America at a glance: Social isolation and loneliness during the first wave of COVID-19

Social isolation and loneliness are a public health concern because they are associated with poor mental and physical health outcomes and mortality. To learn more about how COVID-19 and related responses (i.e. stay-at-home orders) may contribute to feelings of social isolation and loneliness among people with disabilities, we compared data from two cross-sectional samples collected before and after the first wave of “stay-at-home” orders. Post-COVID rural and urban samples reported significantly more interactions with family and close friends. Post-COVID urban respondents reported significantly lower rates of feeling left out, while the post-COVID rural respondents reported similar rates

Increasing Consumer Opportunities for Self-Employment in Vocational Rehabilitation

Self-employment is an important option for people with disabilities, especially for those living in rural communities where economic choice and opportunity may be more limited. Although people with disabilities are self-employed at higher rates than people without disabilities, few vocational rehabilitation (VR) consumers become self-employed partly due to lack of knowledge and barriers within VR systems. This research report explains some reasons for low rates of self-employment within the VR system, and presents the Vocational Rehabilitation Self-Employment Guide-an online resource providing guidance and tools to assist people with disabilities and VR counselors with the self-employment process. This guide was created using a participatory process with VR counselor and consumer stakeholder input

Research Report: Social isolation and loneliness experiences among people with disabilities before and during COVID-19

Increased risk and fear of exposure to COVID-19 may impact social isolation and loneliness among vulnerable populations who are disproportionately at risk of COVID-19 complications, like people with disabilities. In a previous report, research findings showed people with disabilities experienced more than double the rates of social isolation and loneliness compared to those without disabilities before the COVID-19 pandemic. While recent data indicates rates of social isolation and loneliness have increased for the general population with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, less is known how rates of social isolation and loneliness have shifted for people with disabilities. Data in this report suggest people with disabilities experienced more social isolation but lower rates of loneliness pre-to post-COVID-19, that opportunities to engage online may protect against loneliness, and Centers for Independent Living have played a significant role in addressing social isolation of people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic

ACA and Medicaid Expansion Associated with Increased Insurance Coverage for Rural Americans with Disabilities

This fact sheet explores insurance rate changes associated with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid expansion on insurance coverage for rural and urban people with and without disabilities. Following the implementation of the ACA, rural people with disabilities had the greatest gains in insurance coverage. Rural people with disabilities in Medicaid expansion states saw a 10.7% increase in insurance coverage, compared to a 5.3% increase for those in non-expansion states. The loss of the ACA and Medicaid expansion could hurt rural people with disabilities more than their urban counterparts, or those without disabilities

Employment disparity grows for rural Americans with disability

Employment rates have increased since the recession, but these gains haven’t reached all communities across the country, nor has everyone benefited from these gains. While overall employment rates have improved, employment for people with disabilities in rural areas has decreased. This fact sheet uses the recently released (December 2018) American Community Survey 5-year estimates to explore changes in employment rates for people with and without disabilities across the nine divisions of the United States, and for metropolitan, micropolitan, and non-core counties. This marks the first time longitudinal trends in ACS data can be explored across the rural-urban continuum using comparable definitions of disability

Filling the Gaps in Accessible Transportation

Since 1975, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has used grant programs as a mechanism to fill transportation gaps so that people with disabilities and older individuals can effectively use public transportation. The first state grants in the Section 5310 program were awarded in 1975. SAFETEA-LU (2005) created the New Freedom Program (Section 5317), and made the Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC, Section 5316) available to all states. All three programs are similarly administered at the state level and are contingent on inclusion in a locally developed coordinated public transit - human services transportation plan. Congress and the Administration have recommended consolidation of the three programs

Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Rural and Urban People with Disabilities

Social connection is the experience of interacting with and feeling connected to other people. A lack of social connections can lead to social isolation and loneliness. Social isolation is an objective measure based on a limited number of social connections. Loneliness is the perception of being isolated or feeling alone. Both social isolation and loneliness are associated with adverse physical and mental health outcomes. Researchers used data from two national surveys to understand the experiences of social isolation and loneliness among people with disabilities. Findings indicate people with disabilities report higher rates of social isolation and loneliness than people without disabilities, and rural people with disabilities report significantly fewer social connections but similar rates of loneliness compared to urban people with disabilities. Addressing structural and environmental barriers is one strategy for lowering the disparate and concerning rates of social isolation and loneliness for people with disabilities

What is unavailable, insufficient, or inappropriate transportation?

In 1970—more than 40 years ago—the Urban Mass Transportation Act created a national policy to promote universally accessible transportation. PL 91-453, stated it as clearly as possible: “elderly and handicapped” persons have the same right as other persons to use mass transportation facilities and service. The law required that “special efforts shall be made in the planning and design of mass transportation facilities and services so that the availability to elderly and handicapped persons of mass transportation which they can effectively utilize will be assured.” Today, over 98% of the vehicles used to provide mass transportation are wheelchair accessible. In 1975, Congress created Section 5310, Transportation for Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities federal grant program, (FTA, 2013) to help private nonprofit groups meet the transportation needs of the elderly and persons with disabilities. These funds were to be used to provide transportation when it was otherwise unavailable, insufficient, or inappropriate

Building the Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation Self-Employment Toolkit

RTC:Rural researcher Dr. Catherine Ipsen details the collaborative work that went into designing a Vocational Rehabilitation toolkit specifically for Native American and Alaskan Native Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation Programs

Creating Educational Opportunities for Independent Living Through Participatory Curriculum Development: A Toolkit for Centers for Independent Living

This toolkit is an introduction for staff at centers for independent living (CILs) and their community partners who are interested in developing curriculums or trainings that meet the unique needs and goals of Independent Living. It provides instructions and guidance on how to use Participatory Curriculum Development (PCD) to create new ways of supporting Independent Living skills education and development. This toolkit is for those who can commit to working collaboratively with consumers and other stakeholders to address an Independent Living service gap or training need