Automating Disability Social Services

Описание: Automation in social services is profoundly shaping the experiences of people with disabilities, raising urgent questions about inclusion, rights, and data justice. This panel examines the trajectory of automation in the NDIS and beyond, highlighting how disability offers critical insight into the design of equitable, participatory digital systems.

Disability has been at the forefront of social service automation. People with disabilities were deeply impacted by the controversial Robodebt scheme and form a diverse group of users across many automated services. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has seen major automation efforts, including AI tools and data-driven systems. The short-lived Nadia avatar, co-designed for inclusive communication, drew attention, but less visible are broader automated processes—like fraud detection algorithms and needs assessments—being integrated across NDIS operations. Disability acts as a litmus test for inclusive digital futures, raising vital questions about participation, rights, data justice (as in the Disability Data Asset), and the public-private roles in service delivery. This panel, featuring experts in disability rights, services, and design, explores the trajectory of automation in social services, the challenges and opportunities it presents, and the guiding principles we must consider—especially what inclusion really means in systems, data, and policy design.

Speakers:
Georgia Van Toorn, UNSW (Chair)
Sam Connor, People with Disability Australia
Piers Gooding, La Trobe University
Jackie Leach Scully, UNSW