Disability

The main reason most people get turned down the first time isn't necessarily they aren't disabled, but they do not present the vast amount of documentation needed. That's where the appeals attorneys come in. However, it's possible to be approved the first time out.

My younger brother was able to get on disability at the age of 50 right away because in his case he went blind from diabetic retinopathy. It happened rather quickly. In just a matter of two or three months he went from having normal vision (although nearsighted and wore glasses) to being unable to see well enough to drive of work. Going blind essentially fast-tracks a person for SSDI.

Also, once you are over 50, which you are, there's much less expectation of retraining for a different job.

I think this pamphlet is extremely useful because it states exactly what you need to do every step of the way.
https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10029.pdf

My only other advice is to start the process immediately.