Rural Institute

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Take the survey using the following link by scrolling to the bottom of our home page: https://www.umt.edu/rural-institute/

MontCOMM 2026 kicks off tomorrow! Learn more using the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/montcomm-26-more-than-words-tickets-1988135428586

The Power of Play: Free adaptive designs enhance sports for disabled Veterans, in the Veterans Administration's VA Research Currents, highlights the collection of designs for adaptive game and sports equipment that can be 3-D printed and assembled with readily-available materials, offering low cost solutions to full participation in sports and recreation. The article includes interviews with developers and project participants about the positive impact of these designs on their ability to enjoy more activities

Read the article using the following link: https://www.research.va.gov/currents/0726-Free-adaptive-designs-enhance-sports-for-disabled-Veterans.cfm

Ahead of the fall release of the 2026 National Survey on Health and Disability (NSHD), the Institute for Health and Disability Policy Studies is asking people across the country with disabilities and health conditions for their help to promote the survey. If you or someone you know would be able to record a short (10 second!) video to show that people with disabilities are not invisible, they would be grateful for your assistance.

Please submit clips by August 17 so they have time to edit videos and make them accessible!

Learn more using the following link: https://ihdps.ku.edu/video

We are looking for people with disabilities to record short video clips (10 seconds!) to help promote the National Survey on Health and Disability (NSHD) launching this fall.

Please submit clips by August 17 so we have time to edit videos and make them accessible!

Visit ihdps.ku.edu/video to learn more

MontCOMM 2026 is almost here! Registration is now open for MontCOMM ’26 – More Than Words, which will take place on August 13th and 14th. Register using the following link: https://montech.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/montcomm/

We're deep into smoke season here in Montana, and it's a great time to review the Health Department's Wildfire Smoke Response toolkit for tips on dealing with smoke.

Access the toolkit using the following link:https://dphhs.mt.gov/assets/publichealth/airquality/wildfiresmokeresponsetoolkit_finalcompressed.pdf

New resource available for direct care workers serving people with disabilities! This toolkit from the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law in partnership with the Center is designed to help direct services staff understand new Medicaid enrollment requirements and how to help people retain their Medicaid insurance coverage where possible. The toolkit outlines questions on enrollment processes that will need to be answered state by state. The goal is for all who can retain continuous healthcare coverage to keep their coverage and their health and community services.

Access the toolkit using the following link: https://housinghealthcenter.org/resource/a-toolkit-to-help-direct-care-workers-serving-people-with-disabilities-understand-new-medicaid-requirements/

The RIIC's own Lillie Greiman was interviewed on Family Support Stories!

Access the podcast using the following link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/caregiving-in-rural-communities/id1796202500?i=1000746111845

Webinar on Bridging the Gap: Creating Sustainable Dementia Support Through Community Partnerships
Thursday, August 27, 2026 | 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET

The National Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center (NADRC) is hosting “Bridging the Gap: Creating Sustainable Dementia Support Through Community Partnerships.” During this webinar, staff from the Kentucky Department for Aging and Independent Living’s Office of Dementia Services and a regional dementia care specialist will share how ACL grant funding supported the launch of the Bridging the Gap Dementia Care Specialist Initiative to strengthen dementia-capable services, expanding supports for people living with dementia and their care partners across the state.

Participants will learn how the initiative embedded dementia care specialists within area agencies on aging and independent living facilities, expanded access to respite services and assistive technology, established Memory Cafés, and fostered community partnerships to improve support for people living with dementia and their families.

Presenters will discuss Kentucky's statewide implementation strategy and the initiative's impact in the Buffalo Trace region, highlighting key successes, lessons learned, challenges, and practical strategies that other states and organizations can adapt to strengthen dementia care and support in their own communities.

Register for the webinar using the following link: https://rtiorg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GXG8g0IWRrKIRbv7WvM2wg #/registration