COMMUNITY ACCESS & DISABILITY IN THE WEST
Approximately 70% of Americans will experience some form of disability during their lifetime. It doesn’t matter how we vote, where we live, or what we believe: disability can affect us, or someone we know, due to injury, illness, age, or at conception or birth. It’s also true that disability may not limit us as much as unnecessary barriers built into our infrastructure, policies, and institutions. And those barriers are more common in rural areas with outdated infrastructure and few supportive services.
Removing these barriers makes life easier and safer for everyone, with benefits to commerce and the economy. This is known as the ‘Curb Cut Effect.’ But curb cuts are just one feature used by non-disabled individuals to reduce risk and effort; consider elevators, automatic doors, ramps, speech-to-text, voice activation, or captioning. Americans agree on one thing: we want to age-in-place with dignity among friends and family. We do this by building homes and neighborhoods that welcome people of all ages and abilities. Inclusive design—where people with disabilities are at the planning table—is the simplest, most cost-effective way to ensure safety, connectivity, productivity, and freedom for everyone.
The WRDC works with rural leaders and those with lived experience involving disability to understand rural challenges and practical solutions to community access in several areas:
- Disability and Demographics: The prevalence of disability among rural westerners is higher than that of their urban neighbors, while isolated communities lack resources and accommodations essential to mobility, independence, and productivity.
- Economic Strength through Access: Rural Western economies often rely on industries that haven’t traditionally considered the economic value of individuals with disabilities, who bring energy, creativity, and ingenuity to the workforce.
- Self-Reliance and Community Support: Rural westerners value self-reliance, independence, and community. Access lets community members with disabilities live independently and contribute in meaningful ways. Despite their differences, rural residents habitually pull together when neighbors need a hand in a crisis.
