Community Participation

This article highlights a research report looks into social isolation and loneliness among people with disabilities during COVID lockdowns. This data was collected in 2021, one year into the pandemic, but before vaccine roll-out. The authors compare this post-COVID to previously collected data pre-COVID to see what has changed. The previous report is available at https://www.umt.edu/rural-institute/rtc/stories/11.29.21-social-isolatio...

This journal article explores the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for people with mobility disabilities across a variety of topics related to community engagement including social interactions with family and friends, and access to caregivers, groceries, transportation, and employment.

This policy brief summarizes the results of a national survey conducted by RTC-CL of nearly 9,000 direct support professionals (DSPs) providing support to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The takeaways are fear of COVID-19 infection among DSPs and the people they support, low wages, high turnover and vacancy rates, and significant wage differences between Black DSPs and their white counterparts.

This paper compared data from two cross-sectional samples collected before and after the first wave of “stay-at-home” orders to learn more about how COVID-19 and related responses (i.e. stay-at-home orders) may contribute to feelings of social isolation and loneliness among people with disabilities. Social isolation and loneliness are a public health concern because they are associated with poor mental and physical health outcomes and mortality. Post-COVID rural and urban samples reported significantly more interactions with family and close friends.

This Taking Issue segment appeared in the September 2020 issue of the Journal Psychiatric Services. The authors ask what can be done to support people with serious mental illness in the long term as they resume lives in an uncertain society with confusing, often contradictory guidelines for avoiding infection and preventing the spread of the virus to others. As society reopens, closes, and reopens again, how can resumption of community life be facilitated for people with serious mental illnesses?

This webinar presented the findings from a recent study on the initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults with physical disabilities from marginalized communities in Southeast Michigan, one of the early pandemic epicenters in the United States. Interviews with 16 adults revealed how participants either had to engage in risky behavior to have their needs met or avoid risk and not have those needs met. They contribute to understandings of risk, its impact on physical and psychological health, and the importance of accommodations.

A guide with an extensive list of high-tech, low-tech, and no-tech ways to stay connected with family, friends, and one's community, including civic and spiritual engagement, family/parenting, education, recreation, and physical activity.

This brief proposes ways to strengthen the direct care workforce to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and preventable emergency department visits and hospitalization of vulnerable people.

This brief describes bills to increase funding for states’ home and community-based services, specifically how the increased funding would help ensure care at home, minimize wait lists, increase wages for health workers, and provide for sick leave. This brief was prepared in response to legislation which could impact services and supports for people with disabilities. 

This publication applies the Four Guideposts to Community Life Engagement to selecting and supporting online engagement opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The guideposts are: Individualize supports for each person, promote community membership and contribution, use human and social capital to decrease dependence on paid supports, and ensure that supports are outcome-oriented and regularly monitored.