The Ethical and Responsible Use of the Occupational Requirements Survey: VE and System Perspectives – NOSSCR 2026 Fall National Conference – Track I (Presented by National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives)

The Occupational Requirements Survey is a powerful and robust data set — but power is not the same as plug-and-play. ORS requires knowledge and expert interpretation, and there is no easy button or software solution to implementing it. This session examines what that demands, from both the VE and the system perspective.

The stakes sit in the standard itself. Any data used in the Social Security system should be valid, reliable, and properly utilized. Use ORS without the knowledge it requires, and the interpretation suffers. Treat a software output as a substitute for expert judgment, and the decision built on it is compromised.

You walk out with a working understanding of ethical and responsible ORS use: what expert interpretation of the data set requires, how the VE and system perspectives each frame that responsibility, and how proper utilization supports the Social Security Administration in making the correct decision.