The words “disabled” and “disability” are in many statutes, rules, and regulations. They are used by the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Office of Personnel Management, and the Social Security Administration, among others. Their meaning, however, differs based on the source statute, rule, or regulation that defines what the word means.
For example, an individual “disabled” as defined by the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs statute may not meet the definition of “disabled” under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The meaning of these words is controlled by the context in which they are used.
