Below is a letter from Natalie Lu, Associate Commissioner, announcing the availability of Hearing Recordings:

Since November 2009, the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review’s (ODAR) Appointed Representative Services (ARS) initiative has provided over 9,500 representatives with an avenue to conduct online business with the agency.  Through its usage, ARS has provided representatives with unprecedented access to their client’s electronic folders, while safeguarding claimant Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and streamlining the
disability appeals process.

In continuing our commitment to ARS, ODAR is pleased to announce a new feature that will provide added benefit for appointed representatives.  As of August 25, 2012, appointed representatives enrolled with ARS have the capability to download audio hearings in their client’s claims via the new Multimedia File of the Electronic Folder.  This will provide representatives the opportunity to download and listen to audio hearings located in the new Multimedia Tab of the Electronic Folder. This feature is only available for cases at the Hearings and Appeals levels that are pending,
reactivated, or closed within the past 90 days.

We are excited to announce this latest development in representative online access. If you need assistance with this new feature, there is a link for “User Instructions” at the top right hand side of the main menu page. If you experience any problems viewing the electronic folder, please refresh the page
using Ctrl+F5 on Windows machines and Cmd+F5 on Macintosh machines. If the issue remains, please clear the browser cache/history and log back into the system. You can also contact your local hearing office for assistance.

Sincerely,

Natalie Lu

Associate Commissioner

Office of Electronic Services and Strategic Information