Invisible Disabilities - Essay Example

Invisible Disabilities al Affiliation: Invisible Disabilities Disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment which has substantial long-term and short-term effects on the ability of a person to perform their day to day activities (Stone, 2007). There are very many people who have different forms of disabilities in the society. This has made the disability topic very sensitive in the social world. Invisible disabilities are a crucial issue when talking about disabilities. Invisible disabilities are also known as hidden disabilities. An invisible disability is defined as a condition with little or no outward signs that can alert observers, but it limits performance of an individual. Hidden disabilities are predominantly neurological in nature and hence not easily notable. The visibility of disability is often linked to stigmatization and marginality, and hence very few people with invisible disabilities disclose their disabilities (Stone, 2007). Due to such factors it is extremely hard to identify a hidden disability. However, an invisible disability can be noted by casual acquaintances of the victim since they readily observe them. The victim’s acceptance and adjustment to invisible disabilities may increase or decrease their adaptability to living with their condition. The reaction of the environment to a noted invisible disability also affects how a victim will adapt to living with the disability. Invisible disabilities create internal strains in social, working and school environments. Long term invisible disabilities which may be irreversible are particularly very hard to disclose, and thus such individuals live life’s of denial and personal mental and physical strain. People with invisible disabilities live with the fear of prejudice and negative evaluation by surrounding people (Santuzzi et al. 2014). They are normally subjected to negative and different treatment and hence require distinctive attention. Symptoms such as debilitating pain, dizziness, brain injuries, hearing impairments, vision impairments, fatigue and cognitive dysfunctions are all forms of invisible disabilities. Onlookers cannot easily identify such a disability, but they have a high potential for limiting the person from carrying out their daily activities. The fact that people with invisible disabilities rarely use assistive devices makes people ignore this group of people. They are bound to experience challenges though the extremeness of their challenges varies. People with invisible disabilities may appear to have capability to do certain things but are not able to do them. Failure to understand such people frustrates them. People with invisible disabilities deserve attention similar to that given to people with visible forms of disabilities. For example, a person suffering from debilitating fatigue should be treated with tender care similar to that given to a person in a wheelchair. Invisible disabilities are very common among students (Maxam, & Henderson, 2013). Many students suffer from invisible disabilities such as learning disability, psychiatric disability, and attention deficit. Teachers and students often misunderstand such people and fail to give them the necessary attention and accommodation. Failure to understand students with invisible disabilities makes them have low self-esteem that in turn results into poor grades and eventually dropping out of school. People suffering from special forms of invisible disabilities such as sleep disorders are accused of faking or imagining their disabilities. Failure of the public to understand this special group of people has made it difficult for them to live normal lives. It is estimated that 10% of the US population have different forms of invisible disabilities (Disabled World, 2014). One in every two people in US is likely to have a chronic medical condition that is an invisible disability. With these statistics, it is discernible that there are millions of people with invisible disabilities and hence it is an issue of concern in the society. According to an article published in the NPR magazine, it is estimated that millions of Americans suffer from invisible disabilities (NPR, 2015). Common forms of invisible disabilities that cut across the American population are lupus, bipolar disorder, and diabetes. Such people are afraid to talk about their disabilities due to stigma fear. They fail to disclose their illnesses and may eventually die or live miserable lives. Alecia says that it is challenging to identify a person with an invisible disability since most victims prefer not to disclose their disabilities (Santuzzi, 2013). This is because of the unsupportive social environment that people have subjected to those living with invisible disabilities. She claims that the most common invisible disabilities in the American society are diabetes, dyslexia, sleep disorders, chronic pain and post-traumatic disorders. Alecia claims it is important that people with invisible disabilities receive special attention so that the probability of disclosing invisible disabilities can increase. She notes that when an invisible disability is disclosed the performance of an employee is bound to increase. When a teacher understands the disability of a student, they are able to accurately gauge performance and help the student improve academically. In the society, understanding people with invisible disabilities promotes social understanding and cooperation. Associations such as the Invisible Disabilities Association (IDA) are some of the leading stakeholders addressing the issue of invisible disabilities. Their main aim is encouraging and connecting people and organizations that have cases of disabilities all over the world. They offer information on different diagnosis of invisible disabilities through seminars publications and awareness campaigns. Another leading stakeholder is the Abilities United. Their main aim is supporting individuals with different forms of disabilities. Their mission is creating a culture of appreciating one another in the society. They sensitize the community on the need for treating people with disabilities like any other person. Analysis of Invisible Disabilities Individual model of disability This model claims that individual limitations are the major cause of the problems experienced by people with disabilities (Giddens, & Griffiths, 2006). Disabled people tend to think that their bodily abnormalities show disability. Most disabled individuals assume that their conditions are life tragedies. People with invisible disabilities particularly suffer this problem since they are rarely noted by onlookers and hence receive minimum support. According to this model, the medical fraternity is influential since they are responsible for designing curative and rehabilitative diagnosis. They have the power to either influence the patient positively or negatively. Doctors are among the first people to discover invisible disabilities and the patient takes on the perspective of the doctor. If an individual perceives their disability as an inability, they will put limitations for themselves and might end up living negative lives. Social model of disability The social model of disability claims that the problem of disability does not only rely on the disabled person but also on their relationships with the normal people. The model focuses on the social barriers that disabled people face while trying to participate fully in their undertakings (Giddens, & Griffiths, 2006). The model claims that the experience that a disabled person goes through while relating with people in their social world determines their adaptability to living with their conditions. People with invisible disabilities underperform in various activities. The people around them may not notice their disability and end up judging them based on their performance. Negative judgment disappoints disabled people. For example, when a person with a hearing disability asks for repetition severally, some people might end up saying that they are absent minded which is not the case. However, when the surrounding people understand that such a person has a disability, and they repeat statement to such a person, the person is likely to feel appreciated and live a positive life. Understanding invisible disabilities is vital in ensuring that the disabled people live normal lives. The society, therefore, has a part to play in ensuring that people with invisible disabilities live positively. Understanding invisible disabilities will encourage the victim to disclose their disabilities and moreover lead them to active participation in the society. References Disabled World. (2014, October). Invisible Disabilities: List & Information - Disabled World. Retrieved from http://www.disabled-world.com/disability/types/invisible/ Giddens, A., & Griffiths, S. (2006). Sociology. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. Maxam, S., & Henderson, J. E. (2013). Inclusivity in the Classroom: Understanding and Embracing Students with “Invisible Disabilities”. Journal Of Cases In Educational Leadership, 16(2), 71-81. NPR. (2015, March 8). People With Invisible Disabilities Fight For Understanding : NPR. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2015/03/08/391517412/people-with-invisible-disabilities-fight-for-understanding Santuzzi, A. M., Waltz, P. R., Finkelstein, L. M., & Rupp, D. E. (2014). Invisible Disabilities: Unique Challenges for Employees and Organizations. Industrial & Organizational Psychology, 7(2), 204-219. doi:10.1111/iops.12134 Santuzzi, A. M. (2013, June 26). Invisible Disabilities | Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-wide-wide-world-psychology/201306/invisible-disabilities Stone, K. G. (2007). Awakening to disability: Nothing about us without us. Volcano, CA: Volcano Press. Read More