A Consideration of Voting Accessibility for

Injured OIF/OEF Service Members: Needs

Assessment

July 2012

Contract E4064914

2010 Voting Technology and Accessibility Research – Military Heroes Initiative 

CFDA #90.403

PREPARED FOR:

Election Assistance Commission 

1201 New York Avenue, N.W. 

Suite 300

Washington, D.C. 20005

PREPARED BY:

Human Systems Integration Division 

Electronic Systems Laboratory 

Georgia Tech Research Institute 

Georgia Institute of Technology 

Atlanta, Georgia 30332
Annotated Literature Review Results

Systems & Policies Related to Disabilities

Disability counseling guide for PEB liaison officers.

This guide provides assistance in processing disability cases as well as counseling military 

members for the Physical Evaluation Board Liaison Officer (PEBLO). The document outlines 

the steps involved in Medical Evaluation Board (MEB) processing and describes the

disability evaluation system, including the Informal and Formal Physical Evaluation Boards

as well as the different possible outcomes (e.g., return to duty, disability retirement, or

temporary retirement).

Disability Evaluation System (chapter 2 of the Handbook for Injured Service Members and

Their Families).

Chapter 2 discusses the Disability Evaluation System (DES). The DES was created “to provide

a uniform procedure for the evaluation of a service member’s medical condition and the 

member’s ability to continue his or her military service”. The DES consists of two stages. The 

first stage is the Medical Evaluation Board (MEB) phase in which the service member’s injury 

and treatment are evaluated to determine if he or she can continue serving after treatment.

The second stage is the Physical Evaluation Board (PEB) in which the service member’s 

physical ability to serve in the military is determined. At this point, the service member is

assigned a disability rating if he or she is unable to continue serving.

Disability Rating System (chapter 3 of the Handbook for Injured Service Members and Their Families).

Chapter 3 discusses the Veterans Administration Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD) 

and its use by the military and the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). When a service

member is deemed unfit for military duty and is separated from the military, the military

disability rating determines if the service member is eligible for Department of Defense

(DoD) disability retirement pay, or if the service member will instead receive severance pay.

Service members must have an aggregate disability rating of at least 30% to qualify for the

DoD retirement pay. Even if the service member does not qualify for the DoD retirement

pay, he or she may still be eligible for disability benefits from the Department of Veteran

Affairs (VA). The VA also assigns a different disability rating that may be higher than the

military disability rating because the VA considers all of the individual’s medical conditions. 

Although the disability ratings may differ between the military and the VA, both use the

VASRD.
Marcum, C. Y., Emmerichs, R. M., Sloan, J. S., & Thie, H. J. (2002). Disability Evaluation System

Overview. In Methods and Actions for Improving Performance of the Department of Defense

Disability Evaluation System (pp.13-42). Santa Monica, CA:RAND.

Chapter 3 provides an overview of the DoD Disability Evaluation System from five

perspectives. These perspectives include its purpose and desired outcomes, its customers, 

its organizational settings, the operating framework that is common to all military

departments, and the aspects that are unique to each military department.

Oliver, C. (n.d.). Physical evaluation board process.

This presentation reviews the Physical Disability Evaluation System (PDES) and illustrates the 

disability case flow.

Rating Process and System (chapter 4 of Honoring the Call to Duty: Veterans' Disability Benefits in

the 21st Century).

Chapter 4 describes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Schedule for Rating

Disabilities. The Rating Schedule is used to determine the severity of disability and, in turn, 

the amount of monthly composition. This chapter reviews the current system and provides

many recommendations for improving the system.

U.S. Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment (n.d.). Disability Evaluation System (Pilot): Pocket

Guide for Marines.

This guide reviews the Disability Evaluation System (DES) for Marines and their families. 

The guide includes information on the Medical Evaluation Board, the Physical Evaluation

Board, the transition phase, and the VA disability compensation delivery phase. Included is

a DES Pilot Process Chart showing the process and decision points involved in the DES from

medical treatment to the finalization of the case.