2024 Assessment of Virginia’s Information Ecology of the Disability Services System

Abstract

Access to disability services information depends on many factors, from an individual’s digital literacy, social connections and physical mobility to the interface design of websites. However, it is also true that the availability of disability services information (e.g., how to apply for a Medicaid Waiver) and how such information is managed and provided to end users in Virginia are also critical factors that shape people’s information access. This assessment focuses on understanding the latter, namely, the “information ecology” of disability services in Virginia. Specifically, we examine how service providers, both governmental and non-governmental agencies, manage information about disability services, the challenges staff face in providing information, and how different types of information are communicated and shared across different providers.