Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Montana Voices Amplified: A Microphone So People With Disabilities And Their Families Are Heard, Shawna Hanson, Stacey Bliss, Wisam Raheem

Independent Living and Community Participation

In September 2020, the Rural Institute and the Montana Family to Family Health Information Center launched a platform for people of all ages and abilities to speak for themselves. Montana Voices Amplified (MVA) publishes, promotes, and distributes articles and videos focused on lived experience. In this presentation, we will discuss the program and share lessons learned.

Challenges And Opportunities In Personal Assistance Services In Rural Contexts, Krys Standley, Rayna A. Sage, Carissa Russell

Independent Living and Community Participation

Little is known about the experiences of people living in rural areas who need paid assistance for activities of daily living in their homes. This study focused on how rurality and access to workers intersected with the daily and community experiences of people who rely on personal assistants (termed “consumers”) for their activities of daily living. We 38 semi-structured qualitative interviews with people who used personal assistance services and identified as living in a rural place. Interview topics included: Finding, hiring, and training workers; worker qualities; and how living in a rural place impacted personal assistance services. From these interviews, …

Montana Voices Amplified: My Perspective: Can I Pet Your Eyes?, Ed Worrell, University Of Montana Rural Institute

Independent Living and Community Participation

The author shares the most common questions he is asked when working with his dog guide, Helen.

Montana Voices Amplified: My Perspective: What Just Happened? Audio Description Can Answer That, Sara Streeter, University Of Montana Rural Institute

Independent Living and Community Participation

Sara Streeter discusses the importance of audio description for people with vision loss when watching a movie or play.

Montana Voices Amplified: My Perspective: I Run My Own Iep; You Can Too!, Heath Montgomery, University Of Montana Rural Institute

Independent Living and Community Participation

An Individual Education Plan (IEP) meeting is an opportunity to meet with the school team to build rapport, express appreciation, brainstorm ideas, and more. This conversation with teachers, school therapists, and parents might be just as important as what ends up in the actual document if it builds respect for you as a self-advocate.

Montana Voices Amplified: My Perspective: Planning For Crisis – Benefits Of A Family Safety Plan, Elizabeth Cummings, University Of Montana Rural Institute

Independent Living and Community Participation

Crisis can be a part of many families’ experiences, including those with a loved one with special needs. It can be hard to talk about, and too often a source of shame or stigma. Like many other families, mine has experienced a crisis, so I understand the challenges as well as the need to discuss the subject. The hard part is knowing where to start.

America At A Glance: An Update On Rural-Urban Difference In Disability Rates, University Of Montana Rural Institute

Independent Living and Community Participation

For this report we analyzed the most recent disability data from the American Community Survey (ACS 5-year estimates 2015-2019) to examine what has changed over the last decade. Our key findings are:

• The disability disparity between rural and urban persists, with higher rates of disability in rural counties
• Rates of disability across rural and urban have increased slightly
• Rates of disability are higher in rural counties across disability type, age, race, and ethnicity