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Abstract

Enrollment in federal and state government benefit programs is substantially lower for some eligible demographic subpopulations, particularly those living in rural areas. Barriers faced when seeking program benefits may, in part, explain differences in enrollment. This research seeks to identify barriers to information faced by prospective beneficiaries who are members of demographic groups who are historically underrepresented in programs such as Social Security Administration (SSA) Disability Programs. We report the results of a scoping review of the literature, including English language articles published on U.S.-specific programs between 2012 and 2025, with data collected since 2010. Following a robust scoping review process, we identified 19 articles that mentioned key phrases related to federal programs, communication, and rurality across four databases. To improve equitable access to government programs, agencies must address the following three themes that emerged from this review: Any changes to communication approaches will affect the public’s knowledge and enrollment; community-specific context must be considered; and because some barriers are specific to communicating with rural residents and other underserved communities, disability program marketing should be sensitive to such barriers.

Keywords

safety net programs Social Security rural access communication

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Barriers to Program Information for Populations Underrepresented in Social Security Disability Programs: A Scoping Review

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