Invisible disability
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An invisible disability is a disability that is not (always) immediately apparent to casual observers; that is, it is not visible to the naked eye.
Examples
Those with joint problems may not use mobility aids on good days or at all. A sitting disability is another category of invisible impairments. Sitting problems are usually caused by chronic back pain. Invisible disabilities can also include chronic illnesses such as renal failure and diabetes. Some people with visual or auditory impairments who do not wear glasses or hearing aids may not be obviously impaired. (Some may wear contacts or have a cochlear implant instead.) Other examples include Asperger syndrome, brain injuries, chronic pain chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, epilepsy, and repetitive stress injuries.Psychiatric disabilities
People with psychiatric disabilities make up a large segment of the invisibly-disabled population covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Examples include:
- Major depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Clinical depression
- Anxiety disorders
- Schizophrenia
- Personality disorders (when discussing mental impairments)
Dietary disabilities
- Crohn's disease
- Coeliac Disease
- Diabetes
- Fructose malabsorption
- Hypoglycemia
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Metabolic syndrome
- Lactose Intolerance
- Lactulose Intolerance
- Dietary Fructose Intolerance
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Food allegies (the most common are peanuts, milk, eggs, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat)
- Ulcerative Colitis
Multiple chemical sensitivity
Referred to as an environmental illness, multiple chemical sensitivity can cause an allergic-type response to synthetic substances such as pesticides, perfumes and detergents. Several cities now issue statements requesting that one limit the use of personal fragrances when attending a public function in order to make public space more accessible to individuals with this disability.Discrimination
Whereas with a visible disability, people may be too willing to "help" or interfere, those with invisible disabilities must seek out any help or risk going without assistance. However, those with invisible disabilities are often still covered by disability law.Persons with these kinds of disabilities are often accused of faking or imagining their disabilities. People can also misunderstand and sometimes mistake illness or impairment as something else. For instance, one might feel animosity towards a person who takes a lift/elevator up one floor, by assuming they are lazy, without realising that the person has an unobvious disability which makes it difficult for them to climb stairs (such as a knee problem or lack of depth perception).
See also
Reference
- Switzer, Jacqueline Vaughn. Disabled Rights: American Disability Policy and the Fight for Equality. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2003.
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