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  The Social Security Administration determines if individuals qualify for disability compensation through state offices called Disability Determination Services. A disability is considered to be a physical or mental impairment that prevents the individual from being gainfully employed. This determination is based upon the individual's symptoms, medical diagnosis and treatment records.
  
  

Muscular and Skeletal

• Muscular and skeletal disabilities cause the individual to lose movement and motor skills and prevent her from successfully completing tasks on her own. To qualify as a disability, the condition must be expected to last for longer than one year. Examples of disabilities in this category include joint deformity caused by a degenerative disease or injury, spinal disorders such as degenerative disc disease or spinal stenosis, amputation and burns.
  
  

Respiratory

• Examples of respiratory disabilities include lung transplantation, cystic fibrosis with pulmonary complications such as chronic bronchitis, six or more asthma attacks each year or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. These and other conditions must be severe enough that they prevent the individual from gainful employment. This must be documented by medical professionals from whom the patient has received treatment and diagnosis.
  
  

Neurological

• Several neurological disorders qualify an individual for disability. Common qualifying conditions, if severe enough, include epilepsy, multiple sclerosis with abnormal motor function or vision, Lou Gehrig's disease, cerebral palsy and brain tumors. Traumatic brain injury and related mental impairment also may qualify an individual for disability.
  
  

Mental

• Mental disorders may qualify for Social Security disability. Diagnosis and treatment records must be provided, and the individual must show that the disability is expected to last for more than one year. It must affect the individual's ability to perform day-to-day tasks, focus and concentration levels and ability to interact socially. Some examples of mental disorders include schizophrenia, manic-depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism or mental retardation.
  
  

Vision, Hearing and Speech

• Severely impaired vision or blindness qualifies as a disability. Vision loss may be the result of a problem with the eye, optic nerve or the brain. Severe hearing loss and vertigo may also qualify. Hearing tests are required to determine the severity of the hearing loss. Vertigo may be caused by Ménière's disease or another problem in the inner ear. Loss of speech is also a qualifying disability. This may include being unable to produce sound or the inability to articulate language. The ability to create speech using mechanical or electrical devices to assist the individual is also taken into consideration. The underlying physical, neurological or mental cause is also evaluated when determining the disability.