Disability data are taking center stage. Policymakers are paying closer attention to ensuring equity, access, and representation in data collection for marginalized and underserved communities. Over the past few years, disabled advocates and researchers have revealed a lack of disability representation, data quality concerns, and access limitations across datasets and throughout data improvement efforts. Poor-quality data, lack of representation, and access barriers limit the ability of researchers, disability leaders, policymakers, and service providers to make informed decisions to improve the lives of people with disabilities.

Gaps in data significantly affect rural people with disabilities and the communities where they live. This matters because people with disabilities are disproportionately represented in rural areas. The Urban Institute and the Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities (RTC:Rural) are partnering to ensure that rural voices and experiences are included in ongoing data conversations. Join us to hear a diverse group of researchers, advocates, and service providers discuss the opportunities and challenges they face using data to advocate for and understand the rural disability experience. Contribute your voice to the national disability data dialogue. At this critical time, we can elevate the rural experience and explore how we can improve rural disability data to make data-informed decisions to shape disability policy.
 

2:30 PM - Opening remarks

• Susan J. Popkin, Institute Fellow and Codirector, Disability Equity Policy Initiative, Urban Institute

2:35 PM - Strengthening Rural Disability Data

Rural disability researchers will share current challenges to understanding disability in rural contexts, proposed innovations in measuring disability, and potential challenges to navigate along with increasing opportunities for measurement.

• Kelsey Shinnick Goddard, Research Project Coordinator, Research and Training Center on Independent Living, University of Kansas 
• Andrew Myers, Project Director, Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities; Member, 2030 Census National Advisory Committee
• Corianne Payton Scally, Senior Fellow, Urban Institute (moderator)

3:10 PM - Elevating Rural Disability Data in Practice

Rural disability advocates and service providers will discuss the role of data in their work, how disabled people can be overlooked in data, and strategies they use to make rural residents with disabilities visible through more inclusive data collection, analysis, and interpretation.

• Kiana Jackson, Director of Data and Research, New Disabled South 
• Tafaimamao Tua-Tupuola, State Director, University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, American Samoa Community College
• Mary Willard, Public Health Outreach Coordinator, Summit Independent Living
• Susan J. Popkin, Institute Fellow and Codirector, Disability Equity Policy Initiative, Urban Institute (moderator)
   

This event is supported by a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant #90DPKT0007). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The views expressed should not be attributed to NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. For more on Urban’s funding policies, go to urban.org/about/organizational-principles.

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. We will provide American Sign Language (ASL), Communication Access Realtime Transcription (CART), and autotranscription services. Please email [email protected] if you require any accommodations or have any questions about this event.