Decision
9.0.4.0. A disability is usually the wrong reason to ask
Optional
Scouts are expected to overcome life's ordinary trials, and a known need coped with for years should not suddenly become an issue near the 18th birthday. Where a disability significantly slows progress in general, registration beyond the age of eligibility is the better answer: it allows work on any rank rather than only Eagle.
Notes and warnings
Warning. Nearly all barriers to advancement can be cleared by routine accommodations, or by approved modifications of rank requirements and alternative merit badges under Section 10. A Scout registered beyond the age of eligibility does not need an extension at all.
Note. Where a disability is not severe or permanent enough for registration beyond the age of eligibility, a council advancement committee may still grant an extension for significant disabilities that essentially preclude advancement in the time allowed. There is no restriction on the type, nature or combination of disabilities that may be considered.
Where this step comes from
- Guide to Advancement (2025), Section 9.0.4.0 · Scouts with disabilities: extension or registration beyond the age of eligibility.
- Guide to Advancement (2025), Section 10.0.0.0 · Accommodations, modified requirements and alternative merit badges.