Digitally Networked Social Services: Mapping the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) online network in Queensland, Australia

• Published in: Journal of social policy 2024-07, Vol.53 (3), p.829-853
• Main Authors: HENMAN, PAUL W. FAY, DAI, DAN, BORG, SAMANTHA J., HUMMELL, ELOISE, FOSTER, MICHELE, FISHER, KAREN R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Access to information; Advocacy; Brokerage; Collaboration; Consumers; Coordination; Design; Digital technology; Disability; Disability insurance; Electronic government; Empowerment; Funding; Government agencies; Information sharing; Insurance; Internet; Mapping; Marketing; Mass media effects; Network analysis; Networks; Organizations; Public services; Social media; Social networks; Social policy; Social services; Social services delivery; Websites
• ISSN: 0047-2794; 1469-7823
• DOI: 10.1017/S0047279422000691

Within growing marketisation of publicly funded services, the internet has provided new opportunities for marketing, delivery, and coordination of those services. Using web scraping and hyperlink network analysis techniques, this paper examines the ways in which organisations operating in Australia’s evolving National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) system inter-connect online. Social media plays the most important role in the online network. Government agencies also play a central role, with many disability service organisations linking their web users to them. Government agency websites do not hyperlink to disability service providers, suggesting that governments do not see their role as assisting access to such services. Advocacy and peak disability organisations are important in online connections between the websites of government and service organisations. Innovative uses of the internet for online brokerage of disability services are evident. The implications of these findings for service delivery are discussed.