“A Hunt to Find Anything”: The Complexities of Finding and Sharing Disability-Related Information Among State Agency Staff

Abstract

U.S. state agencies are charged with addressing the service and support needs of residents with and without disabilities. Undertaking this task effectively requires having familiarity with the array of available disability-related resources and programs—both within and beyond one’s own agency. We asked 212 staff from 13 state agencies about their awareness of local disability-related information and resources that could support their stakeholders. We were interested in understanding (a) their familiarity with available community resources impacting multiple areas of people’s lives, (b) their experiences accessing needed information or resources, and (c) the sources of information they find most helpful in their work. State agency staff reported moderate, but mixed, familiarity with resources for supporting an array of valued experiences and key service needs. Years of experience was modestly correlated with degree of familiarity in some areas. In addition, state agency staff considered fellow professionals and internet sources to be useful avenues for addressing disability-related information needs. We offer implications for policy and practice aimed at creating more seamless pathways for information and resource sharing within a state and across the country.