Invisible Disability
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Invisible disabilities, also known as hidden disabilities or non-visible disabilities (NVDs), are
disabilities Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physica ...
that are not immediately apparent. They are typically chronic illnesses and conditions that significantly impair normal
activities of daily living Activities of daily living (ADLs) is a term used in healthcare to refer to an individual's daily self-care activities. Health professionals often use a person's ability or inability to perform ADLs as a measure of their Performance status, functi ...
. For example, some people with visual or auditory disabilities who do not wear
glasses Glasses, also known as eyeglasses (American English), spectacles (Commonwealth English), or colloquially as specs, are vision eyewear with clear or tinted lenses mounted in a frame that holds them in front of a person's eyes, typically u ...
or
hearing aid A hearing aid is a device designed to improve hearing by making sound audible to a person with hearing loss. Hearing aids are classified as medical devices in most countries, and regulated by the respective regulations. Small audio amplifiers ...
s, or who use discreet hearing aids, may not be obviously disabled. Some people who have vision loss may wear
contact lenses Contact lenses, or simply contacts, are thin lens (optics), lenses placed directly on the surface of the Human eye, eyes. Contact lenses are ocular prosthetic devices used by over 150 million people worldwide, and they can be worn to correct ...
. Invisible disabilities can also include issues with mobility, such as a sitting disability like chronic back pain, joint problems, or
chronic pain Chronic pain is pain that persists or recurs for longer than 3 months.https://icd.who.int/browse/2025-01/mms/en#1581976053 It is also known as gradual burning pain, electrical pain, throbbing pain, and nauseating pain. This type of pain is in cont ...
. People affected may not use
mobility aid A mobility aid is a device designed to assist individuals with impaired movement. These devices help people walk, maintain balance, or get around more easily. Mobility aids include walking supports like canes, crutches, and walkers for those w ...
s on some days, or at all, because severity of pain or level of mobility may change from day to day. Most people with
repetitive strain injury A repetitive strain injury (RSI) is an injury to part of the musculoskeletal or nervous system caused by repetitive use, vibrations, compression or long periods in a fixed position. Other common names include repetitive stress injury, repetitiv ...
move in a typical and inconspicuous way, and are even encouraged by the medical community to be as active as possible, including playing
sport Sport is a physical activity or game, often Competition, competitive and organization, organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The numbe ...
s; yet those people can have dramatic limitations in how much they can type, write or how long they can hold a phone or other objects in their hands.
Mental disorder A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...
s or
developmental disabilities Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...
, such as
ADHD Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple ...
, depression,
anxiety Anxiety is an emotion characterised by an unpleasant state of inner wikt:turmoil, turmoil and includes feelings of dread over Anticipation, anticipated events. Anxiety is different from fear in that fear is defined as the emotional response ...
,
addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to use a drug or engage in a behavior that produces natural reward, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use can ...
,
dyslexia Dyslexia (), previously known as word blindness, is a learning disability that affects either reading or writing. Different people are affected to different degrees. Problems may include difficulties in spelling words, reading quickly, wri ...
,
autism Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing d ...
, or
schizophrenia Schizophrenia () is a mental disorder characterized variously by hallucinations (typically, Auditory hallucination#Schizophrenia, hearing voices), delusions, thought disorder, disorganized thinking and behavior, and Reduced affect display, f ...
, are also classified as invisible disabilities because they are usually not detected immediately by looking or talking to a person. People with disabilities may experience solely visible or invisible ailments, while others experience both visible and invisible impairments. This includes impairments that may only be visible due to specific circumstances. 96% of people with chronic illnesses have an invisible disability. It is estimated that 1 in 10 Americans live with an invisible disability. This number is likely higher worldwide, as 80% of all people with disabilities live in developing countries.


Impact

Invisible disabilities can hinder a person's efforts to go to school, work, socialize, and more. Although the disability creates a challenge for the person who has it, the reality of the disability can be difficult for others to recognize or acknowledge. Others may not understand the cause of the problem, if they cannot see evidence of it in a visible way. Due to a lack of awareness and difficulty accessing support in certain environments, individuals with invisible disabilities may face challenges throughout daily life. Some people may go through a majority of their life until being properly diagnosed as providers can be unfamiliar with certain conditions or due to socioeconomic status. Students with cognitive impairments find it difficult to organize and complete school work, but teachers who are unaware of the reason for a student's difficulties, can become impatient. A columnist for ''
Psychology Today ''Psychology Today'' is an American media organization with a focus on psychology and human behavior. The publication began as a bimonthly magazine, which first appeared in 1967. The print magazine's reported circulation is 275,000 as of 2023. ...
'' wrote: This lack of understanding can be detrimental to a person's
social capital Social capital is a concept used in sociology and economics to define networks of relationships which are productive towards advancing the goals of individuals and groups. It involves the effective functioning of social groups through interper ...
. People may see someone with an invisible disability as lazy, weak, or antisocial. A disability may cause someone to lose connections with friends or family due to this lack of understanding, potentially leading to a lower self-esteem. Individuals with invisible disabilities may experience guilt and feeling misunderstood when asking for support which can result in negative self-perception. Receiving accommodations can be a complex process of acquiring and submitting documentation of disability, which employers and educational institutions can deny or deem as outdated. Specialists and resources may be scarce, far and few between, with long waiting periods of up to several months, or even years. Someone who has a condition that is not immediately visible, such as chronic migraines, may struggle with the fear of being accused of faking or lying when it comes to asking for accommodations. A disability that may be visible in some situations may not be obvious in others, which can result in a serious problem. For example, a plane passenger who is
deaf Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...
may be unable to hear verbal instructions given by a
flight attendant A flight attendant is a member of the aircrew whose primary responsibility is ensure the safety of passengers in the cabin of an aircraft across all stages of flight. Their secondary duty is to see to the comfort of passengers. Flight attenda ...
. It is for this reason that travelers with a hidden disability are advised to inform the
airline An airline is a company that provides civil aviation, air transport services for traveling passengers or freight (cargo). Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or Airline alliance, alliances with other airlines ...
of their need for accommodations before their flight. One such passenger wrote in ''
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...
'' that: Some employees with an invisible disability choose not to disclose their diagnosis with their employer, due to
social stigma Stigma, originally referring to the visible marking of people considered inferior, has evolved to mean a negative perception or sense of disapproval that a society places on a group or individual based on certain characteristics such as their ...
directed at people with disabilities, either in the workplace or in society in general. This may occur when a psychiatric disability is involved, or a number of other medical conditions that are invisible. Researchers in the
human resources Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms include ' ...
field may need to take this non-disclosure into account when carrying out studies. Many people who think of those with a disability generally consider them lower to middle class due to their medical costs, and also because many people with disabilities often lack reliable, full-time employment. According to one US survey, 74% of individuals with a disability do not use a wheelchair or other aids that may visually portray their disability. A 2011 survey found that 88% of people with an invisible disability had negative views of disclosing their disability to employers. A 2022 study on disabled students found that those with invisible disabilities felt less supported by their educational institution than their visible counterparts. Students with visible disabilities are more likely to identify as disabled and disclose their identity compared to students with invisible disabilities. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2017 states that the unemployment rate for individuals with an invisible disability is higher than those without one. The unemployment rate for people with a disability was 9.2%, while the rate of those without was less than half of this at only 4.2%. BBC states that people with HIV specifically have an unemployment rate three times higher than those without HIV. Lower call-back rates have been observed in job applicants who choose to disclose their disability to possible employers. Beyond the work force,
Bureau of Labor Statistics The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a unit of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency for the government of the United States, U.S. government in the broad field of labor economics, labor economics and ...
data also showed that individuals with an invisible disability are also less likely to receive a bachelor's degree or higher education. People with disabilities are more likely to face difficulty accessing financial support; a UK study reports that disabled people pay approximately £583 average per month out of pocket on additional costs regarding their disability. ''Nature'', a scientific journal, interviewed an individual who struggles with
chronic fatigue syndrome Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disabling Chronic condition, chronic illness. People with ME/CFS experience profound fatigue that does not go away with rest, as well as sleep issues and problems with memory ...
who reported attending 117 doctor appointments and paying $18,000 in out-of-pocket expenses in 2017 alone. Insurance may not cover treatment, especially if it is experimental.


Prevalence


Worldwide

Based on findings by the
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...
, there are approximately 1.3 billion people that experience significant disability worldwide, representing at least 16% of the global population.


United States

In the United States, 96% of people with chronic medical conditions show no outward signs of their illness, and 10% experience symptoms that are considered disabling. Nearly one in two Americans (165 million) has a chronic medical condition of one kind or another."Chronic Conditions: Making the Case for Ongoing Care"
. Chronic Care in America: A 21st Century Challenge, a study of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation & Partnership for Solutions: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (September 2004 Update).
However, most of these people are not actually disabled, as their medical conditions do not impair normal activities. Ninety-six percent of people with chronic medical conditions live with a condition that is invisible. These people do not use a cane or any assistive device and act as if they did not have a medical condition. About a quarter of them have some type of activity limitation, ranging from mild to severe; the remaining 75% are not disabled by their chronic conditions.


United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, a survey conducted from 2020 to 2021 found that over 1 in 5, 28%, of individuals are disabled, an estimated 70 to 80% of these disabilities being invisible.


Australia

In Australia, an article published in November 2022 states that of the approximately 4.4 million disabled Australians, an estimated 3.5 million or 80% of them have an invisible disability. In 2018 there were 205,200 autistic Australians or 4.66% of the disabled population. Of these, 40.8% reported an unmet need for assistance with cognitive or emotional tasks.


Legal protection

On 13 December 2006, the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international human rights instrument, international human rights multilateral treaty, treaty of the United Nations intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with Disabil ...
was formed, which in turn provides worldwide legal protection for persons with disabilities. With 82 signatories on the initial day, the CRPD became the first comprehensive
human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
treaty of the 21st century, coming into effect on 3 May 2008, while emphasizing a shift of viewing persons of disabilities as "objects" of charity to recognizing them as individuals with rights. The Convention addresses various facets of the lives of persons with disabilities, ensuring their rights in areas such as education, employment, healthcare, accessibility, privacy, and cultural and sporting activities. Americans with invisible disabilities are protected by national and local disability laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act which outlaws the discrimination of people living with disabilities. In the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, the Equality Act 2010 (and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 before it) require employers to make reasonable adjustments for employees with disabilities, both visible and invisible. The nation has a number of other policies and acts relevant to invisible disability such as the
Mental Capacity Act 2005 The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (c. 9) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom applying to England and Wales. Its primary purpose is to provide a legal framework for acting and making decisions on behalf of adults who lack the capacity ...
, Care Act 2014, and Autism Act 2009. Access to Work (ATW) and the Disabled Students Allowance ( DSA) are examples of government programs that provide support for disabled people in the workforce and educational institutions.


Responses

A growing number of organizations, governments, and institutions are implementing policies and regulations to accommodate persons with invisible disabilities. Governments and school boards have implemented screening tests to identify students with learning disabilities, as well as other invisible disabilities, such as vision or hearing difficulties, or problems in cognitive ability, motor skills, or social or emotional development. If a hidden disability is identified, resources can be used to place a child in a
special education Special education (also known as special-needs education, aided education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, and SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual di ...
program that will help them progress in school. A number of universities worldwide have formulated policies to implement and enhance support services. One mitigation is to provide an easy way for people to self-designate as having an invisible disability, and for organizations to have processes in place to assist those so self-designating. An example of this is the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, initially launched in the UK in 2016 but now gaining some international recognition as well. Another similar example is th
Help Mark badge
created by a Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly member who had an artificial joint in her right leg. The badge design was done by Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 2012 and was used to spread awareness of hidden disabilities in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.


Campaigns

In the United Kingdom, activist Athaly Altay began the ''End Fake Claiming Campaign'' in 2021, to raise awareness of the widespread harassment faced by people with invisible disabilities. The campaign calls on the UK government to update hate crime laws to make fake claiming a specific hate crime. Signs displaying the message "Not Every Disability is Visible" were campaigned by Crohn's & Colitis UK to be installed in organizations and businesses.


See also

* Disability etiquette *
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal agency that was established via the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to administer and enforce civil rights laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination ...
*
Social model of disability The social model of disability identifies systemic barriers, derogatory attitudes, and social exclusion (intentional or inadvertent), which make it difficult or impossible for disabled people to attain their valued functionings. The social mod ...


References


Further reading

* Sveilich, C. (2004). ''Just Fine: Unmasking Concealed Chronic Illness and Pain''. Avid Reader Press. .


External links


Invisible Disabilities Association
nonprofit organization based in Parker, Colorado
ButYouDontLookSick.com
website, blog, message board and chatroom {{Disability navbox Disability by type