Most everyone I knew had been disabled and not working for a year or more. If you can work, then IMO you will not get disability. I do not know a case different than this who received disability. Now with a good lawyer, who knows?

SSDI if you have a minimum work history of so many quarters. SSI if you would qualify for welfare. If I remember correctly, in some cases a person can collect both. But I may be wrong here. But I do know that if you just have the minimum work history qualifications, SSI will end up paying you more than SSDI. Right now SSI is at about $750 a month. They will deduct an amount from this if you live with someone who is paying for certain living expenses like the rent.

Maybe you will need someone to financially support you through the disability process. I imagine if you can live off of State Assistance after you have been diagnose disabled, that may work. This would be the best case. If you can make it in reliably enough to push a broom you will not get disability. This is what I have been told. I went through the SSDI process and I have been on disability for years now. I first received SSI because my income qualified me. But when I went to a lawyer to appeal, they ended up giving me SSDI in place of my SSI.

I think the first step is to get allot of documentation together, preferably from multiple doctors that your handicap prevents you from holding any kind of job down. Also apply for State Assistance (Welfare). Then get yourself a lawyer. It may be best to first get the lawyer so they can walk you through the process. But the lawyer will only take your case if you have a reasonably good chance to qualify. They are not going to work up front for you and collect later if this is not the case. Having documentation about your illness for the lawyer will definitely help. But if you tell the lawyer you are working full time on a job, I do not think they will even look at you. They actually laughed at my friend who told them this about himself.

Work = no disability
Unable to work + other requirements (including allot of documentation) and a lawyer = disability.

There is no such thing as partial disability. I hope this helps!