This column article written December, 2000.
IDs - Invisible Disabilities. What's an invisible disability?
"Invisible" is a pretty easy word to define. The Webster's dictionary says:
Invisible (a): Incapable of being seen; not perceptible by vision; not visible.
But in this case we don't necessarily mean completely invisible. By "invisible", I mean things that can't be seen by a casual observer the way you will notice somebody in a wheelchair, or somebody with a seeing-eye dog. For example I class hearing impairment as an invisible disability, even though hearing aids can be marginally visible.
First glance is important because in the society we live in, it's the first look that makes the biggest impression on people. If people's first glance classes you as a non-disabled person, you will have all the problems that people with invisible disabilities face even if your disability can be seen if people look harder.
"Disability" is a little harder to define. Looking at the Webster's again we see:
Disability (n): State of being disabled; deprivation or want of ability; absence of competent physical, intellectual, or moral power, means, fitness, and the like.
I don't like that definition though, it doesn't feel good. I checked out the definition that the Americans with Disabilities Act uses:
The term "disability" means, with respect to an individual -
- a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual;
- a record of such an impairment; or
- being regarded as having such an impairment.
"Substantially limits ... major life activities" is a nicely broad definition and seems a lot less judgemental than what the dictionary says.
So an invisible disability is something not immediately noticeable but which substantially limits your major life activities.
Not surprisingly, living with an invisible disability can be a huge challenge! Perhaps it's even more of a challenge than living with a visible disability because people with invisible disabilities have to deal with society's indifference and misunderstandings as well as dealing with their disabilities.
It's this "extra" challenge that this column is all about.
I'm looking forward to hearing from people, and watch this space for another column every week or 10 days.
See you then!
