Presentation at State of Science Conference

Earlier this month, RTC:Rural researchers Catherine Ipsen, Lillie Greiman, and Andrew Myers presented at the 2023 ICDR State of the Science Conference on Disability Statistics. The ICDR’s (Interagency Committee on Disability Research) mission is to promote coordination and cooperation among federal departments and agencies conducting disability, independent living, and rehabilitation research programs.

The RTC:Rural session explored the value of collecting rural disability data and the constraints for doing so across federal surveys. The session covered variability in rural definitions and the value of including rural indicators that allow for nuanced analyses and protect individual privacy. The researchers also addressed limitations to understanding social determinants of health at the intersection of race, ethnicity, disability, and rural geography; and the importance of doing so for places and people experiencing compounded disadvantage. A key takeaway is that without accessible and reliable rural data, we cannot establish baseline estimates, evaluate systems change, or be responsive to rural stakeholder requests.