Conditioned in nature, where 'hidden disabilities' refers to a form of disability that people may exhibit but in most cases not manifest outwardly, can be classified as the one that mainly hinders or threatens a person's ability, feelings, and activities within their everyday environment. The fact that these types of disabilities often remain undiagnosed on their own also makes identification and provision of accommodations, as well as making the same efforts to talk about people with disabilities, a tad bit more challenging – especially amid all the negatives associated with being 'dis'abled.'
Let's delve into some eye-opening facts. According to the WHO, approximately 1 billion people, which is about 13% of the global population, live with a form of disability. In England alone, there are 14.1 million people have disability, constituting 21% of our population. These statistics underscore the significant prevalence of invisible disabilities, a reality that many may not be fully aware of.
However, having had conversations and contact with people who identify themselves as having a disability, which is outside the scope of the classification and is not mentioned in any of the documents as exceptional, has made it clear that these statistics are indeed misguided. It is not only that so many disabilities cannot be said to be officially categorised as 'disabilities'; instead, a large number of individuals are unable to speak, document, or make it known in public that they have any form of staggering or invisible disabilities. For this piece, I have reached out to any of my contacts and landed in conversations with people who profess to carry invisible badges. Ordinary here in the open, I forgot their hidden disabilities because nobody gets to hear about these abled people. According to a report conducted by Fish, there appears to be a stigma against people who do not have an apparent disability and use no wheelchair or any other mobility device. The Blue Badge national survey showed that 39% of people think that people who possess a legitimate Blue Badge but look perfectly able to walk should not park in a designated area for disabled parking.
This kind of negative public attitude indicates that there may be ignorance or even prejudice towards the difficulties that people with invisible disabilities may encounter, which in turn explains why people often decide to live with their invisible disability and never speak of it again.
There is a significant prevalence of disability types among the population in each of the regions; in the UK, in particular, there comes a high percentage of the population with disabilities in the working environments, including education as well. Different estimates show that between 60 and 80 percent of these disabilities are hidden, which suggests that a considerable percentage of those who are employed and studying may, in one way or another, need some form of assistance or facilities support. Still, their superiors become aware of it only when they are informed directly.
For example, people with external or more apparent disabilities, such as using a wheelchair or hearing aids, are notable examples of such occurrences. Nevertheless, as understanding and accommodating even these external physical impairments are not as developed yet, those with hidden disabilities are left even more behind. Resilience comes mainly from within, and looking outwards for its source is equally futile if society fails to regard its pursuits in the first place. It is common in public domains for compassion or empathy to be turned down when considering the means people may encounter. Amnesia, misinformation, and inability to comprehend are three reasons behind not having disabled representatives in such domains as work, power, politics, media, television, and broadcasting. Cultural snobbery and biases hold back the advancement of those with hidden disabilities to the surface-seeking profession since society considers them less competent, helpful, or productive than others.
Take, for instance, the issue of television's portrayal of people with disabilities; more often than not, we do not see any programs where disabled people are not othered and exploited for entertainment purposes. Take, for instance, programs like The Undateables, First Dates, and Embarrassing Bodies. These programs are categorised in a somewhat controversial "human interest" category. What may be enjoyable for the able-bodied persona is slightly humiliating for a person with a less visually tangible disability since it is a trigger that aids in the formation of negative perceptions toward seeking help in critical and constructive conversations. This population fills their quotidian lives with such disabilities, making them experience challenges in day-to-day life as day-to-day systems and structures are predominantly ableist and built for the well-minded and typically abled. Each person experiences invisible disability differently, and it can still be a source of debilitating pain, stress, or being alone. It is only by listening and learning about such disabilities from society that one is in a position to appreciate how far and to what extent hidden disabilities can impact negatively on their victims. Hence, for this piece, I had to bring in a few staff members of the organisation who have been diagnosed with an invisibly structured disability to share their perspectives in a concealed work environment, academic setting, and sociocultural situations.
“The only way to combat unsympathetic attitudes is to raise awareness, and it’s important to make visible the issue of invisible disabilities.” - John Garrard, Managing Director at Fish
***
Aaron Ramirez, Autism
This evidence may or may not be needed by certain people; I am speaking regarding myself because of Aaron Ramirez, Autism. At home, I've always kept my autistic diagnosis… until recently – and guess what? I'm proud of it! Considering all of the above, and since I have primarily invisible traits as an autistic individual, I can carry ode in a hurry instead of hiding e and am often not seen as a d in forests of r looking for proper support. This is why in my o. Opinions are well appreciated; this is the polar opposite of what we know. in....discussion…. There is a lot of awareness at that level as well. There is a lot to be done, YAWN! Yes, there is.
My autism has enabled me to understand that most of the things I deal with are centered on social coordination failure or empathy failure, which leads to a lot of tension and arguments. What aggravates me most, even though I am very friendly, is misinterpretation due to a lack of social skills. I also have trouble with so-called negative feelings – anger or despair. Surprisingly, it is often difficult to make myself cry even though that is precisely what I want. I lack solid emotions in such events but may also be subject to strong emotional reactions. I also have problems with showing my feelings during such events. As for my eye contact problems, I don't even remember them; I have progressed that far. In addition, during bouts of anxiety and some types of stress, I can also be sensitive to several sounds all at once or very loud sounds.
Madeline Murphy, ADHD and Anxiety
I was 21 when I was diagnosed, and it wasn't until at least 22-23 that I started medication/actual treatment. Hence, for most of my life, it has been very long hours!!! Coming home from school and staying up till 2 a.m. sobbing over assignments my brain has refused to finish, only to be at school at 630 am the next day reporting for classes. For some reason, I think there was a pronounced effect of not getting the diagnosis on me because I believe that a lot of women/girls also have ADHD, and most of them are underdiagnosed. Consequently, I developed extreme stress about my academic grades and social situations simply because I believe other people expect me to work or act in a manner that is different from how my brain works. Everyone else seems to get things done, and I always think that this is so easy for them, and that's why I am not doing this and that – I am not trying too much – or I am insufficiently intelligent or lazy since I want to do something. Still, my mind isn't cooperating, and I am in physical pain because I want to do everything or anything practically. Consequently, I would fight with myself or insult myself excessively in my brain without any external provocation from anyone.
In relation, I tried to conform to the accepted behavior of an average individual, but when I could not do that, I was highly disappointed in myself.
When treatment started and the diagnosis was made, I enjoyed a relative improvement, which made things more bearable. There is notable progress in my anxiety and self-esteem. Still, I understand that pretty well, as many people who have few atypical features because of their ethnicity tend to. For instance, when I told a friend that I had ADHD, he immediately said, 'Oh, I also have this problem, such a distraction, but I just concentrate.' It made me angry – I cannot concentrate, and people often give me hints about concentrating or minimising distractions, which are usually entirely irrelevant.
At present, I'm a high school teacher. I have attended staff meetings in which other teachers wrote Adderall or Ritalin off to being drugs that zombify children (which they do not…) or that everybody has an IEP and ADHD is a condition that can be ascribed to most people, that is exaggerated or used as an excuse, and even so, its real cause lies with children in not trying hard enough. There are risks concerning these for two reasons. First, I have attention deficit syndrome, and in most instances, people do not know this because I am coping with it; what they say does not affect those who have attention deficit syndrome, which was never diagnosed among them. For instance, I always feel like I am not making any effort. Second, such teachers make many class and subject choice decisions that influence the children with ADHD in their care. Where teachers do not believe that ADHD exists or treat it with frivolity, it worries me that such teachers are not helping their students along the education curve and doing them more harm than good.
Anonymous, ADHD, Anxiety and Depression
I would consider myself as having been non-normative neurological since I can remember myself. I have probably lost a lot of my childhood recollections, and I have been working hard with a therapist to recollect them. In addition, I recently found out that I have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, and Major Depressive Disorder. Also, there are some chronic illnesses I have been suffering from since I was 13. I appreciate all their love and help. However, I often have to pretend or justify myself.
Acquiring my bachelor's degree was an absolute horror show. I had to slug it out for the adjustments to be made, and more often than not, the professors did not seem to care. I enjoyed my master's degree much more, although the standards expected of neurodiverse students are still far too high. Overall, I tend to belt out the issues related to my mental and physical health or the stigma over such feelings rather than the experience of feelings since most people do not like being judged, especially at work and school. However, I seem to be cut off from people and resources in the workplace. I would very much like to see some policies that make it possible for students and workers to take sick days regarding mental health without the need to draw in called 'sick' days.
In addition, the 'overall participation' requirements that are highly enforced in courses should be revisited. There is nothing like a universal approach or measurement of participation because it poses difficulties to some, especially those who need the most support. The emotion that has made people ridicule me is the one I despise most: being a very touchy friend. They have also made fun of me for being "too overly large," which is a coping or concealing mechanism to some truth of the matter. While it's true that every day brings me closer to self-love as I encounter various rounds in life, I have to admit that there are some, especially those with similar backgrounds as I, who inspire me through their ability to be strong and hopeful.
Neal Camilleri, ADD
I haven't told many people I have ADD because it is going to change the way they view me. This was validated when I narrated one to a friend, and she promptly started to downplay her use of words and her demeanor around me. I quickly get hysteria; I can't read storybooks, and university reading lists frighten me. I must have a book containing more pictorial representations per 100 words to concentrate on these massive reading materials. Thus, I got scolded at the university for failing to read the sentence as it was put; well, for the case, there were many words, and I understood them all to be related, though I wasn't getting the passage. Readable materials I wish, for instance, words being broken down into smaller spaces in between or, better still, there are reading groups at the university only for people with this problem. I am confident this would lessen my complications and anxieties about these areas and spaces.
Georgia Keetch, Dyslexia
"To be dyslexic today is a bit of an irony as the world is rife with technology and accessibility.": As it may be the case with plenty of writers utilizing the first person in academic writing, there are many such cases in other contexts so that it will be in this thesis. It has written itself quite long in all urban centers' valid international partnerships, be it either performative pledges perpetrated from brands and institutions scholarly or one of those mundane ableist microaggressions from every other person.
I, for instance, have my university sometimes, if not always, accommodating; however, is this simply because we are disabled people and we default to crumbs when the whole cake is on offer? Neither do we make appropriate investments without return; otherwise, it is free for everyone, as they say, and that is why TUSTI is here. Yes, we get extra time, which is valuable and efficient; however, that is all there is. I suggest that the best way I can advance dyslexia in society is through encouraging continuous assessments. The more tests we take, the more chances are given to live an easy life.
Dyslexia can also be acquired, such as when people suffer a head injury, but this is not common knowledge. It just boils down to the adage: the more information, the less ignorance. All the same, there is something about the statement 'Comparison is the thief of joy' that is particularly apt to a dyslexic like me - I am almost always in competition with colleagues and other people in the media industry. My condition doesn't make me stupid. However, institutional internalized oppression, as well as prevalent institutional ableism, even in our government, make me feel otherwise sometimes. Environmental societal triggers Ativan tablet 3mg.
***
These are only a few witnesses regarding some hidden disabilities, or the challenges, that people in our close surroundings have to head on constantly. People with hidden disabilities face their share of problems, too, and these can prove to be equally tricky. If we are ever going to make proper and meaningful changes to the status quo, then it's high time that we learn about the numerous hidden disorders that people have lived with previously. Hence, for the so-called transformation in the society to take place.
I would also like to thank the participants who kindly permitted me to use their insights for this article, particularly those of the target audience who stayed to listen to the British banter.
Written by Yazz Bhandari, Diversity, Inclusion and Content Executive
& Edited by Tzeitel Degiovanni, Diversity and Inclusion Manager