The ADA and Service Animals - Service Animals are not considered “Pets”

When you see a sign at a business establishment that says “no pets allowed”, do you know service animals for the disabled are automatically excluded? Most people probably don’t. It’s my opinion, based on an online article by Audrey Blackwell (Service dogs bring new life to the disabled), that many businesses are not even aware of the ADA and its position on service animals.

In fact, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not consider a service animal a pet at all. They are trained animals (any animal) to assist individuals with disabilities of varying types, not just blindness. The U.S. Department of Justice has a web site (www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/qasrvc.htm) that addresses the most frequently asked questions regarding service animals for the disabled. In it, I found the following there (paraphrased):

The Americans with disabilities act makes it a requirement that privately owned businesses that serve the public must allow individuals with disabilities who have service animals access to business premises. This applies to areas of the business in which customers are generally allowed to go.

The act also states that individuals with disabilities who use service animals cannot be charged fees or deposits when such animals are on business premises, as might be the case for pet animals. In other words, the ADA makes a clear distinction between pets and animals that alert hearing impaired individuals, pull wheelchairs, and assist the mobility impaired with balance and ambulation.

In Ms. Blackwell’s article, Capt McNutty of the Venice Police Department makes it clear that the law is on the side of the disabled and if they have problems they can report it to his police department. I feel certain this is true everywhere.



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Am I eligible for social security disability benefits?
The Definition of Social Security Disability
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Children Disability benefits
Social Security Disability program information
How Social Security disability benefits get determined?
Denied for disability benefits - how many times will it happen?
Finding a disability attorney in your area

Disability Denial Costs More than Time

A recent report from the Athens County Department of Job and Family Services in Ohio reports that denied disability claims are threatening the wellbeing of millions of Americans. This allegation is not new and can be found nationwide. Many reports across the country are reverberating the accusation that people are not only being denied and kept waiting, but they are losing their financial and physical health due to the waiting period, and oftentimes denial of their disability assistance.

The Social Security administration backed up the statistics in the Athens County, OH, report.

Over 2.5 million Americans file for disability benefits every year. Out of that 2.5 million people, almost 2/3 are denied and while approximately 60 percent appeal that rejection and are ultimately approved, they generally have to wait for 1 ½ to 2 ½ years to get their approval. During that time, they face many issues without support of any kind. Many times this means they have no medical coverage, very little or no income and a sinking feeling that the system has failed them.

The report stated that in Ohio almost 73 percent are denied during their first file for disability benefits. It also states that in 2007 only 11 percent of the cases that appealed were approved. Ohio residents can appeal through an administrative law judge hearing once they have been denied twice. Many people never appeal, not realizing that a denial of benefits is almost a standard procedure. This appeal process creates more waiting and more personal hardship.

The report also states that although the average monthly payments for disability insurance in 2005 were $796 nationally, Ohio residents received an average of $785, while Athens County residents received an average of only $721.

While an appeal process can help in determining eligibility, many people experience bankruptcy and home foreclosures during this time, leading to depression, addiction and family issues. Other than these serious hardships, they also face deteriorating health problems. While many people lose their homes, others lose their lives.

The report, as well as the Social Security Administration, contributes part of the problem to a lack of funding to hire support staff and hearing judges. Without the staff to take care of the filings, many simply get denied to buy more time.

Athens County hopes this detailed report will help draw an eye to their community and help to get some of their disability insurance issues solved, as well as help for those who have been denied disability.


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What happens on a social security disability reconsideration case ?
What does social security consider to be disabilities?
Social Security Disability SSI and Appeals

Sources of Fatigue

I came across an article recently that referenced chronic fatigue; however, the article wasn't really about chronic fatigue, but, rather, the possible sources of sudden and otherwise (for a diagnosis yet to come) unexplainable fatigue. Here are those sources listed:

1. Anemia, a condition in which the number of red blood cells is less than normal. Of course, this makes perfect sense for a possible cause of fatigue. Red blood cells transport oxygen. Fewer red blood cells means less oxygen being delivered and less energy. In a sense, this is similar to how a car works. A richer mixture of air/fuel (richer in the sense that more air is being delivered) results in a higher horsepower output. Cut the flow of air too much and the car will have difficulty running at all.

2. Thyroid levels. In addition to weight gain, low thyroid levels can cause tiredness and fatigue. In fact, fatigue in individuals with specific medical conditions may prompt a treating physician to run a thyroid panel.

3. Insulin dependent and non-insulin dependent diabetes. Whether a patient's diabetes is type I or type II, they may experience fatigue, possibly as a result of the effects of medication, or due to poor control of the condition. Some individuals with diabetes, of course, experience hypoglycemia which can result in severely low energy levels and can even put a person in mortal danger.

4. Kidney Disease. Kidney impairment, like diabetes, can result in low energy levels and fatigue.

5. Depression. This one is a complete no-brainer. Anyone who has ever experienced a bout of depression may recall that they felt tired, listless, and required more sleep than normal. For individuals with chronic major depression, this can be an impediment to work.

6. Sleep apnea. The simple fact that a sleep apnea patient is failing to achieve deep restful sleep, due to interruptions in normal sleep patterns, can result in extraordinary fatigue and an inability to recuperate from daily activities.

7. Fibromyalgia. Many individuals with sleep apnea also have fibromyalgia syndrome. Increasingly, fibromyalgia is thought of as a condition in which an affected individual fails to achieve sufficient delta-wave stage sleep, the deep level of sleep in which the body repairs itself.

Chronic fatigue, of course, is different from these sources of fatigue. With chronic fatigue syndrome, the fatigue must last for at least half a year or longer. And the other sources of fatigue, such as the ones I've listed, must be ruled out. Essentially, when a person's fatigue cannot be explained and meets a minimum duration level, it may be classified as chronic fatigue.






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Social Security Disability and...
Social Security Disability SSI and Doctors
Social Security Disability SSI and Mental Conditions
Social Security Disability SSI and Finances
Social Security Disability SSI and Medical Exams
Social Security Disability SSI and Medical Records
Social Security Disability SSI and Appeals
Social Security Disability SSI and Children

A New Generation of Disability Activists

Disability rights issues are being noticed and protected due to a new generation of activists groups like the Disability Issues Caucus of the Young Democrats of America. The 500-member group is working diligently to get disability rights highlighted in the public eye, especially within the Democratic Party.

Chairman of the group, Ben Spangenberg, has spina bifida and was only 8 years old when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed in 1990. Ben and others like him have always had accessibility and accommodations provided by the ADA and want to make sure that their rights are not only protected, but expanded to encompass social equality. While many of the older generation with disabilities were lucky to have wheelchair accessibility in public buildings and on buses, the younger generation has a whole new list of important issues, such as workplace enforcement of the ADA, adequate education funding, more public accessibility, home health care aides instead institutionalization and most importantly, universal health care.

The Disability Issues Caucus of the Young Democrats of America has been very vocal about their passion on the universal health care issue. They do not believe that those with disabilities should have to choose, as they oftentimes do, between bettering their lives through employment and losing their health care benefits. The group believes that universal health insurance could address this popular concern and help those with disabilities to live healthy, active and productive lives with the freedom to choose and self-respect.

Why is the group focused on the Democratic Party even though the ADA was signed by President George Bush, while the Disabilities in Education Act was signed by President Gerald Ford? Many say it is because the Republican Party shies away from identity politics, refusing to split their causes into identity groups. Many others say that the Democratic Party has simply been more responsive and alert to disability issues.

Whatever the reasons, the Democratic National Committee now requires that state delegations not only include a proportional representation for women and minorities, but also people with disabilities. This rule was only passed this year and in turn, the Democratic National Convention of 2008 will boast a record high amount of delegates with disabilities. With a new generation taking a stand for disability rights, changes are on the agenda.


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Will social security look at all my medical records to decide my disability case ?
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Decided to appeal my disability case - how long will it take?

Doubting the Existence of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue

I read an article in the Arizona Republic that discusses fibromyaglia and chronic fatigue and the skepticism that each condition has encountered from the medical community.

I know a bit about this myself. As a disability examiner and in working on the representation side of social security disability claims and SSI claims, I found that many treating physicians were likely to "blow off" both conditions. And, of course, in the case of fibromyalgia, this situation is not helped by the fact that a number of psychiatrists continue to deliver the diagnosis of fibromyalgia for the patients they treat (further enhancing the perception that this is a condition that is rooted in someone's mental state).

Why do physicians treat chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia with skepticism and sometimes even hostility? My own feeling is that this may occur, to some exent, because these are conditions that are not entirely quantifiable. After all, both are still carrying the label of "syndrome", which essentially means that medical science does not know enough about the cause and origin of either, and, consequently, there are few treatment modalities. And, of course, there are those characteristics of modern physicians that we've all encountered at one point or another.

1. Doctors don't spend time with their patients. This is typically due to the number of patients they have. However, when a doctor's visit equates to spending 30-45 minutes in the waiting room and 10 minutes being seen, there's not much opportunity for doctor-patient discussion and getting a proper description of one's symptomology.

2. Doctors equate treatment with the prescription of medication. Period.

I may be wrong about this, but I'm not aware of any medications that exist solely to treat chronic fatigue, meaning that doctors who enounter this condition among their patients have little to do, based on their approach to disease management (prescribe a pill). This by itself may form part of the basis for their own skepticism, and at times annoyance and hostility.

Fortunately, for fibromyalgia sufferers, there is a new drug that has been approved for their use: lyrica. The prescription of lyrica may not only directly help FMS patients, but may go some distance in validating the existence of fibromyalgia in some doctor's minds.




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Chronic Fatigue, CBT, and Graded exercise therapy

According to an article in The Autralian, individuals suffering from chronic fatigue may have a poor sense of their own threhold for fatigue. This is described as the point at which their chronic fatigue symptoms are worsensed by engaging in physical activity. The result of engaging in excessive physical activity or simply physical activity at the wrong time (perhaps when chronic fatigue symptoms are already on the upswing) is often an extended period of fatigue. It can also result in a cycle of anxiety and increased susceptibility to CFS symptons.

Apparently, as of yet, there are no medications that effectively deal with chronic fatigue symptoms. However, there are other approaches that exist which are designed to mediate and hopefully reduce CFS symptoms, or at least their severity.

One approach is CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy. CBT involves managing an individual's sleep cycle, and providing psychological input and advice, the goal being to improve a patient's tolerance to activities that have had the effect of exacerbating their fatigue and pain symptoms.

Another approach is GET, or graded exercise therapy. With GET, daily activity levels are monitored to ascertain a person's threshold point for experiencing chronic fatigue symptoms. Once that has been decided, an attempt is made to manage a person's activity habits to avoid crossing the threshold point.

Are either of these strategies proven and effective? Currently, there is an ongoing study to determine if either approach may be of benefit to cancer patients who are experiencing fatigue, presumably after chemotherapy.




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Does education level affect your social security disability claim?

Obtaining Disability Benefits for Wounded Soldiers

The process for obtaining health care benefits for wounded service members has been a long and frustrating one for most of the United States' wounded warriors. The procedure has required going through several different systems, while waiting anywhere from six months to two years before receiving benefits. Fortunately, the Defense Department and Department of Veteran Affairs have joined forces to create a new, streamlined system that is promising to change the face of service member health care. This new pilot system is said to cut the processes and waiting time in half for America’s soldiers.

Media reports fueled the change after publicizing health care issues from Walter Reed Army Medical System. The media reports highlighted complaints from service members and their families that were fielded from task forces, review groups and a host of commissions. The reviews and reports asked for a more effective system, and their requests were heard.

The problem with the system was contributed to by duplicate processes at the Department of Defense and the Veteran Affairs department. These included duplicate physicals, duplicate ratings and duplicate evaluations. Because service members had to go through each of the required processes twice, they oftentimes received different ratings and benefit levels. The new system agrees that the VA will manage the initial physical exam and will set the rating to determine what type of discharge and benefits they will receive. This streamlined process will allow service members to collect their disability benefits within a few weeks.

The Department of Defense and the department of Veteran Affairs have agreed to work together closely and abide by the new set rules. The pilot program is already underway at Malcolm Grow Medical Center on Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. and the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. The new procedure has been tested and reported favorable by eight soldiers who had experienced the previous system.

The two agencies have also announced a partnership to find 10 federal recovery coordinators to oversee the needs of service members that have been severely injured. The coordinators will help service members and their families through the rehabilitation and recovery process, making sure they get the care they and their families need. In addition, the DoD and VA have also decided to develop a joint inpatient medical record system and have already began operations at a center of excellence for psychological health and traumatic brain injury. They predict the center will open in October of 2009.



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Crohn's disease
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Past Posts

Here's a list of past posts to make finding them easier

If I get disability benefits, will my family or kids get benefits?
When You Apply For Disability Do You Get It From The Day You Were Disabled Or The Day You Apply?
Why Will A Social Security Disability Application Get Denied?
Social security disability SSI and living donors
Employed But Have Trouble Doing My Job, Can I Apply For Disability?
If You Have A Lawyer Will He Gather The Evidence For Your Social Security Disability Case?
What Happens If You Apply For Disability And All You Have IS Old Medical Records?
Can You Apply For Disability If You Used To Get Disability But Went Back To Work?
What does Social Security disability Consider to be Basic Work Activities?
Every Classroom Has ADHD
Will Social Security Disability Benefits Stop If I Work?
New, Approved Drug to Treat Both Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder
If You are Approved For Disability - The Award Notice
Social Security Awards SSD and SSI Benefits For Severe Impairments
High Hopes For A New Lupus Treatment
The Chances Of Being Approved For Disability Will Depend On Certain Factors
Do Disability Lawyers Have a set amount they can be Paid?
Will I get Disability if my Psychiatrist says I can't Work?
Eight Things About Scoliosis
What sort of Forms are Used to File For Social Security Disability?
Eight Things To Know About Agoraphobia
Not Sure if You Will Be Found Disabled By Social Security?
Seven Facts About Parkinson's Disease
Will a Disability Lawyer Pay for Your Medical Records or Make You Pay?
Will A Diagnosis of Cancer Get You Approved For Disability?
Entitlement to Disability means verifying what you say is true (and that means medical records)
Applying for Social Security Disability and Hepatitis
Are you Allowed to Collect Social Security and Disability at the Same Time?
Applying for Social Security Disability or SSI with Chronic Pain
Social Security Disability Regulations
Is Smoking Linked to Multiple Sclerosis?
Applying for Social Security Disability and Schizophrenia
Giving Medical Evidence Records for a Social Security Disability Case, scenario 1
Are the eyes the windows to detecting metabolic issues?
Applying for Social Security Disability and Liver Disease
How Do You Pass a Social Security Mental Exam?
General Practitioners Need To Know About Hydrocephalus
Filing For Disability for Stress
Social security hearing representation
How does Social Security Disability Consider Your Medical
History?
Applying for Disability Through SSI, it is Evaluated The Same as SSD
When Does Social Security Schedule a Psychiatric Exam?
Depression and its link to Pain
Social Security Disability and Functional Limitations
Is Pollution Linked to Liver?
Social Security Looks at Disability to Be Totally Disabling
The Da Vinci Robot and mitral valve prolapse, lung surgery, kidney disorders, etc
What is the Difference between Social Security and SSI Disability?
Minimally Invasive Surgery For Mitral Valve Prolapse
Social Security Disability Appeals Time limit
Lyme Disease Cannot Be Passed On From Pets to Humans
Before you apply for social security disability...(consider these things)
Pancreatitis More Prevalent in Diabetics
Send in your Social Security Disability Appeal Asap
Lyme disease on the rise in U.S.
Putting Off The Decision to File for Disability Is Sometimes a Bad Call
Totally and Permanently Disabled, Why Can't I get Social Security disability?
When You are Applying for Social Security Disability Can You Own Property?
New methods to manage chronic back pain
Commonly Asked Social Security Disability Questions
Do Kids Get Social Security Disability?
Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Overview and Treatment
Can My Doctor Help Me Get Approved For Social Security Disability?
Neurofeedback Treatment for ADHD, Depression, and Anxiety
A Study Finds that Panic attacks do not Cause PTSD
Receiving Social Security Disability - How long can you receive it?
Why Does It Take So Long For a Disability Answer from Social Security?
Good cholesterol linked to lower MS disability
How Long Do I have After My Husband’s Death to Prove My Disability for Social Security?
How Difficult is it to Pass a Social Security Disability Re-evaluation (CDR)?
If I Win My Disability Benefits, When Do My Benefits Start?
Social Security Disability for Mental Disorders
Social Security Disability Deadlines
Effective New Therapy for Alzheimer’s
Don’t Miss Your Social Security Medical Exam Appointment
How Long Must I Wait For a Social Security Disability Hearing?
Pregnant Women with Migraines More Likely to Develop High Blood Pressure
What Will Happen If I Draw Disability Benefits, Work, and do not tell Social Security?
Don’t Miss Your Social Security Medical Exam Appointment
I Never Hear From my Disability Lawyer - Should I Get a New One?
How to find the "best" attorney for Social Security Disability?
Hypothyroidism Symptoms
Dystonia in the Eyes?
Can You Win Disability Without Going to a Hearing?
More Women than Men Have Migraines
More Than Cholesterol Affects The Heart
Can Vitamin B1 Reverse Kidney Disease?
Multiple Sclerosis: Using the Optic Nerve to Estimate Inflammation
New Gel For Eye Problems Due to Graves’ Disease
How to Claim Disability Benefits
Social Security Disability May be From Several Impairments, Not Just One
Face Pain and Trigeminal Neuralgia
Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability
Will Social Security Award Me Disability if I Have Not Been to The Doctor?
Is Winning Disability From Social Security Quickly Really Possible?
Long Term Disability Insurance Companies Just Really Suck
Chronic Kidney Disease and Stomach Acid Induced Asthma
How Useful is Calling Social Security about your Disability Claim?
Ulcerative Colitis and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Animal Observation Holds Key to Understanding OCD in Humans
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Often Misdiagnosed
When do you get Your Back Pay From Social Security Disability?
Combat Back Pain With New Surgeries
Urgent Stroke Treatment
If I Am Awarded SSD - When Does Medicare Start?
Inaccurate Testing For Workers’ Compensation
Childhood Obesity and Aerobic Exercise
Filing an SSI Disability Claim for a Child
American Indians and Type 2 Diabetes
Ankylosing Spondylitis and Two-Vessel Umbilical Cords
What is in My Social Security Disability File?
Coffee, Diabetes and Shingles
Missouri Workers Compensation Laws
My Disability Application Was Filed in the SSI Program- Will I Receive Less Benefits?
Melatonin and Type 2 Diabetes
New Study on Back Pain Risk Factors
Is it easier to receive benefits for a condition listed in the blue book than one that is not listed there?
Leukemia Drug Helpful for MS, but is it Potentially Fatal?
Can High Doses of Vitamin B Help Neuropathy?
Social Security Disability Representative - When to get one and what it Cost?
Requesting a Social Security Disability Hearing
$1 million for Lupus
Gluten-Free Diet for Autistic Children
What Are The Steps to Applying for Disability?
Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Disease
A Pill for Multiple Sclerosis?
Ankylosing Spondylitis – A Progressive, Incurable Disease
Heart Attacks Caused By Rheumatoid Arthritis
What Happens After You Are Turned Down By Social Security Disability?
How to Prepare for Your Disability Hearing - resources and preparation
Children Carry Bipolar Disorder Into Adulthood
Disability Benefits based on Fibromyalgia, Bipolar Disorder and Rhabdomyolysis
Understanding Scoliosis Degrees
What is a Mental Impairment for Social Security?
Vaccinations, Diet and Asperger's Syndrome
A New Blood Test for Liver Disease: No More Biopsies?
What Is a Disability for Social Security?
Normal Working People and Alcoholic Liver Damage
How Do You Get Disability in Arizona?
Carpal Tunnel Treatment
Should you Hire a Non Attorney for your Social Security Disability Claim
Gene Variants Important in Bowel Disorder
Work and Qualifying for Disability Benefits
Beta Blockers Safe for COPD Surgery
Social Security Disability Claims in Oregon
Nature and Crystal Sounds Help De-stress Pregnant Women
What Should you do to Apply for Social Security Disability?
Social Security Disability Request for a hearing before an administrative judge
Magnetic Stimulation Approved for Depression
How to Get Approved for Social Security disability
What Causes Cirrhosis?
Would You Know if You Had a Panic attack?
You Should Appeal Your Social Security Disability Denial quickly
What Offers Carpal Tunnel the Best Relief?
Diabetes Type 2: Lack of Diagnosis in the UK
Social Security Mental Exam Questions
Proving a Social Security Disability Case
Can Children Have Bipolar Disorder?
Denied at a Disability Hearing, What do I do next?
Liver Transplants for Obese Children
Social Security Disability and to Qualify for Benefits
Cholesterol Education
Use Caution in Taking Your Meds With Juice
Social Security Disability Notice of Denial and what it means
Diabetes on the rise in Hawaii (and everywhere else)
New Studies on Myelin Repair for Multiple Sclerosis
Lawyers for Disability Claims
SSDI Benefits - Low first appeal approval rate
New, Minimally Invasive Back Surgery
Help for a Disability Claim
New Drugs and Lifestyle Changes for Fibromyalgia
SSDI — Do You Qualify for Disability?
Can you have a job When Applying for Social Security Disability?
Disability Decision — The Wait for Social Security
Multiple Sclerosis and Nicotinamide (water soluble Vitamin B3)
Do You Have To Quit Work To Get Disability?
Mental Illness and Social Security Disability
Mental Evaluation for Social Security Disability and SSI
What Conditions Does Social Security Consider to Award Benefits?
What Are You Allowed to Earn on Social Security Disability? (trial work period)
Social Security Disability and your Work History
To Apply for SSI Does My Psychiatrist have to Fill Out a Form?
Survey on Epilepsy Finds Lack of Quality Care
Social Security Disability Awards
Social Security Disability and Morbid Obesity
Social Security Disability Benefits and Memory Loss
Social Security Disability Claim was Denied, Should I reapply?
Disability Criteria - Medical versus Non-medical Social Security Requirements
Can I file for Social Security Disability when my Case is at the Appeals Council?
Will I be Sent to a Mental Examination for Social Security Disability or SSI?
Work and Social Security Disability
Getting the Right Doctor for Social Security Disability
Disabled According to Social Security Administration Standards
What if I am Turned Down by an Administrative Law Judge at a Disability Hearing?
New immune therapy gives hope to those with severe lupus nephritis
Consultative Examination for Social Security Disability - How Important is It?

What are the Steps to File a Disability Claim?
Does Social Security Disability Understand Headaches and Migraines?
Filing for Disability – What Should I Expect?
Will the Disability Back pay be in Installments?
What is Considered a Disability for Social Security Benefits?
Financial Problems Usually Occur in Social Security Disability Cases
What Can I Get in SS Back Pay?
What is the Average Time for an SSI Appeal?
Applying for Disability-How do I start?
Award Disability for Chronic Health or Mental Problems
Request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge, is it worth it?
Considerations for Using a Disability Lawyer
Social Security Disability Medical Determination
Social Security Disability Mental Conditions
Should you trust the Social Security Disability Doctor?
Consultative Examination for Social Security Disability or SSI - TiPs,
How does Social Security Disability look at your Jobs?
Fish Consumption may lessen Lupus Symptoms
What Makes you Qualified to Receive Disability Benefits?
Social Security Disability Guidelines
Can Obesity Surgical Procedures Cure Diabetes?
You shouldn't get a lawyer for a Social Security Disability case?
How long does it take to get a Social Security Hearing Decision?
Artificial Disc Surgery Proves be Cheaper than Traditional Spinal Fusion surgery
Can you speed up a Social Security Disability Hearing Decision?
A Pioneer in Fibromyalgia research has Changed His Opinion About Fibromyalgia
What to do if Social Security Loses your Disability Appeal
Psynome – an at-home saliva test for bipolar disorder
Cervical Disc Replacement Superior to Spinal Fusion
The Long Social Security Disability Wait
Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Fading Away?
PTSD Increases Hospitalization Rates in Urban Poor
How to Win a Social Security Disability Case Fast
Does Abdominal Fat Lead to Dementia?
Carpal Tunnel Not Caused by Repetitive Use
Leg Pain could be Hardening of the Arteries
What is Bowen Therapy?
What if you don't meet a Disability Listing in the Social Security List of Impairments
Congestive heart failure: It's common but gets less press
Will you get disability if your doctor labels you permanently disabled?
Is Help on the Way for Cirrhosis Sufferers?
Filing for Disability Benefits with Social Security
Cancer Drug May Cause Heart Failure
Can you Own a Home and Qualify for Social Security Disability?
When you go to a Disability Hearing, will the Judge give you an Immediate Decision?
Non-Surgical Relief For Herniated Disks
Contact Social Security About Your Disability Claim
What does social security mean by other work?
How does social security define your past work?
SSI application denied at DDS - What do I do next?
Social Security Disability - are There Retroactive Benefits
Less Invasive Surgery for Back Pain Sufferers
Is Kidney Disease Linked to Sudden Cardiac Death
Losing a Disability Case - How to Lose an SSD or SSI Claim
New Drug Stimulates T-Cells and May Help Multiple Sclerosis
Heart Failure Raises Risks After Non-Cardiac Surgeries
If You Were Approved for Disability in One State Can You Move and still get benefits?
Will Social Security Understand What My Medical Records Have to Say?
Multiple Sclerosis and Vision
How can we ‘Stop Atherosclerosis in Native Diabetics’?
Caffeine May Help MS from Developing
Multiple Sclerosis and Vision
Avoidance of Back Pain
Are Alcoholism and Anxiety Connected?
Working and Applying for Social Security Disability
Can you get a second Social Security Disability Hearing if a judge denies you?
When should you get a Representative for Social Security Disability or SSI?
I Did All The Work On My Disability Case - Why Should I Pay My Lawyer?
Worker’s Compensation Rights
VA System Needs to be Updated
Will Social Security disability cover sleep apnea as a disability?
Will Worker’s Compensation Take Care of You?
Workers Compensation Issued Improper Payments
Worker’s Compensation Dental Treatment Non-Existent
Designer t-cells suppress multiple sclerosis in mice
Veterans Affairs Department Tries to Improve Claim Processes
Pilot Project for Disabilities Criticized
Massage may be more than Relaxation for Migraine Sufferers
The Social Security Disability Five Step Sequential Evaluation Process
Restricting Insulin Can Cause Women to Die Early
Multiple Sclerosis on the Rise in Children
Just a few comments
Genetic Susceptibility to shyness - the shyness Gene
Social Security Disability Articles page updated
Could Genetics be the cause of Lupus
I Heard That Social Security Disability Will Deny You Several Times
Disability Determination for Social Security Disability Benefits
Social Security Disability Forms and letters
Social Security Disability Application Interview
SSD Benefits, Depression, and Mental Testing
How Can You Prove a Social Security Disability Case if You Aren’t Able to Go to the Doctor?
Snore quietly and reduce your chances of cardiovascular diseases
What happens when Lasik Surgery Fails
Heart Disease on the Rise Once Again in the United States
Number of Strokes Among Middle Age Women Triples due to Obesity
Chronic Pain Alters the way the brain Processes Information
New Cervical Artificial Disc Surgery
Can sleep disorders signify other problems?
New Research indicates too many immune cells may trigger Lupus
For the sake of your own health, avoid depressed doctors
Virginia Disability Attorney
Should Type II Diabetes Sufferers risk Intensive Insulin Therapy
An Improved Understanding of Fibromyalgia may lead to Better Treatment Options
Social Security Disability Attorney Fee
Social Security Disability - Mental Impairment Qualifications
Budget shortfalls for Social Security still in budget
Qualifying for disability on the first application
Winning your Social Security Disability
Social Security Comparable to a 225, 000.00 retirement plan for an average retiree
Study find no evidence exists that supports a link between autism and vaccine
Social Security Disability Decision Process
Lyme Disease may result in very severe symptoms
SSD Reconsideration
Anti-seizure meds and the possible link to suicidal ideations
Does Premature Birth Increase the likelihood of Adult Disability?
Understanding Chronic Pain
Social Security: Congress just doesn't get it
Lessening MS frequency and exacerbations
Another Reason to get Representation for a Social Security Disability or SSI Case
Do I need to have a Representative at a Social Security Disability Hearing?
Fampridine and MS
SS Reconsideration
Requirements for Disability Benefits
Migraines and a Hole in the Heart
How long does it take for a reconsideration for SSI?
Management of migraines
Social Security Ticket to Work program
Eligibility for disability benefits from SSA
Sending the wrong forms can be costly
Reducing the Backlog for the disabled
Longer Lives for the Elderly
Wheelchairs vs Snowplows
Heart Disease Killing Young Women
Robot Befriends Disabled Children
A Call for disability rights
The ADA and Service Animals - Service Animals are not considered “Pets”
Sources of Fatigue
Disability Denial Costs More than Time
A New Generation of Disability Activists
Canadians Speak Out About Disabilities
Obtaining Disability Benefits for Wounded Soldiers
Chronic Fatigue, CBT, and Graded exercise therapy
Doubting the Existence of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue

Canadians Speak Out About Disabilities

A new study from Statistics Canada has shown that nearly 4.4 million people in Canada have a disability, whether a physical or mental condition, that restricts their activities and affects their daily living.

Those numbers reflect a high 16% of adults with a disability and over 3.5% of children. Out of these statistics 35% report only a mild daily living limitation, while 25% say they experience a moderate limitation and the largest percentage – 40% - report serious and difficult limitations.

Every province in Canada has reported an increase since 2002, though there are provincial variations in numbers, with Quebec being relatively low and Nova Scotia being quite high. Over 700,000 have reported a new disability within the last five years.

The high jump in numbers is being contributed to the fact that people are less ashamed and less likely to hide their disabilities than they were in previous years, especially learning disabilities. With growing support, activism and assistance for disability rights, people feel more comfortable admitting their limitations. The fact that the population is aging and that better data collection is available also play a role in the climbing numbers.

The types of disabilities varied greatly with the age groups: the elderly reported more mobility limitations, middle-aged Canadians reported more chronic pain and children's disabilities were related mostly to chronic conditions such as autism and asthma.

Surprisingly, developmental disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorders and Cerebral Palsy had declined, while Learning Disabilities (LD) such as Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyslexia and Auditory and Visual Processing Disorders showed an escalation.

The statistics are distressing for many organizations and institutions working to improve the quality of life for those with disabilities. While the disabled population is growing, so are their service and health care needs. Despite growing interest in and support for disability rights, many aren’t getting the services and care they need, from jobs and wheelchairs, to
accessible communities.

Though it is a positive turn of events that disabled people are speaking out about their physical and mental limitations, Canada still has a long way to go to build awareness that can set forth practical solutions to support their growing disabled community.









Additional Pages

Winning at a disability hearing
After you get approved for social security disability, how long for checks?
Part four of the disability overview
Can I disagree with the decision on my social security disability case?
When I apply for social security disability, what kinds of questions will they ask me?
What should I take with me when I go to file for disability?
Disability appeal deadlines
Decision on a disability claim - possible outcomes
Disability Reconsiderations - Request for reconsideration ?
Disability Overview, Stage 2
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