Disabilities can come in many different forms. Most people are familiar with a “visible” disability; a neighbour down the street uses a wheelchair or a friend of a friend has a guide dog, but what about someone with a disability that’s not visible? An invisible disability is just as life-affecting as a visible one, but they’re not as talked about and easily understood.
What is an invisible disability anyway? Defined, an invisible disability is a disability that is not immediately noticeable. They can include brain injuries, chronic pain, mental illness, gastro-intestinal disorders, and much more. Because they’re not obvious to spot, invisible disabilities may be overlooked and misunderstood. And unfortunately, this can lead to discrimination or exclusion of those with an invisible disability.
People with invisible disabilities are not just ‘faking it’.
This is really important – because unfortunately people with invisible disabilities are often accused of faking or imagining their symptoms – the phrases “but you don’t look sick” or “you don’t look like you have a disability” are said far too often!
Imagine having a very real diagnosis, and being unable to convince people that you’re not just a ‘hypochondriac’, or ‘being lazy’? Wouldn’t be nice would it. For these people, being met with skepticism that they’re legit is one of the hardest things of all.
And what makes this worse, is it actually also stops people from talking about their disability or downplaying their own experiences – which just perpetuates the invisibility and stigma even more!
How many times have you noticed a person park in a disabled parking area, saw them get out of their car and walk into the building that they are going to and thought ..why are they parking there nothing seems to be wrong with them. You and I see them from the outside and have no idea what they are dealing with inside.
It’s important to change the way we talk and think about invisible disabilities. Open communication and open minds are key to understanding invisible disabilities. All disabilities are just differences” — a good point to remember when trying to foster understanding, acceptance and inclusiveness for everyone.
May 12th has been designated as International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases (CIND) since 1992. The CIND illnesses include Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Fibromyalgia (FM), Gulf War Syndrome (GWS) and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). Many of these conditions are poorly understood and go undiagnosed.
So while it can be very easy to think, ‘I had something similar and I just got over it’ or ‘it can’t be that bad’, remember there can be a lot more to what’s going on than meets the eye.
I don’t know what we ever did before we had google. I discovered that there is an Invisible Disabilities Association of Canada which is doing much to help Canada see disabilities that are hidden.
What is the Invisible Disabilities Association of Canada’s mission? The Association’s mission is “to assist those with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Environmental Sensitivities, as well as their families and friends by providing information, promoting public awareness, and providing support services.”
That assistance and provision of information about invisible disabilities is just what Canada needs. In truth, the entire world could use such information and promotion of awareness related to invisible disabilities.
A non-profit association, the Invisible Disabilities Association of Canada is comprised of volunteers. The volunteers are committed to helping Canadians who have invisible disabilities that have stemmed from Environmental Sensitivities, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and “associated illnesses.”
What resources are offered by the Invisible Disabilities Association of Canada?
The Association offers numerous online resources featuring information on various invisible disabilities such as seasonal effective disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, environmental sensitivities, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, and fibromyalgia, just to name a few.
There are many hidden disabilities and one never knows that the person they are talking to might be dealing with one. So the next time you want to tell a person they look well think before you say it as they may look fine on the outside but they maybe absolutely miserable in the inside.
The “hidden” quality of invisible disabilities means there is an increased need for creating awareness and changing attitudes. How can this be done? These kinds of changes often start simply with conversations that help educate and encourage understanding. Removing the social stigma involved with disclosing an invisible disability, and having colleagues, teachers, employers and others try to be more accommodating and accepting of the unique challenges faced by those with invisible disabilities can also help create a more inclusive society.
*rickhansen.com/Blog/ArtMID/13094/ArticleID/81/Lets-Talk-About-Invisible-Disabiliti
*disabilityliving.ca/disability-canada-invisible-disabilities-association-
*cdc.gov/features/cfsawarenessday/index.html