Many Americans with disabilities who live in rural areas of the U.S. said it would be a challenge for them to cover an unexpected $1,000 expense, according to the results of a new poll. (Kim Ryu | NPR)

According to a recent poll conducted by NPR and researchers with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Harvard University, 49 percent of rural Americans – and 70 percent of rural Americans with disabilities – would not be able to afford a sudden expense of $1,000. The study indicated lack of transportation is a significant contributor to rural poverty, as it makes already-long commutes to jobs or trips to health care facilities more difficult and costly.