NADE – A Historical Perspective

by Frank Giordano, “Father of NADE”, New York

We (NADE) go back to 1963, when a small group of DDS Administrators met in Philadelphia to form an organization dedicated specifically to the issues related to the disability program and to those who served in it. The name “National Association of Disability Examiners” was chosen as a generic name to bring in those whose primary mission was the adjudication of Social Security disability claims. From the beginning, this encompassed administrators and examiners, supervisors and line workers, medical consultants and support personnel, and everyone else who had a role in making the program work. From the beginning, its mission was clear, and it is to this day stated in NADE’s constitution: to foster, promote, and participate in activities designed to:

• increase the understanding of the disability program by the medical community and the general public

• develop high standards of professional and ethical service to the general public

• improve the documentation of applications for disability benefits and the evaluation of medical and vocational information obtained in connection with such applications

• provide a forum for the discussion of problems related to adjudication of disability claims

• develop professional standards and training opportunities for all individuals engaged in adjudication of disability claims

NADE was founded as a professional division of the National Rehabilitation Association (NRA), an umbrella group representing professional people such as physicians, disability examiners, rehabilitation counselors, nurses, therapists, and interested persons. Inherent in NADE’s mission as stated above was and is the promotion and advancement of disability evaluation as a science

…On September 26, 1978, in Salt Lake City, Utah, the NADE Delegate Assembly adopted an amended constitution …This action effect established NADE as an independent organization.

…NADE membership grew; bigger and better conferences focusing on program issues were organized with larger than ever participation; NADE’S visibility and ties to Congress were established and improved upon; NADE was taken seriously by SSA as a positive voice for improvement of the program; membership services were refined and expanded.

Today … NADE has counted among its achievements legislative language incorporated in the Disability Amendments of 1980 and 1984, ongoing input to Congress and SSA on program oversight and implementation, advancement of new ideas and initiatives, development of high quality training programs, expansion of the membership base, grass roots member involvement, ongoing publication of information to the members and to interested agencies, organizations, and individuals. Its potential for the future is unlimited. NADE’s strength derives from its consistency, from its roots as a fledgling division within a large umbrella organization to its emergence as a viable force providing positive influence on the disability program, from the strength and professionalism of its members, and most of all from its clearly stated mission to develop disability evaluation as a science for the public that we serve.

History of the NADE emblem

Several members have asked for the history and meaning of the design of our emblem. The emblem and masthead of the Advocate were designed and illustrated by Lucien J. Zadrozny, our first editor. In the NADE Advocate, Vol.I, NUmber 1, February, 1966 Editor Zadrozny said:  “The medical and related aspects of a person’s physical and/pr mental condition, including age, are signified by the emblem’s caduceus, which is given central importance. Other key areas such as occupations, vocational assessment, and education are respectively designated by the gear and the burning lamp of knowledge. The scales serve as the balancing medium of judgment and justice imparted in considering all the factors that enter into sound, objective determination of disability and evaluation of potential.”

Thanks to Carroll Moore, NADE 1980-81 Past President