Is Multiple Sclerosis a Disability?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition of the nervous system that affects people in very different ways.

Some experience only mild symptoms and can continue with work and daily activities, while others face more severe challenges that make employment and everyday tasks difficult. This raises an important question: Is multiple sclerosis a disability? In this post, we’ll review what you need to know about MS and disability.

Download Our FREE Guide to Home Safety

What Is Multiple Sclerosis?

Before we dive deeper into multiple sclerosis disability, let’s define the condition. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease in which the immune system attacks myelin, the protective sheath covering nerve fibers. This damage disrupts communication between the brain and the rest of the body and may eventually cause permanent nerve injury. The course of MS varies. Some people lose significant mobility, while others experience long periods of remission with little or no progression. The severity and pattern depend on the type of MS and the extent of nerve damage. While there is no cure, treatments can shorten attacks, slow progression, and help manage the condition.

But is MS considered a disability? In the next section, we’ll answer the questions you may have related to multiple sclerosis and disability.

Is Multiple Sclerosis Considered a Disability?

MS can be considered a disability, but it depends on how severely it affects you and which agency or law is involved.

• Social Security Administration (SSA). The SSA considers MS a disability if your symptoms are severe enough to prevent you from working for at least 12 months or are expected to be fatal. This usually means difficulties with walking, seeing, performing self-care, concentrating, or completing tasks. Medical documentation is required to show MS is the cause.
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the ADA, MS is considered a disability if it limits one or more major life activities, has limited them in the past, or if others perceive you as being limited. This definition is broader and applies to protections against discrimination in work, housing, and public spaces.
• Other agencies and services. Rules vary, but in general, if MS significantly impairs your ability to do daily activities, it may qualify as a disability.

Since symptoms differ from person to person, MS is not always considered a disability. People with mild symptoms who can keep working and living independently may not meet the legal definitions. But if MS limits your ability to work or manage everyday tasks, it often does qualify. Now that we have the answer to that question, let’s take a closer look at the relationship between disability and MS.

How Disabling Is Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis can mainly be considered a disability due to the symptoms it causes. MS disabilities include:

• Sensory changes. Numbness, tingling, or electric-shock sensations triggered by certain neck movements (known as the Lhermitte sign).
• Vision problems. Blurry or double vision, or partial to complete vision loss (usually in one eye at a time), often accompanied by pain during eye movement.
• Movement and coordination difficulties. Weakness, lack of coordination, trouble walking, or even inability to walk.
• Balance issues. Dizziness and vertigo (a false sense that you or your surroundings are spinning).
• Speech and cognition. Slurred speech, memory problems, and difficulty thinking or processing information.
• Emotional and mood changes. Shifts in mood or emotional regulation.
• Physical functions. Trouble with sexual, bowel, or bladder function.
• Fatigue. A persistent sense of tiredness or lack of energy that can interfere with daily activities.

To learn about our home care services, contact our caregiving team today at 1-800-GRISWOLD or find a Caregiver near you.