Disability Doc

Question: What impact does a reaching restriction have on an individual’s occupational base?

Answer: A restriction on an individual’s ability to reach down and/or out poses a significant limitation on the occupational base. However, if the restriction is confined only to overhead reaching, it would not significantly limit the occupational base, although it might preclude the performance of past work. Unfortunately, the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) and its associated volumes do not make any discrimination in the function of reaching. If the restriction is only on overhead reaching, it may be necessary to contact the individual for a more detailed description of the physical demands of past work before a determination can be made regarding the individual’s ability to perform it.

Reference: DI 25001.001 B36.; DI 25020.005 A8; and Central Office Memorandum to San Francisco Regional Commissioner “Manipulative Impairments of the Upper Extremities” (dated March 15, 1989 )