The Dynamics of Disability: Measuring and Monitoring Disability for Social Security Programs

The Society Security disability programme faces urgent challenges: more people receiving benefits than ever before, the prospect of even more claimants as baby boomers age and changing attitudes culminating in the Americans with Disabilities Act. Disability is now understood as a dynamic process and Social Security must comprehend that process to plan adequately for the times ahead. The Dynamics of Disability provides expert analysis and recommendations in key areas: understanding the current social, economic and physical environmental factors in determining eligibility for disability benefits; developing and implementing a monitoring system to measure and track trends in work disability; improving the process for making decisions on disability claims; and building Social Security’s capacity for conducting needed research. The book provides detail on the workings of the Social Security disability programme, recent and emerging disability trends, issues and previous experience in researching disability and more. It will be of primary interest to federal policymakers, the Congress and researchers - and it will be useful to state disability officials, medical and rehabilitation professionals and the disability community.