The bilateral factor is a principle that acknowledges the increased difficulty in functioning when disabilities affect corresponding parts of the body on both sides.
Understanding the Bilateral Factor
In simple terms, the bilateral factor recognizes that a disability affecting your right wrist and left shoulder, for example, further restricts your ability to function in everyday life. It accounts for the fact that if only one side were disabled, an individual with a fully working left arm would likely use their right arm to help compensate for the disability. When disabilities are present on both sides, this natural ability to compensate is significantly reduced, leading to a greater overall functional impairment.
This principle is often applied when assessing the severity of disabilities that impact paired anatomical structures, such as:
- Arms or hands
- Legs or feet
- Eyes
- Ears
Why It Matters
The bilateral factor acknowledges that the combined effect of disabilities on both sides is often more limiting than the simple sum of the individual limitations. Without a fully functioning opposite side, the body cannot effectively adapt or compensate for the loss of function.
Practical Example
Consider the reference provided: "In simple terms, the bilateral factor recognizes that a disability affecting your right wrist and left shoulder, for example, further restricts your ability to function in everyday life. A veteran with a fully working left arm would likely use their right arm to help compensate for the disability."
This illustrates the core idea:
- A severe disability in the right wrist makes many tasks difficult.
- If the left arm is fully functional, a person can rely heavily on it.
- However, if the left shoulder is also disabled, even if differently from the right wrist, the ability to use the left arm to compensate for the right wrist's weakness is diminished or lost.
- The combined effect (right wrist + left shoulder disability) is more functionally limiting than just the right wrist disability alone might suggest, because the bilateral use of the limbs is impaired.
Key Takeaways
- The bilateral factor accounts for the compounding effect of disabilities on both sides of the body.
- It recognizes the reduced ability to compensate with an unaffected side.
- It applies to paired body parts like limbs, eyes, and ears.
In essence, the bilateral factor provides a more accurate assessment of the true impact on a person's functional capacity when disabilities affect corresponding body parts simultaneously.
