RTC7: R4: GREIMAN: Rural Resource Analysis

MT-University of Montana Rural Institute, UCEDD
Program Type	UCEDD	Fiscal Year	2020
Contact	Lillie Greiman
Email	[email protected]
Phone	406-243-6102
Project Description
The availability of community resources, as well as access to those resources, has a large impact on the experience of disability (Greiman & Ravesloot 2016; Myers & Ravesloot 2016). The Rural Resource Analysis project aims to understand how rural people with disabilities access needed resources, such as Centers for Independent Living, Area Agencies on Aging, housing, education, transportation, Personal Assistance Services, cultural events, hospitals, and businesses. Using community asset mapping and network analysis methodology, this project will identify the resources available in a community and then figure out how those resources are linked to each other and how individuals know about and access those resources. There are many factors that influence resource access, including language, digital inequality, social and cultural networks, age, socioeconomic status, and personal value systems. As well as examining local assets and networks, this study will also examine the relationships between community resources and disability rates across the U.S. Together, these analyses will help determine the different ways in which people with disabilities access resources to engage in their communities. This project will provide a backdrop for the contextual understanding of research outcomes from our other research projects, including: Building Networks to Expand Living Well Delivery, Personal Assistance Services in Rural America, Rural Transportation Options, and Rural Self-Employment.