Affiliations: [a] 7195 Bickham Road, Shreveport, LA 71107, USA | [b] St. Francis Health Care Centre, 401 N. Broadway Street, Green Springs, OH 44836, USA
Abstract: Rural Americans face many challenges in providing rehabilitation services, and rehabilitation service providers face many obstacles in providing outreach to rural consumers. The first step to analyzing rural rehabilitation issues is to define ‘rural’ and ‘disability’ and their relationship to remote communities. Problems experienced by the rural community include the following: poverty, dangerous nature of occupations, lack of available job opportunities, limited rehabilitation personnel, increasing need for networks, growing proportion of elderly persons, numerous challenges to special education, and the need to carry through grassroots legislation. Through many challenges, rural citizens continue to be faithful to themselves and the community. The conclusions will show the various challenges of providing rehabilitation services, and note positive actions that may be taken to address each hurdle.
