The development of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program enrollment accessibility (SNAP-access) score.
Laura J Samuel, Emily Xiao, Caroline Cerilli and 9 others
PMID 36041996WHAT IT FOUND
Most state SNAP websites lack enrollment options and information that people with disabilities need.
Few offer email, phone, or TTY enrollment, and most omit accommodation details. This tool highlights gaps in digital access for benefits, not clinical outcomes.
Key findings
01The study developed an index to score SNAP website accessibility, flexibility, and efficiency, finding a mean total score of 10.66 out of 18 possible points across 52 programs.
02While most programs offered in-person, online, and mail-in enrollment, few provided email (8%), telephone (25%), or TTY (10%) options.
03Most programs listed eligibility information and telephone help lines, but few provided enrollment accommodation information (31%), TTY help lines (46%), or large-print enrollment forms (12%).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
Results are limited to information visible on websites; additional modalities or accommodations may exist that are only revealed after starting an application. The study assesses only the initial enrollment information stage, not the full process of submitting applications, interviews, or recertification. This is a tool development and descriptive study, not a clinical trial, so it provides no evidence on patient outcomes or intervention efficacy.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret this as evidence that a specific therapy or clinical intervention improves SNAP enrollment. This paper describes a public health policy tool for assessing website accessibility, not a clinical outcome study.