Families Together

Familiestogetherinc.org, as stated on their site, is a non-profit organization and Parent Training and Information Center serving Kansas’ families that include a son or daughter with a disability. The website serves as web home for the four Parent Centers in Wichita, Topeka, Garden City and Kansas City, KS.

Parent Centers are funded by the U.S. Department of Education and serve families with children from birth to 22 years old that have any type of disability, from physical, emotional and mental disabilities, to learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders. The Parent Centers help families obtain education, training and services needed for their children, help to resolve conflicts between families and agencies and help families connect to community resources.

The website offers up-to-date events, links to special education resources, a listserve for parents, a newsletter and many texts on dealing with disability.

Familiestogetherinc.com is available in a graphic version, text-only version and Spanish.






For information on Social Security Disability, visit the

Social Security Disability SSI Resource Center
















Additional Resources

Social Security definition of disability
Appeal a disability claim
How does Social Security determine that I am disabled
When to file for disability benefits?
Social security disability application denied
Disability reconsideration
Can you speed up the Social Security disability process?
Who will decide my Social Security disability claim?

Working while on social security disability and not reporting

On this topic, there can only be one thing to say. If you receive social security disability, always report work activity and earnings to the social security administration.

A failure to do this can potentially result in the suspension of one's benefits, or, possibly, in an overpayment situation that may be difficult to resolve.

How soon should you report your earnings? As soon as you begin to receive them. Who should you report them to? To your local social security office. In doing this, of course, it may be wise to actually make a visit to the office versus calling and leaving a message for a social security claims representative.

One thing you would probably be wise not to do is to call and report your earnings and work activity to the social security administration's toll free line. If you do this, you run the risk of your information not being acted upon properly (the SSA 1-800 line is legendary for giving out wrong information and failing to document information that has been reported to the social security administration using this line.






For information on Social Security Disability, visit the

Social Security Disability SSI Resource Center
















Additional Resources

Denied on a disability appeal
An attorney for Social Security disability?
Disability case reviewed
After I file my social security disability claim
Social Security Disability Reconsideration - what does it involve?
Will an attorney help me win disability benefits?

Letters from doctors for Social Security Disability

Letters from doctors that simply state "My patient is disabled and unable to work" have little value in the eyes of a disability examiner or a federal judge. The social security disability system focuses on a claimant's remaining ability to work, despite their condition, and looks to compare objective evidence regarding a claimant's functionality against the demands of their past work and other types of work they may potentially be suited for. For this reason, an assessment of a
claimant's functionality and limitations by a treating physician can be vital. This is particularly the case at the disability hearing level.

Should a physician submit a supporting statement prior to the disability hearing level? In some cases, this type of statement may be instrumental in winning a case at the intial claim and reconsideration levels.

However, state disability processing agencies (where disability examiners decide claims for the social security administration) often do not give credence to the opinion of a treating physician, choosing instead to adopt the opinion of an agency unit physician (employed by social security) who has never treated the claimant, or the opinion of an independent consultative medical examiner (a physician who has performed an outside exam, lasting, perhaps, 10 minutes on average, and who, once again, has no history of treatment with the claimant).

At the disability hearing level, however, attitudes toward statements provided by treating physicians are often remarkably different. And such a statement can certainly win a claimant's case, as long as the statement is in line with the physician's history of treatment with the claimant.








For information on Social Security Disability, visit the

Social Security Disability SSI Resource Center


















Additional Resources

General disability resources
Resources for veterans
Retirement resources
Resources for seniors
Sites for independent living
Medication assistance sites
Disability Questions

Social Security Disability Coalition

The Social Security Disability Coalition (SSDC) website is an MSN Group formed in 2003 and a very comprehensive resource center for those seeking information on Social Security Disability Insurance. The group is aimed at reforming the Social Security Disability System by collecting and analyzing data to affect major policy and protocol change. The site has two very active and information message boards, one for general SSDI information and one for SSDC approval.

Other than the message boards, the site is full of informational links,
data, articles and resources and a long lists of various support groups. One of the site's main functions is to get signatures for the Social Security Disability Reform Petition. Currently the petition has over 2,000 signatures.






For information on Social Security Disability, visit the

Social Security Disability SSI Resource Center

















Additional Resources

Social Security disability and lupus
Bipolar Disorder and Social Security disability
To be awarded Social Security disability
Social Security disability benefits - how long to get them?
Social Security disability approved
Disability Questions