles: Cross-Cutting Considerations for Family Caregiver Support
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Community Living
view details
Federal Funding for Transportation Programs Serving Older Adults and People with Disabilities
Discusses the role of federal funding as a primary source of funding to support transportation programs that meet the needs of older adults and people with disabilities. Describes funding programs from the Department of Transportation, the Department of Health and Human Services, AmeriCorps, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Highlights programs for rural and tribal communities.
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
view details
A Recap of Medicaid Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) Listening Sessions
Provides an overview of the impact of Medicaid Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) services as well as feedback from mobility providers and stakeholders during Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) listening sessions. Presents discussions about public transportation coordination, the relationship between transportation services and social determinants of health, implications of Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) on users with disabilities, and data reporting. Includes information specific to rural populations.
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
view details
Disability and Telehealth since the COVID-19 Pandemic
Discusses the importance of telehealth for people with disabilities in context of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Describes telehealth's benefits and barriers for individuals as well as institutional advantages and limitations, including discussion of increased need and accessibility issues in rural areas. Describes specific policy and funding modifications during the public health emergency. Provides policy and infrastructure recommendations.
Author(s): Natalie Lawson, Jaque King, Robyn Rontal
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health and Research Transformation at the University of Michigan (CHRT)
view details