When a Social Security Disability applicant applies for disability benefits through the Social Security Administration (SSA), there are a number of factors that the adjudicator will consider before approving or denying the applicant's disability claim. One of these factors is vocational adjustment.

When you become disabled and are unable to continue your current work activity due to your disability the SSA will try to determine whether or not there are other types of work that you may be able to perform. Vocational adjustment is the term that the SSA uses to refer to the adjustments that you would have to make in order to adjust to the different requirements needed in order to obtain employment in another type of occupation.

In order to obtain disability benefits from the SSA, you must prove that you are unable to perform the work that you had previously been performing and the SSA must determine that you cannot make the adjustments that would be required to perform any other type of substantial gainful activity. The adjudicator reviewing your file will assess your education and work experience when determining whether or not vocational adjustment would result in your ability to obtain work other than the type you had previously been performing.

Vocational adjustment can work for or against you in your claim for Social Security Disability benefits depending on your age. For example, if you are fifty years of age, it will be more difficult for you to obtain the different skills that would be needed to adjust to different job situations. On the other hand, if you are only twenty years old it would be easier for you to make a vocational adjustment. For many Social Security Disability applicants who are under 50 years of age, the adjudicator reviewing the file will determine that you are capable of performing some type of work activity and you may be expected to make these vocational adjustments. On the other hand, those who are nearing retirement age are rarely expected to make vocational adjustment and are often approved for Social Security Disability benefits.

When a Social Security Disability applicant tries to perform substantial gainful work activity and that attempt fails within six months from the start date, it may be considered an unsuccessful work attempt by the Social Security Administration (SSA). In order to be considered an unsuccessful work attempt, the attempt must fail due to the disabling condition that the applicant is suffering from or a lack of appropriate accommodations being provided for the disabled worker.

Most of the time, the process of applying for and receiving approval for Social Security Disability benefits is filled with frustration and disappointment; among first-time applicants, as many as 7 of every 10 are denied. By some estimates, that number is conservative. With that in mind, it becomes easier to understand why the appeal process is so bogged down. For those applicants who decide to continue their quest for benefits, the next step is the appeal process.

The Queen City, Charlotte, North Carolina quickly became known as the second largest financial and banking center in the United States, after New York City. Charlotte boasts a population of 731,424 according to the US Census Bureau, and of that approximately 16.6% are listed as having a disability in Mecklenburg County.

Originally known as “Cowtown” in beginning of the Wild West, Fort Worth has since become the sixteenth-largest city in the U.S; the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Fort Worth’s large geographic coverage encompasses a quad-county area of 300 square miles, and includes the counties of Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and Wise. Fort Worth had a population of 741,206, of that approximately 14.2% are disabled.

Considered the largest independent city and the largest cultural center of state of Maryland, Baltimore city has recovered from economic downturn to a “strong-hold” of the U.S. Baltimore was founded in 1729 and has the distinguished title as the largest U.S. seaport. The Baltimore Metropolitan Area has approximately 2.7 million residents, the 21st largest in the country.