What Are Recognized Disability Conditions?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) determines if someone is eligible for benefits based on the type of disability an individual is experiencing. The SSA uses a document called the “Blue Book” to decide whether or not a claimant’s condition is disabling and eligible to receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
The SSA will work with the Disability Determination Services office to establish whether or not your claim will be accepted. These field offices often use your medical records from your primary caregiver (or other medical personnel involved) to make their decision, however, if they feel that there’s insufficient evidence to make a claim, they may also arrange a Consultative Examination, which is an examination by the Disability Determination Services (DDS) to get a better read on your medical condition.
The “Blue Book” is broken up into 2 parts: Adult Listings and Childhood Listings for those under 18 years. Both parts have several sections with medical conditions that are used to determine if a disability is eligible for benefits. The book includes a section for adults, a section for children, and also a special section of 88 conditions that qualify a person for Compassionate Allowances, which is a program meant to speed up the application process for those with terminal illnesses.
It’s important to understand that while the “Blue Book” is available for everyone to access online, it is written specifically for medical professionals. For this reason, you should speak with your caregiver about what kind of documentation or evidence the DDS will want to see when reviewing your SSDI application.
Overview of Disabling Conditions listed in the Blue Book
Blue Book Recognized Disabilities
Adult Listings (Part A)
Section 1 Musculoskeletal System
- Amputation
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Avascular Necrosis
- Back Pain
- Bone Cancer
- Bone Spurs
- Bursitis
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Clubfoot
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
- Degenerative Disc Disease
- Dysautonomia
- Fibromuscular Dysplasia
- Fibromyalgia
- Fracture of an Upper Extremity
- Fracture of the Femur, Tibia, Pelvis, or One or More of the Tarsal Bones
- Gout
- Herniated Disc
- Hip Replacement
- Inflammatory Arthritis
- Joint Pain
- Knee Replacement
- Lumbar Stenosis
- Lyme Disease
- Major Dysfunction of a Joint
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Neck Pain
- Osteoarthritis
- Paralysis
- Piriformis Syndrome
- Reflex Sympathetic Disorder
- Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Ruptured Disc
- Scoliosis
- Shoulder Pain
- Spinal Arachnoiditis
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Spine Disorders
- Torn ACL
- Whiplash
Section 2 Special Sense and Speech
- Acoustic Neuroma
- Auditory Processing Disorder
- Loss of Speech
- Macular Degeneration
- Meniere’s Disease
- Otolaryngology (Hearing Loss)
- Retinitis Pigmentosa
- Vision Loss
Section 3 Respiratory Disorders
- Asthma
- Bronchiectasis
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Chronic Restrictive Ventilatory Disease
- Chronic Venous Insufficiency
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Emphysema
- Lung Transplant
- Mycobacterial, Mycotic, and Other Chronic Persistent Infections of the Lungs
- Pneumoconiosis
- Pulmonary Tuberculosis
- Sarcoidosis
- Sleep Apnea
- Sleep Related Breathing Disorders
- Varicose Veins
Section 4 Cardiovascular System
- Aneurysm of Aorta or Major Branches
- Artery Disease
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Blood Clots
- Chest Pain
- Heart Failure
- Heart Transplants
- Heart Valve Disorder
- High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
- High Cholesterol
- Ischemic Heart Disease
- Marfan Syndrome
- Mitral Valve Prolapse
- Peripheral Arterial Disease
- Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
- Raynaud’s Disease
- Recurrent Arrhythmias
- Sinus Bradycardia
- Symptomatic Congenital Heart Disease
- Syncope/Fainting
Section 5 Digestive System
- Adrenal Gland Disorders
- Diabetes
- Graves’ Disease
- Hyperparathyroidism
- Hyperfunction of Adrenal Cortex
- Hyperglycemia
- Hypoglycemia
- Obesity
- Pancreas Transplant
- Pancreatic Gland Disorders
- Pancreatitis
- Pituitary Gland Disorders
- Thyroid Gland Disorders
Section 6 Genitourinary Disorders
- Chronic Obstructive Uropathy
- Interstitial Cystitis
- Kidney Failure
- Kidney Transplant
- Nephrotic Syndrome
Section 7 Hematological Disorders
- Aplastic Anemias with Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplantation
- Budd-Chiari Syndrome
- Coagulation Defects and Hemophilia
- Chronic Anemia
- Chronic Granulocytophenia
- Chronic Liver Disease
- Chronic Thrombocytopenia
- Gilbert’s Syndrome
- Haemochromatosis
- Liver Transplants
- Macroglobulinemia
- Multiple Myeloma
- Polycythemia Vera
- Sickle Cell Disease
Section 8 Skin Disorders
- Bullous Diseases
- Burns
- Cellulitis
- Chronic Skin Diseases
- Dermatitis
- Genetic Photosensitivity Disorders
- Hidradenitis Suppurativa
- Ichthyosis
- Psoriasis
Section 9 Endocrine Disorders
- Adrenal Gland Disorders
- Diabetes
- Graves’ Disease
- Hyperparathyroidism
- Hyperfunction of Adrenal Cortex
- Hyperglycemia
- Hypoglycemia
- Obesity
- Pancreas Transplant
- Pancreatic Gland Disorders
- Pancreatitis
- Pituitary Gland Disorders
- Thyroid Gland Disorders
Section 10 Congenital Disorders that Affect Multiple Body Systems
- Caudal Regression Syndrome
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Chronic Insomnia
- Dermatomyositis
- Dwarfism
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
- Fragile X Syndrome
- Hereditary Telangiectasia
- Mosaic/Non-mosaic Down Syndrome
- Phenylketonuria (PKU)
- Trisomy X Syndrome (XXX Syndrome)
Section 11 Neurological Disorders
- Anterior Poliomyelitis
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease)
- Cerebral Palsy
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth Syndrome
- Chronic Migraines
- Convulsive Epilepsy
- Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
- Dystonia
- Hydrocephalus
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Narcolepsy
- Motor Neuron Disease
- Neuralgia
- Neuropathy
- Non-convulsive Epilepsy
- Parkinsonian Syndrome
- Polio
- Pseudobulbar Affect
- Seizure Disorder
- Stroke (Cerebrovascular Accident)
- Syringomyelia
- Tourette’s Syndrome
- Traumatic Brain Injury
Section 12 Mental Disorders
- Anxiety Disorder
- Anorexia
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Asperger’s Syndrome
- Autism
- Bipolar Disorder
- Depression
- Drug Addiction
- Dysthymia
- Memory Loss
- Mood Disorders
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Organic Mental Disorders
- Panic Attacks
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Somatoform Disorders
- Schizoaffective Disorder
- Schizophrenia
Section 13 Cancer (Malignant Neoplastic Disease)
- Acute Leukemia
- Benign Brain Tumors
- Bile Duct Cancer
- Brain Cancer
- Breast Cancer
- Cancer
- Carcinoid Tumors
- Cervical Cancer
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
- Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)
- Esophageal Cancer
- Fallopian Tube Cancer
- Islet Cell Cancer
- Lung Cancer and Social Security Disability
- Lymphedema
- Lymphoma
- Mesothelioma
- Myelofibrosis (Myeloproliferative Syndrome)
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Penile Cancer
- Pituitary Cancer
- Prostate Cancer
- Salivary Cancer
- Sinus Cancer
- Soft Tissue Injury (Burns)
- Stomach Cancer
- Thymoma
- Trabecular Cancer
- Testicular Cancer
- Urethral Cancer
- Vaginal Cancer
- Vascular Tumors
Section 14 Immune System Disorders
- Epstein-Barr Virus
- Guillain Barre Syndrome
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
- Lupus
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Polymyositis
- Scleroderma
- Sjorgen’s Syndrome
- Systemic Vasculitis
- Undifferentiated and Mixed Connective Tissue Disease
Applying for SSD can be a daunting process – but by getting educated and working with an experienced attorney, you can increase your chances of success and ease the burden on yourself. Complete our free evaluation form to be connected with a local disability attorney to discuss the specifics or your case and your next steps towards receiving benefits.