Invisible disabilities, also known as hidden disabilities or non-visible disabilities (NVDs), are disabilities that are not immediately apparent. Invisible disabilities range from chronic illnesses, fatigue, autism, ADHD, mental health disorders, and hearing/vision loss. Invisible disabilities can also include issues with mobility, such as a sitting disability like chronic back pain, joint problems, or chronic pain. People with invisible disabilities may face stigma in their workplace, school, and community as it can be difficult to understand their unique lived experiences.
Assistive Devices Various types of tools and accommodations are available for people with disabilities, which may keep their disability hidden, or make it apparent. For example, some people with visual or auditory disabilities who do not wear glasses or hearing aids, or who use contacts or discreet hearing aids, may not be obviously disabled. People affected may not use mobility aids on some days, or at all, because severity of pain or level of mobility may change from day to day. This may increase stigma, as society may question if they really need mobility aids if they are only using them part of the time. It is known as the suspicion of faking.
Statistics Of people with chronic illnesses, 96% 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.
Mental disorders or developmental disabilities, such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, addiction, dyslexia, autism, or schizophrenia, are also classified as invisible disabilities because they are usually not detected immediately by looking at or talking to a person.
While mental disorders are not the only form of invisible disabilities, they are not to be missed. The National Institution of Mental Health says 1 in 5 US citizens are currently diagnosed. The key term "diagnosed" implies that there are millions more citizens who do not seek help. In other words, roughly 57 million American adults are diagnosed with mental disorders. On top of this, about 1 in 25 Americans have some form of serious mental conditions, which separate them from their lives in aspects of work and relations.
The Role of the Environment Most people with repetitive strain injury move in typical and inconspicuous ways, and are even encouraged by the medical community to be as active as possible, including playing sports. Yet, those people can have dramatic limitations in how much they can type or write, or how long they can hold a phone or other objects in their hands.
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. The struggles people experience regarding their invisible disabilities may stem from medical issues and are heavily shaped by societal attitudes, stigma, and misunderstanding. Society has defined a certain view of being sick. Therefore, when society claims that someone doesn't look sick because their disability is invisible, it is dismissive, doubtful, and minimizing. This creates a need for people to justify or prove their illness which adds emotional stress and is disliked by disability studies scholars.
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 apparent problems if they cannot see evidence of a disability. 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 wrote:
This lack of understanding can be detrimental to a person's social capital. 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 or misunderstandings 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 months or 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 may be unable to hear verbal instructions given by a flight attendant. It is for this reason that travelers with a hidden disability are advised to inform the airline of their need for accommodations before their flight. One such passenger wrote in The Globe and Mail that:
Disability in the work-place Some employees with an invisible disability choose not to disclose their diagnosis with their employer, due to social stigma 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 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 data also showed that individuals with an invisible disability are also less likely to receive a bachelor's degree or higher education. Many of the challenges students with invisible disabilities face come from the structure of academia, rather than the disability itself. Things like rigid schedules, heavy workloads, and inflexible expectations make attaining a degree especially difficult. Accommodations are available, however, students must disclose their disability, which can create stigma, social barriers, or different treatment from peers. Therefore, under the social model of disability, the structures need to change by allowing students to choose their accommodations and allowing flexibility. Students with invisible disabilities may face additional challenges, as their disabilities may be doubted, and they could be accused of cheating or trying to get an unfair advantage.
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. A news feature in the journal Nature interviewed a US individual with chronic fatigue syndrome who reported attending 117 doctor appointments and paying US$18000 in out-of-pocket expenses in 2017 alone. Health insurance may not cover treatment, especially if it is experimental.
Prevalence
Worldwide Based on findings by the World Health Organization, there are approximately 1.3 billion people that experience significant disability worldwide, representing at least 16% of the global population.
People with invisible disabilities come in contact with law enforcement almost every day, all over the world. Signs of an invisible disability, according to the National Disabilities Association, include that sensory disorders are subject to promote a "fight or flight" response, a person with diabetes is subject to failing a sobriety test, any medication mistaken for paraphernalia, and non-compliant people may be non-verbal.
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.2002 US Census Bureau 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.
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