This paper details an investigation into the information management challenges encountered by disability service providers. Prior research has mainly focused on understanding the information management challenges related to user records or internal organizational systems. However, this study posits that the information access patterns of disability services users are significantly influenced by their interactions with service providers’ information management practices in localized settings. To explore the challenges associated with accessing disability services information, we interviewed 20 employees from local agencies in Virginia involved in managing disability services and related information. Qualitative analysis revealed four themes related to such information challenges: quality of information, rural access, jurisdictional boundaries, and overwork/emotional work for information providers who are supporting those in need of disabilities services. These findings serve as a foundational step towards a more comprehensive understanding of how organizational information sharing practices and information access for people with disabilities are shaped within both organizations and a wider community context.
* This study is supported by the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (Grant# GMU-3-2023). We also thank anonymous reviewers, Teri Morgan, Linh Nguyen, Pyeonghwa Kim, Victoria Gonzales, and Julia H.P. Hsu for their help and advice for this study.
* Funding for this project supported, in part, by the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities, under grant number 2301VASCDD, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.