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--></style></head><body lang=EN-US link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><a href="https://www.ssa.gov/news/en/press/releases/2025-12-22.html"><b>Inspector General Report Confirms Significant Customer Service Improvements at Social Security</b></a><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><a href="https://www.aapd.com/shaking-up-the-theater-industry-as-a-disabled-person/"><b>Shaking Up the Theater Industry as a Disabled Person</b></a><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><a name="_Columbus_Goodwill_facility"></a><a name="_Twelve_direct_support"></a><a name="_Ohio_nurse_to"></a><a name="_Controlling_Board_Approves"></a><a name="_Helping_and_Empowering"></a><a name="_Ageless_Tenacity:_Olivia’s"></a><a name="_State_Fair_Sets"></a><a name="_ODJFS_Announces_Funding"></a><a name="_How_CVG_passengers"></a><a name="_Governor_DeWine_Announces_1"></a><a name="_Auglaize_County_Board"></a><a name="_A_Brief_But"></a><a name="_Prevent_Blindness_Ohio"></a><a name="_Boot_earns_Ms."></a><a name="_Ahead_Of_Crucial"></a><a name="_Work_Is_Improving"></a><a name="_Governor_DeWine_Announces Grant"></a><a name="_Ohioans_with_disabilities"></a><a name="_Students_With_Disabilities"></a><a name="_Disabled_Ohioans_can"></a><a name="_Allen_County_Board"></a><a name="_Owners_of_Hinckley"></a><a name="_SOCIL_provides_adaptive"></a><a name="_Get_a_communication"></a><a name="_Making_Ohio_Destinations"></a><a name="_Governor_DeWine_Marks"></a><a name="_Helping_Ohio’s_Businesses"></a><a name="_Governor's_Appointments_for"></a><a name="_Federal_funds_for"></a><a name="_Governor_DeWine_Orders"></a><a name="_Northeast_Ohio_nonprofit"></a><a name="_Governor_DeWine_Announces"></a><a name="_Ohio_Governor_Mike"></a><a name="_Ohio_State_Fair"></a><a name="_Statement_from_Governor"></a><a name="_Helping_Abuse_Survivors:"></a><a name="_OOD_Recognizes_National"></a><a name="_Condado_Tacos_receives"></a><a name="_12_New_Ways"></a><a name="_Ohio_Statehouse_to"></a><a name="_All_are_welcome:"></a><a name="_A_celebration_of"></a><a name="_K-9_gives_new"></a><a name="_Nashville_theater_company"></a><a name="_New_Hope_Industries"></a><span style='font-size:36.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Source Sans 3";color:#0E3F75;letter-spacing:-.5pt;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:ZH-TW'><img border=0 width=624 height=3 style='width:6.5in;height:.0312in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01DC73F8.A2EF7D00" alt="red line"></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><h2>Inspector General Report Confirms Significant Customer Service Improvements at Social Security<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>Social Security Administration<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>December 22, 2025</b> <b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>Baltimore, MD</b> — Today, the Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released its highly anticipated audit of SSA’s telephone service metrics and the significant improvement in customer service performance during Fiscal Year (FY) 2025.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The report definitively concludes that, “SSA’s publicly reported national 800-number telephone metrics were accurate and its overall telephone service performance improved in FY 2025.” Furthermore, the report acknowledges that the profound customer service improvements were the result of technology enhancements and strategic staffing decisions.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“The results of the audit come as no surprise to anyone following the historic progress we are making at the agency under President Trump’s leadership,” <b>said Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano</b>. “We are serving more Americans at significantly faster speeds than ever before. While partisan politicians are attempting to undermine trust of SSA, we are determined to continue improving customer service online, on the phone, and in person at field offices.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>During a July meeting with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Commissioner Bisignano briefed the Senator on the significant customer service improvements being made at the agency. When Senator Warren expressed disbelief about the data provided by the Commissioner and career SSA staff, unwilling to recognize the notable progress happening at the agency, Commissioner Bisignano and the Senator agreed to an independent review of the agency’s performance data on the National 800 Number. The OIG audit determined that not only are SSA’s published performance metrics accurate, but the agency clearly improved its telephone service in FY 2025, reducing the average wait time from 30 minutes in January 2025 to 7 minutes in September 2025, while serving 65 percent more callers than in the previous year. It also concluded that the agency’s use of technology, self-service options, and process engineering were integral contributing factors.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><a href="https://oig.ssa.gov/assets/uploads/032517.pdf"><b>Read the full OIG Audit.</b></a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Commissioner Bisignano continues to transform SSA into a model of excellence—an organization that operates at peak efficiency, delivers world-class service to every American, and protects and strengthens Social Security for future generations:<o:p></o:p></p><ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>The average speed of answer for the National 800 Number has been in the single digits the last five months.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Sixty-five percent more calls were answered in FY 2025 compared to FY 2024.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>The average wait time for visitors at field offices decreased by nearly 30 percent from FY 2024 to FY 2025, and those with an appointment wait on average just six minutes to be helped.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>The backlog of pending initial disability claims has decreased by 33% from the all-time high of 1.26 million pending claims in June 2024.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Americans now have 24/7 access to their personal <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/"><i>my</i> Social Security</a> account, when previously the website was down 29 hours a week.<o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>More information about how SSA is better serving Americans at their preferred service channel is available at <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/ssa-performance">www.ssa.gov/ssa-performance</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>For more information about Social Security’s services, visit <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/">www.ssa.gov</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:115%'><hr size=1 width="100%" align=center></div><h2>Shaking Up the Theater Industry as a Disabled Person<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>December 22, 2025</b> <b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>As an Autistic, multi-disabled person, working in the theater industry can be challenging. It’s not often you see disabled representation in theater, both onstage and off. Growing up, I rarely saw other disabled performers or characters. When I started working in theater, I was often the one person in the room bringing up accessibility. Theater has always felt like both a safe space and an industry with many barriers. However, I have made my way into it with the intention of changing it, as Elphaba and Glinda would say, for good.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>How does one change an industry? Well, they usually don’t, at least not alone. It is our actions as community members that help us to shake things up.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>When I began my journey in theater, I knew I needed to start somewhere that allowed me to work with other creatives. So I became a Teaching Artist. Teaching Artists are small but powerful catalysts for change. That’s the belief that pulled me into the industry back when I didn’t think I could have a place in it. As a disabled teen, my teachers made a large impact on me and I felt an unshakable desire to have that same impact on others one day. When I was a Teaching Artist, change happened in the moments that nobody else would notice. I would notice a child’s access needs, help them navigate challenges, and help them be confidently creative. The moments I spent empowering the youngest creatives in my community with other educators meant the world to me. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>However, I soon discovered that I could have a greater impact than I did as an arts educator by working at an arts education nonprofit instead. I was given the opportunity to intern at <a href="https://www.phillyyoungplaywrights.org/">Philadelphia Young Playwrights (PYP).</a> There, I did work centered on their education programs and community engagement efforts. The programs I assisted with gave youth free access to theater education that aimed to help them tell their stories. I know how impactful PYP was because I was also a selected playwright for their New Voices Festival for a play I wrote on the Autistic experience and what it is like to be Autistic in theater. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>My desire for a more accessible theater industry led me to apply for a Social Media Manager job with the <a href="https://www.autistictheatremakers.org/">Autistic Theatremakers Alliance (ATA).</a> I have been with ATA for a year now, engaging in collaborative activism on a national scale. Recently, we opened up grant applications for Autistic theatre artists to fund their theatrical goals. Our grants help artists fund projects and access education opportunities. Projects like these bring me joy because I could never empower other Autistic creatives on my own in this way.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>While I love having an impact on a larger scale as I do with ATA, some of the work I’m proudest of has been the small projects I’ve done at a local level. As an AAPD Intern in Summer 2025, I made a list of accessibility improvement suggestions for my placement site, <a href="https://www.washingtonperformingarts.org/">Washington Performing Arts.</a> I cannot make an organization’s programs more accessible by myself, but I can help them figure out the tools they need to do so. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>My career so far shows this commitment to community. I was recently nominated to be a part of the <a href="https://thekilroys.org/web-2025/">Kilroys Web</a> – a web of changemakers in the theater industry. It is a web because we don’t create change by ourselves. Through our work, advocacy, and community contributions, we become a part of a long history of small actions that lead to significant changes over time. With PYP, my mentor and I kickstarted an initiative to provide students with access to local theater through ticket donations. As a Student Blogger for Broadway World, I get to offer a unique glimpse into what it is like to build a career in theater as a disabled person. Since I have broken into this industry, I want to work with others to make it more inclusive for others and encourage understanding. Even at the earliest stages of your career, you can help open doors for others by working with others in the spaces you occupy.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>All of my experiences working in theater opened my eyes to the importance of making the industry more accessible to young and underrepresented voices. Works that capture the disabled experience make space for awareness, understanding, and acceptance. They can also help people feel seen. The casting of Marissa Bode to play Nessarose in <i>Wicked </i>did that for a lot of disabled people, providing authentic representation for a character always previously played by nondisabled actresses. At the time I wrote my play, I had only seen one show before with Autistic representation – How to Dance in Ohio. For me, disability representation in theater proves we belong in this industry and deserve to be represented accurately. It also fuels my work to advocate for greater access and inclusion. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The theater industry has a long way to go before it is disability-inclusive. However, everyday creatives and activists shaking things up in their communities give me hope it can be. It is a web because we don’t create change by ourselves. Through our work, advocacy, and community contributions, we become a part of a long history of small actions that lead to significant changes over time. I’ve been seeing more representation on stage, behind the scenes, and in the business side of theater. These beautiful voices are the future of American theater and it would be tragic if we did not continue to amplify them. It takes a wave of people to make a difference, so what role will you play?<o:p></o:p></p><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:115%'><hr size=1 width="100%" align=center></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> Suzanne M. Hartfield Turner</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>National Federation of the Blind of Ohio, Vice President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Ohio Legislative Director<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Cleveland Chapter, President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The National Federation of the Blind advances the lives of its members and all blind people in the United States. We know that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. Our collective power, determination, and diversity achieve the aspirations of all blind people.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:18.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>P: (216) 990-6199<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>W: NFBOhio.ORG<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ohiosblind/photos/"><span style='color:#0563C1'>https://www.facebook.com/ohiosblind/photos/</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>