There is too little information out on the net about invisible disabilities – or at least there was in 2000 when I decided to write a column focusing on issues relevant to people with invisible disabilities. The columns were written during 2000 and 2001 so some are now out of date but most are still very relevant.
This column is relevant to people with invisible chronic illnesses, and semi-visible disabilities, and sometimes-visible disabilities and well as completely invisible disabilities. I’m trying to be inclusive of people rather than exclusive. If you feel like you might belong, then welcome!
- Column 0 – Introducing your host
- Who’s writing all this stuff? What qualifications do I have to tell you about invisible disabilities anyway?
- Column 1 – What is an invisible disability?
- What is an invisible disability anyway?
- Column 2 – What’s So Special About Invisible Disabilities?
- How is an invisible disability different from other disabilities? What extra issues do people with invisible disabilities face?
- Column 3 – Crossing The Street
- A personal experience of living with an invisible disability.
- Column 4 – What’s an Invisible Chronic Illness?
- What’s an Invisible Chronic Illness and how is it different from an invisible disability?
- Column 5 – Writing about Invisible Disabilities
- Why it’s important to talk and write about invisible disabilities as much as we can.
- Column 6 – Believing In Yourself – 4 March 2001
- Dealing with not believing in your own invisible disabilities.
- Column 7 – Invisible Disability Explanation Fatigue
- Dealing with that feeling you get when the 500th person asks the same silly questions about your invisible disabilities.
- Column 8 – Being A Disability
- How to not just be your disability, being yourself first.
- Column 9 – Practical Invisible Disability Activism – 26 March 2001
- Standing up for your rights as a disabled person.
- Column 10 – Invisible Guilt
- Invisible Guilt is picking up society’s idea that invisible means less bad. How to get around this guilt.
- Column 11 – “How Are You?”
- Answers to this eternal questions when you’re never, “Fine, thanks.”
- Column 12 – Internet ID Resources
Where to look on the Internet about further resources for people with Invisible Disabilities.[I've taken this one down because it's so out of date - there are lots of places to look now that didn't exist in 2001.]- Column 13 – Simulating IDs – 1 June 2001
- Contrasting how to simulate paraplegia and CFS. Amusing description of simulating CFS in there too.
- Column 14 – Disabilities that can be both Invisible and Visible – 10 June 2001
- Describing disabilities which can be both visible and invisible – but still just as debilitating in both states. And what links disabilities like this to invisible disabilities.
- Column 15 – A Rant – 17 June 2001
- About proposed Australian government reforms which could turn out to be very badly for people with invisible disabilities.
- Column 16 – Invisible Disability Stigma – 25 June 2001
- Looking “perfectly healthy” like people with IDs do, but being disabled, is a very easy way to get stigmatized.
