The Importance of Walking and Social Security Benefits

We take it for granted. It is the essential component of getting from there to here.  Although we have developed ingenious devices to help us when we cannot walk, nothing really can replace it.  If you think about it, walking is nothing more than a series of interrupted falls.  We lean forward and before we fall on our face our leg moves forward to stop the fall.  We continue to lean forward and are in danger of falling again but our leg moves forward again and we move off to our destination.   Naturally, our ability to walk is essential to working.  We must be able to leave our house, get to our source of transportation, get from our source of transportation to our place of work and then move around our place of employment to do our job.  If we cannot walk, for any reason, including spinal cord injury resulting in paraplegia, or quadriplegia, significant arthritis, amputation, severe burns or broken bones that result in deformed legs, we probably cannot work.  Of course there will always be those who cannot use their legs as they are intended to be used and can still work, but the Social Security Administration knows that the inability to walk is a huge impediment to our ability to work.

The Social Security Administration refers to the walking necessary to work as effective ambulation.  According to the administration, in to ambulate effectively a person must be able to walk over level ground at a reasonable pace without the use of assistive devices.  Assistive devices are two canes, crutches or a walker.  Even though a person may be able to travel at a reasonable pace with these devices, in order to work, we must be able to carry items. If you find that you are not able to walk because of an injury, illness or disease, it is possible that you may be eligible for Social Security Disability Benefits.  Please, contact our office for a free consultation.