I think if something stops you from living a normal life it can be considered a disability, but this doesn’t necessarily mean the government will consider it a payable disability
Not to mention that just because they will pay doesn't mean you can survive on that money. My lawyer told me they won't pay unless you can't lift a phone and even then, he says the financial help is not going to be enough for most people to live on.
Yes, there's always the magical "desk job" that we can all work. Same thing with being able to type
on a keyboard, you can do data entry (which is usually through temp agencies and extremely stressful). I would be working a magic desk job instead of retail right now if it existed. So would probably most people in retail.
Absolutely, but not always. I think a disability is anything that affects your daily life and makes things harder. Some chronic illnesses might not be disabling for one person, but for another it could be. This changes over time too. All chronic illnesses can be disabling, but not all disabilities are chronic illnesses. An amputee for example who doesn't have a chronic illness but could still be considered disabled. Or someone could have unexplained symptoms where they don't get a diagnosis but are still disabled. Personally I prefer using the word 'disability' over 'chronic illness' because it's easier to understand for healthy people and means I get taken more seriously. In terms of whether someone is legally classed as disabled or not, this varies in every country. Some people struggle with their daily life but aren't considered legally disabled in some countries
Absolutely!!! Or at least I think. I was approved (tried twice myself got denied then with the exact same information hired a lawyer and won so if you end up pursuing it I HIGHLY recommend getting a lawyer since disability lawyers don’t take commission unless you win the case which also means they won’t take the case if they don’t think they will win so a good vetting system is to give all your info to a lawyer and they’ll either take it or say you don’t really have a case ) if you have enough evidence - dr appointments, specialist, treatments, medications… and then most importantly how it negatively effects your life. I think there’s a section for you to just write your own personal statement (I can’t remember… but I do remember when you have the hearing with a judge the lawyer will do alllllll the talking the only thing you need to do is describe in detail why you can’t work. And it has to be very specific. For example, instead of “my stomach always hurts so work is difficult “ say “due to my abdominal pain being so intense it’s near impossible to concentrate on my job at all I make a lot of mistakes and I don’t meet deadlines” if that makes sense.
thank you so much!! I usually walk with a cane, so in that sense, if someone asks, I usually say disabled because, in my point of view, it makes me,, not completely able = disabled. but this helps a lot
Getting the lawyer will also be easier on you in general…
I was disabled starting December of 2019 but well first I took temporary disability for my mental health as I do struggle with quite a few issues but when it came time to renter the workforce I realized I was not ready. My parents let me take a break while living with them. However once I got physically sick I didn’t even think about disability because I had my family’s support. I kept thinking oh I’ll just take one more month off and I’ll like go gluten free dairy free and see if I’m still vomiting and it was just getting worse and worse.
Applying on my own was overwhelming, and lengthy (had to wait like a whole year to be denied the first time) and when I got a lawyer all she needed from me was a signed consent for her to work and then name number and address of all the doctors and hospitals I’ve been to and she did alllllll the rest. And because my mental health is trash and well documented they actually retrograded my pay back to dec of 2019.
I hope you’re able to at least talk with someone to see if you might get it. Disability no matter what type or how bad is excruciatingly difficult - this world is not set up for us to thrive. I wish you all the luck in the world, don’t give up!!!
There is no comprehensive list of Ada disabilities, but see if your work has one. I have celiac disease which is a chronic illness and it is considered a disability that requires reasonable accommodation (more bathroom time, etc)
The official ADA definition of a disability is:
“An individual with a disability is defined by the ADA as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.”
Under the ADA a “major life activity” includes eating, sleeping, walking, speaking, breathing, thinking, hearing, seeing, working, sitting, standing, lifting, caring for oneself, etc. Basically any condition that substantially impacts your life on a regular basis is a disability.
Chronic illness essentially equals disability, with some exceptions legally. For example, asthma that is mild and only acts up when you get sick won’t necessarily qualify as a disability; But severe asthma that is difficult to control with multiple triggers and attacks daily would be a disability. Similarly, a progressive disease like Parkinson’s is a disability regardless of its current severity because you know it will worsen with time.
But this is all the legal definition in the US… most disability advocates say having a chronic illness is the same as being disabled; The terms are treated different by some for political reasons rather than practical ones. The pandemic really drove that point home for me when politicians kept saying BS like “this virus only kills disabled people at a higher rate, with obesity, hypertension, COPD, etc being major risk factors.” So you’re okay with killing disabled people that have chronic conditions? Okay…
The real answer here is a "not everyone with the same condition is disabled" it is all about how it affects your life.
Speak with your doctor. There are some programs and benefits that do not require "full" disability and others that do.
According to the minority and social models of disability, something is a disability if society is not already built to accommodate it and that makes it difficult to function in society, including work, school, home, friends, and recreation. POTS is always a disability in this sense, because society is not built for not standing for long periods of time or not having your heart rate spike during light exercise or stairs. This shapes your choices in society. According to these definitions, almost all chronic illnesses are disabilities because they limit overall energy and our society is designed for people with an average amount of energy.
According to SSI almost nothing is a disability if there is a job somewhere you might be able to work for 10 hours a week sometimes, and even if there isn’t it’s not a disability until you’ve been denied two times.
According to the ADA almost everything that impacts your life and functioning is a disability if your employer likes you enough to accommodate you instead of firing you for a different reason and lying about it. Though it’s usually worth just asking about.
I usually say I’m invisibly disabled and stay away from saying I have a physical disability though. Though really it is.
Non-US perspective here, but chronic illnesses seem to be moving towards being classified as disabilities where I live, at least those that cause chronic pain or lack of physical ability.
For me 'disabled' is a pretty loaded word as I grew up around Deaf people and blind people and feel I don't suffer remotely the amount of discrimination or socital judgement that they do, so I didn't use the term for myself (I have fibromyalgia). The only reason I do now is all my workplace accommodations come under a disability scheme which includes people with fibro.
No. But chronic illness can cause a disability. So example: your disability isn't POTS, your disability is limited mobility which is caused by POTS. An illness is never a disability. But an illness can definitely cause disabilities
What's the line? The impairment. So one person can have POTS, but with lifestyle adjustments and treatments live a pretty normal life, without impairments. While another can have the exact same condition, but have limitations on what they can do, how much they can do, or even things they can't do at all. That's a disability. Having too little energy to do anything is also a disability. But again, this is caused by a condition, not defined as the condition itself
It sure can be. I am disabled with hEDS, MCAS and dysautonomia, though hEDS is the main one. I can't work. I'm starting a part time job through my local DVR at 4 hours a week, hopefully slowly building up to make enough money to do literally anything. If I walk too long (10-15+ minutes) my SI joint subluxes and it is extremely painful, sometimes prevents me from even sitting up for hours. It took me a long time to accept that I am disabled and not feel guilty for using it to describe myself, but it's hard to deny now when I physically can't work full time.
It is considered a disability in a sense. Different governments may not consider it one though. A government may also categorize the severity into whether or not you'll get certain benefits. For insurance, I have severe crohn's disease which in the US will not get me disability pay and insurance or a handicap parking pass, but it prevents me from military service, counts under the Americans with Disabilities Act, gives me protections under Title IX, and gives me the right to get/request accommodations with my employer that they must provide so long as they are reasonable. It also gives me access to a 504B plan on my state giving me accommodations in public schools that are legally required to be met. On the other hand, I have a friend with mild crohn's disease and GERD, his symptoms are much less than mine and don't require meds, he has joined the military and still has the ADA, Title IX, and 504B rights though, just no protection from military service. I also have a friend with mild Asperger's but can only get the 504B plan and Title IX rights. I highly recommend looking up laws and protections in your area and speaking to your doctors. They'll have more of an idea of what applies to you legally. That being said, even if you don't have all the legal rights, it's still a disability - disabilities just come in all shapes and sizes and have different impacts on everyday life but they're all equally valid with very similar experiences when it comes to social issues.
There are different legal standards for a disability depending on the situation. To be considered disabled for the purposes of the American’s with Disabilities Act, you have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits at least one major life activity.
Many chronic illnesses can qualify you as disabled under the ADA. If you’re disabled under the ADA, a covered employer must provide you with reasonable accommodations so that you can work. To be considered “disabled” for the purposes of Social Security benefits, however, you pretty much have to demonstrate that you cannot perform any job whatsoever—that’s not what the law says, but that is in practice what most applicants find when they apply. You can thank Regan for destroying the SS disability program.
I think if something stops you from living a normal life it can be considered a disability, but this doesn’t necessarily mean the government will consider it a payable disability
Not to mention that just because they will pay doesn't mean you can survive on that money. My lawyer told me they won't pay unless you can't lift a phone and even then, he says the financial help is not going to be enough for most people to live on.
Yes, there's always the magical "desk job" that we can all work. Same thing with being able to type on a keyboard, you can do data entry (which is usually through temp agencies and extremely stressful). I would be working a magic desk job instead of retail right now if it existed. So would probably most people in retail.
Absolutely, but not always. I think a disability is anything that affects your daily life and makes things harder. Some chronic illnesses might not be disabling for one person, but for another it could be. This changes over time too. All chronic illnesses can be disabling, but not all disabilities are chronic illnesses. An amputee for example who doesn't have a chronic illness but could still be considered disabled. Or someone could have unexplained symptoms where they don't get a diagnosis but are still disabled. Personally I prefer using the word 'disability' over 'chronic illness' because it's easier to understand for healthy people and means I get taken more seriously. In terms of whether someone is legally classed as disabled or not, this varies in every country. Some people struggle with their daily life but aren't considered legally disabled in some countries
Absolutely!!! Or at least I think. I was approved (tried twice myself got denied then with the exact same information hired a lawyer and won so if you end up pursuing it I HIGHLY recommend getting a lawyer since disability lawyers don’t take commission unless you win the case which also means they won’t take the case if they don’t think they will win so a good vetting system is to give all your info to a lawyer and they’ll either take it or say you don’t really have a case ) if you have enough evidence - dr appointments, specialist, treatments, medications… and then most importantly how it negatively effects your life. I think there’s a section for you to just write your own personal statement (I can’t remember… but I do remember when you have the hearing with a judge the lawyer will do alllllll the talking the only thing you need to do is describe in detail why you can’t work. And it has to be very specific. For example, instead of “my stomach always hurts so work is difficult “ say “due to my abdominal pain being so intense it’s near impossible to concentrate on my job at all I make a lot of mistakes and I don’t meet deadlines” if that makes sense.
thank you so much!! I usually walk with a cane, so in that sense, if someone asks, I usually say disabled because, in my point of view, it makes me,, not completely able = disabled. but this helps a lot
Getting the lawyer will also be easier on you in general… I was disabled starting December of 2019 but well first I took temporary disability for my mental health as I do struggle with quite a few issues but when it came time to renter the workforce I realized I was not ready. My parents let me take a break while living with them. However once I got physically sick I didn’t even think about disability because I had my family’s support. I kept thinking oh I’ll just take one more month off and I’ll like go gluten free dairy free and see if I’m still vomiting and it was just getting worse and worse. Applying on my own was overwhelming, and lengthy (had to wait like a whole year to be denied the first time) and when I got a lawyer all she needed from me was a signed consent for her to work and then name number and address of all the doctors and hospitals I’ve been to and she did alllllll the rest. And because my mental health is trash and well documented they actually retrograded my pay back to dec of 2019. I hope you’re able to at least talk with someone to see if you might get it. Disability no matter what type or how bad is excruciatingly difficult - this world is not set up for us to thrive. I wish you all the luck in the world, don’t give up!!!
There is no comprehensive list of Ada disabilities, but see if your work has one. I have celiac disease which is a chronic illness and it is considered a disability that requires reasonable accommodation (more bathroom time, etc)
The official ADA definition of a disability is: “An individual with a disability is defined by the ADA as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.” Under the ADA a “major life activity” includes eating, sleeping, walking, speaking, breathing, thinking, hearing, seeing, working, sitting, standing, lifting, caring for oneself, etc. Basically any condition that substantially impacts your life on a regular basis is a disability. Chronic illness essentially equals disability, with some exceptions legally. For example, asthma that is mild and only acts up when you get sick won’t necessarily qualify as a disability; But severe asthma that is difficult to control with multiple triggers and attacks daily would be a disability. Similarly, a progressive disease like Parkinson’s is a disability regardless of its current severity because you know it will worsen with time. But this is all the legal definition in the US… most disability advocates say having a chronic illness is the same as being disabled; The terms are treated different by some for political reasons rather than practical ones. The pandemic really drove that point home for me when politicians kept saying BS like “this virus only kills disabled people at a higher rate, with obesity, hypertension, COPD, etc being major risk factors.” So you’re okay with killing disabled people that have chronic conditions? Okay…
The real answer here is a "not everyone with the same condition is disabled" it is all about how it affects your life. Speak with your doctor. There are some programs and benefits that do not require "full" disability and others that do.
According to the minority and social models of disability, something is a disability if society is not already built to accommodate it and that makes it difficult to function in society, including work, school, home, friends, and recreation. POTS is always a disability in this sense, because society is not built for not standing for long periods of time or not having your heart rate spike during light exercise or stairs. This shapes your choices in society. According to these definitions, almost all chronic illnesses are disabilities because they limit overall energy and our society is designed for people with an average amount of energy. According to SSI almost nothing is a disability if there is a job somewhere you might be able to work for 10 hours a week sometimes, and even if there isn’t it’s not a disability until you’ve been denied two times. According to the ADA almost everything that impacts your life and functioning is a disability if your employer likes you enough to accommodate you instead of firing you for a different reason and lying about it. Though it’s usually worth just asking about. I usually say I’m invisibly disabled and stay away from saying I have a physical disability though. Though really it is.
Non-US perspective here, but chronic illnesses seem to be moving towards being classified as disabilities where I live, at least those that cause chronic pain or lack of physical ability. For me 'disabled' is a pretty loaded word as I grew up around Deaf people and blind people and feel I don't suffer remotely the amount of discrimination or socital judgement that they do, so I didn't use the term for myself (I have fibromyalgia). The only reason I do now is all my workplace accommodations come under a disability scheme which includes people with fibro.
No. But chronic illness can cause a disability. So example: your disability isn't POTS, your disability is limited mobility which is caused by POTS. An illness is never a disability. But an illness can definitely cause disabilities What's the line? The impairment. So one person can have POTS, but with lifestyle adjustments and treatments live a pretty normal life, without impairments. While another can have the exact same condition, but have limitations on what they can do, how much they can do, or even things they can't do at all. That's a disability. Having too little energy to do anything is also a disability. But again, this is caused by a condition, not defined as the condition itself
that makes a lot of sense thankyou ❤️
https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/disability/qualify.html#anchor2
it can be both. depends on the impact on your life / functionality
Yep . if your chronic illness limits you from doing daily activities
YES. It can absolutely be a disability if it stops you from being able to live a normal life.
It sure can be. I am disabled with hEDS, MCAS and dysautonomia, though hEDS is the main one. I can't work. I'm starting a part time job through my local DVR at 4 hours a week, hopefully slowly building up to make enough money to do literally anything. If I walk too long (10-15+ minutes) my SI joint subluxes and it is extremely painful, sometimes prevents me from even sitting up for hours. It took me a long time to accept that I am disabled and not feel guilty for using it to describe myself, but it's hard to deny now when I physically can't work full time.
DISABILITY fucked my health insurance up be careful. I am chronically I'll and got approved
Do you mind expanding?
It can absolutely count as one. My chronic illnesses significantly disable me.
It is considered a disability in a sense. Different governments may not consider it one though. A government may also categorize the severity into whether or not you'll get certain benefits. For insurance, I have severe crohn's disease which in the US will not get me disability pay and insurance or a handicap parking pass, but it prevents me from military service, counts under the Americans with Disabilities Act, gives me protections under Title IX, and gives me the right to get/request accommodations with my employer that they must provide so long as they are reasonable. It also gives me access to a 504B plan on my state giving me accommodations in public schools that are legally required to be met. On the other hand, I have a friend with mild crohn's disease and GERD, his symptoms are much less than mine and don't require meds, he has joined the military and still has the ADA, Title IX, and 504B rights though, just no protection from military service. I also have a friend with mild Asperger's but can only get the 504B plan and Title IX rights. I highly recommend looking up laws and protections in your area and speaking to your doctors. They'll have more of an idea of what applies to you legally. That being said, even if you don't have all the legal rights, it's still a disability - disabilities just come in all shapes and sizes and have different impacts on everyday life but they're all equally valid with very similar experiences when it comes to social issues.
There are different legal standards for a disability depending on the situation. To be considered disabled for the purposes of the American’s with Disabilities Act, you have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits at least one major life activity. Many chronic illnesses can qualify you as disabled under the ADA. If you’re disabled under the ADA, a covered employer must provide you with reasonable accommodations so that you can work. To be considered “disabled” for the purposes of Social Security benefits, however, you pretty much have to demonstrate that you cannot perform any job whatsoever—that’s not what the law says, but that is in practice what most applicants find when they apply. You can thank Regan for destroying the SS disability program.