Research Ethics for All is now available through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Program. Research Ethics for All is an accessible online course designed for community research partners with developmental disabilities who collaborate on social and behavioral research.
RTC:Rural researchers Krys Standley, Catherine Ipsen, and Will Hoard adapted this training to equip Centers for Independent Living (CIL) staff with tailored human subjects research ethics education. While the original training was designed for partners with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), this adapted version includes all types of disabilities. This corresponds with CIL staffing and makes it accessible to any trainees without research backgrounds, including those with IDD.
In July 2025, we published a fact sheet demonstrating how accessible ethics training can strengthen Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) by centering disability perspectives and bridging gaps between academic requirements and community expertise.
New Publications: Vocational Rehabilitation Fact Sheets
Catherine Ipsen teamed up with researchers from George Washington University and the University of Chicago to examine employment and vocational rehabilitation (VR). We created two fact sheets summarizing parts of this research.
Data-Driven Decision-Making Capacity of State VR Agencies
Federal agencies are required to use data to support policy and program decisions. This fact sheet explores VR agencies' capacity to use their data to shape decision-making and develop return on investment (ROI) models.
This fact sheet looks at the utility of two different return on investment (ROI) models for assessing the value of VR services. The research team compares data from the Virginia VR program to demonstrate differences between the social and taxpayer ROI models and makes a case for using social ROI to assess VR services.
The RTC:Rural team is participating in several upcoming conferences to spread the word about our current projects. These conferences are also our best opportunity to meet people face-to-face and build connections and ideas. Please join us if you are attending, and we will share what we have learned after we recover from the jet lag.
Association for Rural and Small Libraries Conference: "Rooted in Community"
9/16/26–9/19/26 | Montgomery, AL
The Project CARE Development Team is heading south for the 2026 Association for Rural and Small 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.
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.
2026 APRIL Conference: "FALL into APRIL: Facilitate • Advocate • Learn • Lead"
Opening Doors with Data and Stories: Communicating the Impact of Housing Programs
Lillie Greiman | Sunday 10/25 | 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
How do you measure and showcase the impact of your housing programs? This interactive session will give CIL staff practical tools for evaluating programs and telling compelling stories about their impact. Explore simple evaluation strategies, consumer storytelling, accessible video, and low-cost tech, including AI tools, you can put to work right away. Come ready to learn, share, and leave with tools you can use at your center!
The Transportation Voucher Toolkit
Luke Santore | Sunday 10/25 | 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Whether you're new to transportation vouchers or looking for a refresher, this session will explore the Rural Transportation Voucher Toolkit. Learn what's happening at pilot sites, hear about the latest toolkit developments, and get a look at what's next. Then, roll up your sleeves for a hands-on “Plan a Voucher Program” activity to start thinking about how this approach could work in your own community.
The Intersections of CILs and Rural Libraries
Jeff Gutierrez | Sunday, 10/25 | 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Want to connect with rural libraries in your service area but aren't sure where to begin? This session explores how CILs and libraries can partner to expand their reach and strengthen support in rural communities. Learn how to identify partnership opportunities and build collaborative relationships and programming. Through real-world examples, best practices, and peer connection, we'll explore how CILs and libraries can work together.
RTC:Rural is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) grant number 90RTCP0007 to improve the ability of people with disabilities to engage in rural community living.
RIIC, The Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities, 32 Campus Drive, 244 Corbin Hall, Missoula, Montana 59812, United States
