The Social Security Administration's (SSA) "Blue Book," officially titled Evaluating Disability Under Social Security, contains the list of physical and mental impairments that SSA considers to be so serious that a person with such impairments is found "disabled."

The Blue Book has separate sections for adults and children, describes the basic disability determination process used by SSA, and provides specific guidelines for developing the disability claim file based on the type of impairment. The information in the Blue Book is useful in properly documenting claims for disability benefits.

Children who do not meet or equal the medical listings can still be found 'disabled' based on the level of functional limitation imposed by a medical condition, so the book should not be used to discourage people from applying for benefits. Anyone who thinks that they might be eligible for benefits should apply and receive a formal determination by SSA's trained adjudicators.

Evaluating Disability Under Social Security is available by calling the SSA Information Distribution Center at 410/965-0945. Request publication number 64-039.

last modified: July 2000