A Brief History of Social Security Disability

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Social Security Disability as it is known today was established in 1954 when the Social Security Act was amended to offer benefits to disabled workers in the 50-64 age range and also disabled adult children. In 1960 the law was amended again to allow workers of any age and their dependents to receive disability payments. In 1960, over 500,000 people received disability benefits that averaged about $80 per month.

The Social Security Administration manages the Disability program. Contacting the agency is the first step when an individual feels that he or she will no longer be able to work due to an injury or illness. The Disability Determination Service in the state where an applicant resides is responsible for reviewing medical records and determining if an individual is too disabled or ill to return to work.

Eligibility

Individuals who suffer from conditions that render them unable to be gainfully employed may be eligible for Social Security Disability. An applicant must have a disability or illness that has been diagnosed and treated by a healthcare provider. The applicant’s doctor must provide documentation that clearly outlines the scope of the disability and why it prevents an individual from working. To receive benefits, there must be medical proof that the applicant’s condition will prevent him or her from returning to work.

How to Apply

A Social Security Disability claim is not difficult to initiate. Persons who feel that they might qualify for disability can start the application online, over the telephone, or by visiting a Social Security office. The purpose of the application is for the Social Security Administration to collect identifying information such as age, proof of identity, work history, and medical history regarding the disabling condition. Once that information has been collected, the applicant will need to make sure that his or her health care providers send medical records that include treatments, lab test results, x-rays, and any other pertinent information.

The Approval Process

Several months may pass before an applicant receives notification regarding approval or denial of disability benefits. If the application is approved, an applicant may receive back pay that covers the months he or she would have been eligible for payments while awaiting a decision.

Approval for Social Security Disability is not automatic. In fact, if the Disability Determination Service finds that an applicant does not qualify for benefits, the application will be denied. If an applicant’s initial application is denied, there is an appeals process. Like the initial application, an appeal can be started online, by telephone, or by visiting a Social Security Office. Many people find that hiring an attorney can help them be successful when appealing a denial.

Where to Find More Information

The Social Security Administration is the best source of information regarding the disability program. An individual whose injury or illnesses may prevent him or her from initiating an application may ask a family member, friend, helping professional, or an attorney to assist with the process. Visit social security offices near me to find your local Social Security office near you.

Pros of Green Environment-Friendly Homes in Portland, OR

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There are environment-friendly home builders in Portland that specialize in outstanding custom homes that are energy efficient, comfortable, safe for the family and pets, and built to the highest standards.

What are the eco-friendly materials that are being used?

They are described as products that increase energy efficiency and reduce the impact on human well-being and the environment. Many different materials can be used for foundations, insulation, exterior and interior walls, flooring, and countertops. Such materials come from rapidly renewable sources, ones that reuse waste that would otherwise have landed in landfills, have low VOC emissions, are exceptionally durable, require little maintenance, have a longer life of material so has fewer requirements for replacing and thus reduces the quantity needed to produce, and other benefits. Eco-friendly materials are good for the earth and the wallet.

Some conventional eco-friendly materials are the following:

* Faswall is an alternative to traditional foundation and wall materials and cinder blocks by using waste materials from wood that is mixed with cement to create a durable and robust material that is also wind and fire and sound resistant and has excellent insulating factors.

* Cotton insulation is an alternative to fiberglass. Cotton insulation is derived from natural cotton fibers that are recycled into a similar shape as traditional insulation, is easy and safe to install, has sound-insulating qualities, and a high fire rating.

* Great choices for eco-friendly flooring: recycled wood taken from demolition sites or trees that were torn down but were never used. Bamboo is a grass that fully matures in only three years and is durable and robust and has an attractive appearance that is similar to wood flooring and cork flooring that uses only the renewable bark of the tree and does not kill the tree.

Prehab green housing and tiny homes have become a significant and growing lure.

Many prefab houses have advantages such as speedy building, solar energy shingles, built with toxin-free materials, have energy-efficient windows and doors, spray-in airtight insulation, a healthy indoor environment, an air-filtration system that removes allergens, energy-efficient appliances, low-flow water systems, paints and other finishes which are VOC-free: radiant heat flooring, Energy Star windows, and other energy-savers.

Tiny houses fit into that category and can range from perhaps 500 square feet to over 3,600 square feet. They are popular because you can pick a zero-energy or LEED platinum house directly from a website and have it installed on your lot as a full-time home or a secondary structure. You can also take it with you pulled by a proper vehicle when you go on a short-term getaway.

You can get more details and advice from environment-friendly home builders in Portland who would be happy to discuss the whole concept with you.

3 Qualities All Great Life Coaches Share

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Life coaches often vary greatly when you examine their educational and professional backgrounds. There are those who feel a calling when it comes to coaching, but there are also those who are considering life coaching as a side profession to expand their skillset. Regardless of where you fall under, all great coaches use their professional experience, knowledge, and skills from completing their Certified Life Coach training program in addition to their born talents and gifts.

If you are interested in becoming a professional life coach, it will benefit you greatly to learn precisely what the most successful life coaches have that sets them apart from the rest. Disregarding training, there are particular innate traits that many great life coaches share. These traits were not adopted by a training program or mentor, but instead, originated from a coach’s personality.

If you’re concerned that you don’t have what it takes to make a great life coach, do not worry!

Most of the qualities of successful life coaches can be adopted through disciplined practice, it may take time, but it is still entirely possible to obtain. While the following are a few examples of the qualities that great life coaches share, they are countless other skills and traits that many successful life coaches use to effectively help clients reach their goals and obtain a successful life coach practice.

The Following Are 3 Personal Traits That Several Successful Life Coaches Share:

Life Coach Quality #1 – Sincere Curiosity

A good life coach will have a genuine interest in people and the world as a whole. When you go into something with curiosity as the forefront, you create countless opportunities to grow and learn, for both your clients and yourself. Curiosity is the driving force that is responsible for provocative questions while simultaneously allowing the possibility of new and unorthodox pathways for understanding.

Curiosity also plays a role in becoming a better listener for your clients. If you can hush your drive to teach to make room for your client’s concerns through better listening, you will discover that you are suddenly able to ask more practical questions to your clients.

Life Coach Quality #2 – Empathy

Dictionary.com defines empathy as “to refer to the capacity or ability to imagine oneself in the situation of another, experiencing the emotions, ideas, or opinions of that person.”

A great life coach needs to be able to empathize with their clients through a genuine connection. This will make clients more comfortable revealing their situation by eliminating or reducing any feelings involving embarrassment or shame. Creating this personal connection is completely fundamental if you wish to create a trusting relationship between a coach and a client.

Life Coach Quality #3 – A Real Desire To Help Others

While life coaching can certainly be profitable, it is necessary for life coaches to hold a genuine passion for helping other people which includes the desire to help clients improve in major areas their lives. Due to the limitless opportunities to help clients make their dreams become realities, there is an enormous amount of potential for personal and professional satisfaction to a life coach.

Do you have any of the above qualities that most successful life coaches share?

Do you see yourself striving to adopt these qualities so you can help your clients more effectively?

Becoming a professional life coach can open the door to a career that offers satisfaction, challenge, and the opportunity to create a positive and long-lasting impact on people’s lives. Through our Online Life Coach Certification Programs, you will be prepared to not only help people create future life goals, but achieve them.

When you also consider the personal qualities of curiosity, empathy, and compassion, there is an unlimited amount of potential to create a life of personal and professional satisfaction through life coaching.

Tiny Homes & Their Positive Impact on the Environment

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Modern homes are one of the biggest drains on our natural resources today. As homes have almost doubled in size in the last few decades, the use of lumber, electricity, and water has skyrocketed, as has the production of carbon dioxide (this greenhouse gas traps heat in the atmosphere and contributes to climate change). Tiny homes, which can be stationary or mobile, have a positive impact on the environment by reducing carbon emissions and the number of resources used.

The average American home today pushes 3,000 square feet, while a typical tiny home is under three hundred. With that reduction in size, the number of resources used drops drastically. Tiny homes, on average, use only 20% of the amount of lumber as a regular home — leaving more of our natural forests intact to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Tiny homes also use less plastic, fiberglass, metal, and other materials and reduce the number of logging trucks on the road.

In addition to using fewer physical resources, tiny homes also use less electricity. Fewer light bulbs and compact, energy-saving appliances can reduce the amount of power used by over 80%. Tiny homes are also cheaper and easier to retrofit for alternative energy sources (solar, wind, biofuel, etc.), and are more able to use recycled and green materials.

Tiny houses also tend to use less water and produce less wastewater than regular homes. The average flush toilet today uses around one gallon of water per flush. Modern tiny homes often have high-efficiency flush toilets, or may even employ composting or incinerate toilets that use no water. Many tiny homes use gray water recycling systems so that water going down the sink is used to flush the toilet (or fill a dishwasher or washing machine); some also employ rainwater collection to drastically reduce or eliminate the need for treated city/well water. Gray water and rainwater systems can save upwards of two hundred gallons of water per year, cutting down on the cost of living while also reducing your home’s contribution to soil erosion, energy use, and chemical contamination.

Overall, the size and modern design of tiny homes can have an exceptionally positive impact on the environment. By reducing the number of resources consumed and allowing homeowners to recycle easier, tiny homes are a significant step towards helping the environment without sacrificing your lifestyle or budget. If you are interested in learning more about green construction or environmentally friendly home remodeling visit Stone Creek Building in Portland.