Invisible Disabilities

What are Invisible Disabilities?

Invisible Disabilities are certain kinds of disabilities that are not immediately apparent to others. It is estimated that 10% of people in the U.S. have a medical condition which could be considered a type of invisible disability.

Nearly one in two people in the U.S. has a chronic medical condition of one kind or another, but most of these people are not considered to be disabled, as their medical conditions do not impair their normal everyday activities. These people do not use an assistive device and most look and act perfectly healthy.

Generally seeing a person in a wheelchair, wearing a hearing aid, or carrying a white cane tells us a person may be disabled. But what about invisible disabilities that make daily living a bit more difficult for many people worldwide?

Invisible disabilities can include chronic illnesses such as renal failure, diabetes, and sleep disorders if those diseases significantly impair normal activities of daily living.

For example there are people with visual or auditory impairments who do not wear hearing aids or eye glasses so they may not seem to be obviously impaired. Those with joint conditions or problems who suffer chronic pain may not use any type of mobility aids on good days, or ever.^DNB

A list of some types of disabilities considered invisible disabilities:

• ADHD
  
• Anxiety disorders
  
• Arachnoiditis
  
• Asperger Syndrome
  
• Autism
  
• Bipolar disorder
  
• Brain injuries
  
• Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
  
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
  
• Chronic pain
  
• Circadian rhythm sleep disorders
  
• Coeliac Disease
  
• Crohn's disease
  
• Diabetes
  
• Epilepsy
  
• Fibromyalgia
  
• Food allergies
  
• Fructose malabsorption
  
• Hereditary Fructose Intolerance
  
• Hyperhidrosis
  
• Hypoglycemia
  
• Inflammatory bowel disease
  
• Interstitial cystitis
  
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  
• Lactose Intolerance
  
• Lupus
  
• Lyme Disease
  
• Major depression
  
• Metabolic syndrome
  
• Multiple Sclerosis
  
• Personality disorders
  
• Primary immunodeficiency
  
• Psychiatric disabilities
  
• Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
  
• Repetitive stress injuries
  
• Rheumatoid arthritis
  
• Schizophrenia
  
• Scleroderma
  
• Sjögren's syndrome
  
• Temporomandibular joint disorder
  
• Transverse Myelitis
  
• Ulcerative Colitis

This article, written By Francis Horrell, originally appeared on the Disabled World blog and has been reposted here for your convenience. Copyright Disabled-World.com All rights reserved.