Let’s say it out loud – COVID has been tough on everyone, everywhere. And while it seems that things are slowly going back to what I would call the “new-normal,” the roller coaster of lock-downs, medical unknowns, and varying information has ping-ponged us through the past two years leaving many people exhausted, confused, anxious, and weary. But if there is any good news in the pandemic, it is that for once EVERYONE knows what it feels like to be stuck inside their house, unable to leave whenever they want due to restrictions or health concerns.
This is what our friends and family members living with invisible disabilities experience on a daily, hourly, even minute-by-minute basis.
First, let me define a few terms. What is a Disability? A disability is broadly defined as a condition or function judged to be significantly impaired relative to the usual standard of an individual or group. The term is used to refer to individual functioning, including physical impairment, sensory impairment, cognitive impairment, intellectual impairment, mental illness, and various types of chronic disease.
Now, what is an invisible disability? Invisible disabilities include a wide range of cognitive, physical, mental, or neurological impairments, chronic pain, or illnesses that are not easily seen or may not be visible through the use of an assistive device like a wheelchair, walker, mobility cane, hearing aid or other visible devices. Invisible disabilities can include things like MS, epilepsy, diabetes, fibromyalgia, PTSD, chronic pain, or illness – the list goes on. Invisible disabilities can be temporary or permanent. As a matter of fact, people living with invisible disabilities make up the world’s largest minority group, the only group that any of us can become a part of at any time.
In the United States, about 25% of the population has some type of disability, and 75% of those people have one or more invisible disabilities.
Living with invisible disabilities is tough enough on its own, but one of the hardest things about it is not being believed by the people around you. We hear stories regularly of people trying to explain a situation to family, friends, co-workers, bosses, or others with the response being “But, you look good.” UGH! That is one of the most frustrating phrases we hear. Just because you cannot see a disability does not mean it doesn’t exist. We have heard many stories of someone having a legal disability placard, pulling into a disability parking spot and walking from their car to the mall, and then coming back and finding horrible notes on their car or having people scream obscenities at them – even having a police officer stop and say that they cannot park there because they are not disabled.
We have been working hard to establish legislation in various states that allow for improved training for law enforcement officers (LE) to better understand how to identify and interact with people living with invisible disabilities. LE training is critical to our work in order to make sure that we can help inform and educate LE so that people living with invisible disabilities are treated fairly. It is imperative that LE are taught about the accommodations needed to avoid tense situations or unintended deaths because of misunderstandings in actions, words, or behaviors that may be exhibited by people with invisible disabilities or mental health conditions. That’s why we are excited about what The Vitals™ App is doing to provide awareness and alerts for LE who are responding to a critical situation that includes assisting a vulnerable individual quickly, easily and safely; even when the individual may have an invisible disability.
For more about the Invisible Disabilities® Association, you can go to https://invisibledisabilities.org/ where you can find information on our Disability ID cards, legislative efforts and get involved as an ambassador.
By Jess Stainbrook, Executive Director of the Invisible Disabilities® Association
