You can always recognize a disabled person … right?
He wears a cast. She sits in a wheelchair. He uses a cane. She has a seeing-eye dog. Disabled: having a problem that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Yep. These people are all disabled, even though they may work around the disability to still participate in life.
But, what about your co-worker that’s always tired? Oh! She tires because her kids keep her busy. Maybe he works two jobs. Bet she parties and does not sleep enough. BUT, your coworker may be disabled, too: just invisibly disabled with a chronic illness that you can’t see.
Carly Medosch. a young professional who smiles and laughs easily, looks like a healthy person. But she has Crohn’s Disease and fibromyalgia which, between the two, leaves her disabled. She says the everyday things prove difficult, “Washing my hair, blow-drying my hair, putting on makeup — those kind of activities can exhaust me very quickly. So you kind of blow-dry your hair and then you sort of sit down for a little bit.” (listen to interview) Carly sees a positive consequence of invisibility: “So I can pass as a normal, healthy, average person, which is great and definitely helps ease my everyday life— especially in interactions with strangers . . . .” Carly is only one of millions of people with invisible disabilities.
Can you tell if anyone is disabled?
I can’t!
What is the universal trait of people with invisible disabilities?
“Invisible” tips you off, doesn’t it? All people with invisible disabilities have symptoms you can’t see. Some of them are:
- Fatigue
- Cognitive dysfunction including brain fog
- Debilitating pain
- Mental disorders
- Joint, bone, connective tissue injuries
- Weakness
- Neurological disorders
- Hearing or vision impairments
Can you imagine living, day in and day out with even one of these? Would you be able to walk in to a store, walk around to find your items and walk back out to your car? Now, you know why some seemingly non-disabled people obtain disabled placards.
Can you imagine living with brain fog that impacts your ability to do your job?
Or can you imagine living with debilitating pain that can’t be controlled and will never go away?
Can you imagine knowing that just weeding your flowers is likely to cause injuries that take weeks to heal?
The severity of these symptoms varies from person to person. Some people with invisible disabilities can continue their employment, although they may be unable to do much after they get home. Others can, with help, continue to function somewhat normally. Still others may be completely disabled. However, positive results can come from these struggles. But, that’s a subject for another post.
Summary
I hope you’re now convinced that not all disabilities are visible to other people. One infallible way to recognize invisible disability: none!
Will you take another look at your family, neighbors, coworkers, church attendees, or even acquaintances and discover if they suffer from invisible disabilities? If you belong in the invisibly disabled group, would you consider opening up and sharing with a compassionate friend? Please consider leaving a comment to share your experience with others.
