Return to Videos Who decides you're disabled depends on where your case is in the system. Typically, there are claims adjudicators in the system that will make this determination prior to your case being appealed to the hearing level. At the hearing level, your case will be considered by staff attorney first. If the staff attorney determines that you're disabled, a decision will be written. If it gets past the staff attorney and there are other issues to be decided, it will go to the judge and then an administrative law judge will make that final determination whether or not you're disabled.