Focus Areas

collage of different RTC:Rural publications

Over the last 30+ years, RTC:Rural has explored many different areas of research, guided by our strong collaborations with disability community members and other stakeholders. 

From this research we have developed many tools, products, and publications. Our body of work is organized within various Focus Areas. In each Focus Area, you can find links to our research findings, including journal articles, fact sheets, toolkits, infographics, websites, and more. 

Explore our Focus Areas: 

Icon of 5 people in circles connected by dotted and solid linesCommunity Living resources promote accessibility and participation in rural communities.

  • Advocacy
  • CIL Services & Community Resources
  • Community Participation & Accessibility
  • Housing
  • Transportation
Icon of briefcase, gear, and resumeEmployment resources focus on rural community development and service delivery.
  • Self-Employment & Community Development
  • Telecommunications in VR
  • Transition 
  • Vocational Rehabilitation Service Delivery
icon of hands holding heart with cross in itHealth resources focus on management of secondary health conditions and health promotion.
  • Secondary Conditions
  • Health Promotion Interventions
  • Health Promotion and Employment
  • Nutrition for People with I/DD
  • Montana Public Health and Health Care
  • Violence Prevention
Icon of magnifing glass over a documentResearch methods resources focus on issues and strategies to promote valid, reliable, and meaningful research.
  • Defining Rural
  • Disability and Participation Measurement
  • Methods to conduct rural community-based participatory research
Icon of bar graph and magnifing glassLarge dataset analyses use national datasets such as the U.S. Census and Current Population Survey to answer important questions about community living, employment, and health of rural people with disabilities.
  • Disability Counts Data Lookup Tool
  • Disability Status
  • Employment
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Migration
  • Transportation
outline of a map of the United StatesMaps resources include geographic representations of large dataset analyses.
  • National maps of the U.S.
  • Maps of 50 states and Puerto Rico
  • Specialty Maps, including:
    • COVID-19 related
    • people with disabilities living in hurricane pathways