2026 Presentations
Rooted in Community: 2026 Association for Rural and Small Libraries Conference
9/16/26-9/19/26 | Montgomery, AL
The Project CARE Development Team is heading south for the 2026 Association for Small and Rural Libraries (ARSL) Conference. RTC:Rural researchers and our CIL partners will mingle with librarians to share our exciting work on Project CARE and learn about the amazing things happening in our small and rural libraries.
Our presentation, Building Bridges: Partnering with Centers for Independent Living for Rural Community Access, provides project information to encourage collaborations between CILs and libraries. We are also participating in the poster session to publicize our work and involve more rural libraries in improving disability services.
2026 Virtual KT Conference – “Evolution in Knowledge Translation”
10/19, 10/20, 10/22 | Virtual
Jeff Gutierrez will present Purposeful Understanding in Community Collaborations: Practical Guidance for Participatory Curriculum Development at the 2026 Virtual KT Conference with the Center on Knowledge Translation for Disability & Rehabilitation Research (KTDRR). This presentation will focus on the Participatory Curriculum Development (PCD) process of Project CARE, which brought together a team of CIL staff and librarians to improve supports and opportunities for rural people with disabilities.
FALL into APRIL: Facilitate • Advocate • Learn • Lead: 2026 APRIL Conference
10/23-10/25 | Niagara Falls, NY
A team of RTC:Rural researchers will be attending the 2026 Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL) Conference to share and learn. In addition to our exhibitor table, we will have three presentations:
Opening Doors with Data and Stories: Communicating the Impact of Housing Programs | Lillie Greiman | Sunday 10/25; 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
This interactive workshop will help CIL staff strengthen their ability to measure and communicate the impact of housing, home modification, and independent living programs. Participants will learn core program evaluation concepts, explore practical tools and templates, and begin developing a simple evaluation plan that can be adapted for their own organizations. The session will also showcase how consumer stories and short-form videos can be used to highlight program outcomes, support outreach efforts, and demonstrate real-world impact. Presenters will share practical strategies for identifying compelling stories, creating accessible video content, and using low-cost technologies, including artificial intelligence tools, to streamline the process. Through peer discussion and hands-on activities, attendees will leave with evaluation and storytelling tools they can use at their centers.
The Transportation Voucher Toolkit | Luke Santore | Sunday 10/25; 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
The transportation voucher workshop will provide an overview of the transportation voucher pilot sites and the rural transportation voucher toolkit. This will act as a refresher for our repeat attendees and an introduction to the concept for CILs unfamiliar with voucher programs. We will then provide an update on the continued development of the Rural Transportation Voucher Program Toolkit, the launch of the voucher program pilot sites, and our next steps. We will finally spend a large portion of the session working through a ‘Plan a Voucher Program’ activity.
The Intersections of CILs and Rural Libraries | Jeff Gutierrez | Sunday, 10/25; 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Have you ever wanted to work with the rural libraries in your service area, but you do not know where to start? In this session, you will learn about rural libraries, how to identify partnership opportunities, and the steps to take to develop collaborative relationships and programming. We will provide concrete examples of partnered programming to improve your presence and impact in rural communities and explore the possibilities of what could be done. This session will provide information and best practices, as well as a space for connection and interaction with presenters and your peers as we explore how CILs and libraries can support each other and their communities.