The Social Security Administration will hold a new National Disability Forum (NDF) on the equity of the agency’s programs and any barriers that might exist to accessing the programs offered by Social Security.
It appears that Social Security is looking for feedback on its programs to try and improve the customer experience and offering these disability forums is one way the agency can hear from people about the pitfalls that might exist for some people who are trying to access service to obtain benefits from the programs that Social Security offers.
Any and all are invited to provide feedback to Social Security about the upcoming forum scheduled for September 15, 2021. Below is the announcement from Social Security about the forum and information about ways people can provide feedback.
Our next National Disability Forum (NDF) is scheduled for September 15, 2021, and is titled Equity in SSA Programs: Hidden Barriers. To prepare for the NDF, we are seeking feedback on questions related to the forum’s topics, Advancing Equity and Equity in Claimant Representation. We are using an online tool called Engage SSA to collect suggestions from claimants, advocates, the public, civil rights organizations, community-based organizations, representatives, and other governmental agencies about enhancing equity in SSA’s programs and services.
Below are some sample questions.
- Are you aware of any unique needs for people of color and other underserved communities that we should consider when evaluating our programs? If so, how can we meet these needs?
- How can we help underserved communities and their members overcome barriers they may encounter when enrolling in and accessing benefits?
- Are there incentives or other changes you suggest for encouraging attorney and non-attorney representation for claimants of color and other underserved communities?
You can provide input on the Engage SSA from now until Friday, August 20, 2021. Please see the Engage SSA guide for details on using the site.
About the National Disability Forum
The NDF is an open forum of Social Security that gives all interested stakeholders an opportunity to share their unique insights on topics of particular interest to SSA early in the process and directly with policy makers. Further, it provides an opportunity for stakeholders to hear from one another. Open to anyone interested, the NDF is not intended to be a means for reaching agreement on an issue, and SSA’s participation is only for the purpose of gaining insight through listening.
This inclusive and collaborative approach helps us develop responsive, effective, and efficient policies in order to empower individuals with a disability, minimize their financial hardship, and ensure proper use of Disability Trust funds. The activities under the NDF supplement, but do not replace, the rule-making process followed by SSA under the Administrative Procedure Act.
We feel that engaging interested parties in a public forum such as the National Disability Forum can help us capture innovative ideas – ensuring that our vision for the disability program continues to keep pace with advances in medicine, technology, health care delivery, and the modern workplace.
