Disability Experts of Florida's Blog

Social Security Disability programs can be a literal lifesaver for people who truly need financial help because of a severe medical condition that prevents them from working for at least a year. Unfortunately, as with most things in life, there’s always someone looking to take advantage of the system. Fabricating a medical condition or financial situation in order to obtain benefits is illegal, but that doesn’t stop people from doing it.

People with disabilities are greatly underrepresented in the movie industry. However, movies with characters with disabilities are some of the most inspirational films ever made. Here are five examples where disability in movies is highlighted. Don’t forget to also check out the disability movies lists in part one and part two of this series also. 

Do you know the leading cause of death for Americans?

If you guessed heart disease, then you’re correct. Heart disease and conditions are the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. In fact, 1 in 4 deaths are caused by heart disease every year. 

Dealing with a disability is difficult under any circumstances; this stress is only exacerbated when financial concerns, family, and quality of life are affected. In this article, we’ve compiled a broad list of federal and state disability resources and educational services for individuals in need of disability help, as well as information you can access to learn what you need to do to find help and assistance with your claim.

SSI (Supplemental Social Security Income) is a federal program administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that assists elderly, disabled, or blind Americans with limited income and resources. Unlike Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), which is based on work credits that a person has accrued from working over their lifetime, SSI provides much-needed assistance to people who are disabled and with limited income, regardless of work history. Florida, unlike many other states, offers very few other kinds of disability assistance programs apart from SSI and SSDI.

Some of us tend to think of disability only in terms of what can be physically seen—a missing limb perhaps, or maybe an assistive device such as a wheelchair, hearing aid, or white cane. Of course, it’s important to remember that not all disabilities have a physical manifestation, and that’s what is meant by the term “invisible disability.” Invisible disabilities are those that are not immediately apparent to others. In fact, invisible disability statistics reveal that 10% of the United States population has a medical condition that could be considered a type of invisible disability. 

Your social security disability benefits claim was denied, so you requested a hearing and you’re finally getting your day in court. While this is a great opportunity to finally be heard in front of an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), for many people, the idea of a disability hearing can be intimidating which can lead to bad decision-making. But with proper preparation, the process doesn't have to be frightening and you can come out a winner.

Raising a child with disabilities can be difficult for any family, but even more challenging for those with low incomes. In these situations, families often wonder if their child may be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits. 

You never thought you’d say it, but you’re actually beginning to miss the daily grind; you definitely miss the water cooler gossip. 

After a period of time out of the workforce, you may be thinking about returning to work after long term disability or short term disability. But you may also worry that finding work after disability will endanger your SSDI, SSI, Medicare or other benefits. And if you ultimately decide you’re not returning to work after short term disability, will you have to go through the whole Social Security Disability process again? Because it was a chore the first time around.

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in America. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis and related conditions, and more than 50 million adults suffer from one form or another. One often-debilitating type of arthritis that affects 1.3 Americans is rheumatoid arthritis, or RA. According to the Arthritis Foundation: