Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities publications, 1977-2017

Founded in 1978, the Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities was originally called the Montana University Affiliated Program Satellite (MUAPS), and was located at the University of Montana in Missoula. MUAPS was one of 43 university-affiliated programs in the United States that focused on improving and developing services for the developmentally disabled. It was funded through the federal Administration on Developmental Disabilities. In 1990 MUAPS became known as the Montana University Affiliated Rural Institute on Disabilities, and it consolidated with the Research and Training Center on Rural Rehabilitation Services. The Research and Training Center (RTC) was established in October 1987 at the University of Montana to pursue research and training for the purpose of assisting persons with disabilities in rural communities. It was one of 35 centers in the United States funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the federal Department of Education. The consolidation broadened the program’s scope and combined a variety of services such as a new clinic operation.

By the early 2000s, the Institute’s name had changed to the University of Montana Rural Institute, and by 2017 it had become the University of Montana Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities. The Rural Institute’s main focus is to assist existing programs, professionals and individuals who provide services for persons with disabilities in rural areas.