Description - Beneficiaries with Disabilities Phone Survey

1. DOCUMENTATION FOR THE GENERIC CLEARANCE

OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEYS

2. TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Telephone Interview of Social Security Beneficiaries with Disabilities

SSA SUB-NUMBER: F-04

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY (give purpose of activity, provide specific information; i.e., date(s) of survey, number of focus groups, locations, etc.):

The survey we propose seeks to improve the way Social Security Administration (SSA) interacts with individuals with disabilities. Researchers will conduct individual voluntary telephone interviews over the course of six (6) months to help determine in what formats individuals with disabilities currently receive information from SSA, any barriers they experience interacting with SSA, and their preferred formats and recommendations for communicating with SSA. Interviewers will survey approximately 140 individuals throughout the country with the following disabilities: deaf, hard-of-hearing, blind, low-vision, difficulty using their hands or a mobility impairment, speech impairment, or cognitive impairment.

1. BACKGROUND

SSA is the largest provider of services to the aging population and persons with disabilities in the country. SSA strives to ensure these services are easily accessible to claimants, beneficiaries, and employees. We recognize the transformative power of technology to assist users, whether disabled or not, in obtaining SSA services, and whether people choose to interact with SSA in person, over the phone, or via the internet. SSA would like to conduct a qualitative recipient access survey to ask people with disabilities about their experience with SSA and to learn how SSA can provide greater accessibility to our current services, while maintaining standards for everyone.

SURVEY

Proposed Telephone Interviews

SSA currently offers several ways for blind or visually impaired claimants to receive information in formats that are more accessible to them. SSA would like to evaluate satisfaction levels for our various communication methods with other individuals with disabilities as well. We seek to determine the following:

• Satisfaction levels with receiving notices or other SSA communications;

• Other types of communicational formats individuals with disabilities prefer;

• Feedback for improving SSA’s current communications methods with individuals with disabilities; and,

• Their preferred methods of contacting SSA and why.

We are proposing to conduct, via private contractor, individual telephone interviews on how individuals with disabilities currently receive information from SSA, any barriers they experience interacting with SSA, and their preferred formats and recommendations for communicating with us. Below is a description of the target population.

We will conduct approximately 140 individual telephone interviews with a goal of interviewing 20 individuals in each of the following seven disability categories:

• Deaf

• Hard-of-hearing

• Blind

• Low-vision

• Difficulty using hands or mobility impairment

• Speech impairment

• Cognitive impairment

• Participants will be

  • Aged 18 and older;

  • Receiving Social Security benefits;

  • Geographically diverse.

Methodology

Our contractor will contact various disability service and advocacy organizations throughout the

nation and ask these organizations to post and e-mail a recruitment flyer. We will also advertise

with national list-serves, Centers for Independent Living, throughout the nation, and by using professional and personal contacts within the greater disability community. The recruitment flyer will list contact information for interested individuals. Project staff will then contact interested individuals and subsequently conduct project screening if the individual is interested in participating.

After the initial screening process, project staff will determine by short phone survey if a person is eligible to participate in the more detailed survey. In the case of those with cognitive impairments, researchers will determine eligibility during the informed consent process. Once the researchers determine the participant fully understands the project and purpose of the telephone interview, they will conduct the more detailed survey.

Interviewers will obtain informed consent via phone before the qualitative interview begins. For those not consenting to participate, there will be no further contact. For those with a cognitive impairment, the project team will ask additional questions to ascertain their comprehension of the project and the purpose of the interviews. Once the researchers have informed participant consent, the individual telephone interviews will begin.

These one-time interviews will last approximately 45-55 minutes (includes response time for screening questionnaires). Interviewers will ask individuals about their interactions with SSA, how SSA currently communicates with them, and their preferred formats for communicating with SSA. See attached “Interview Guide” for further details on the interview questions.

IF MEMBERS WILL RECEIVE A PAYMENT, INDICATE AMOUNT:

Participants will receive no payment for taking part in the telephone interview.

USE OF SURVEY RESULTS:

Researchers will analyze and summarize findings in a final report to SSA. SSA will use the interview findings to improve how we communicate with individuals with disabilities.

BURDEN HOUR COMPUTATION (Number of responses (X) estimated response time (/60) = annual burden hours):

Number of Respondents: 140.

Estimated Response Time: 55 minutes.

Annual Burden Hours: 128 hours.

NAME OF CONTACT PERSON: Deb Larwood

PHONE NUMBER: 410-966-6136