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An invisible disability is an inconspicuous physical or mental impairment that makes it difficult for someone to perform one or more major life activities. Despite appearing vivacious, in control of speech or thoughts, or socializing well with others, individuals with invisible disabilities may face significant challenges that are not immediately visible. One of the greatest challenges faced by people with invisible disabilities is simply a lack of understanding and awareness from others about the nature and impact of these conditions.
I am Christine Waters, facilities coordinator for Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport Detachment Pacific. I am a disabled veteran, a Wish Granter for Make-A-Wish Hawaii, and the Service to the Armed Forces Volunteer Partner and Military Treatment Facilities Lead for the American Red Cross Hawaii. From 2020 to 2021, I was privileged to be appointed, with 11 other volunteers, to the American Society of Safety Professionals board-level Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force. Together we developed the first DEI framework and strategic operating procedures for the 37,000-member organization.
Throughout my advocacy work, I have presented photos of my Wish Kids, described joint events between disabled veterans and SAF, or talked about my own disability—only to encounter well-meaning but unintentionally hurtful comments such as, “He doesn’t look disabled,” “I thought Wish Kids were supposed to be dying,” “Have you tried…?” or, “But you look so healthy.”
Having an invisible disability can be incredibly invalidating.
To provide a safe, cooperative, inclusive workplace, here are five ways that I have learned to validate and support persons with hidden disabilities:
1. Check Prejudices at the Door
Persons with disabilities still face discrimination and stigma. When a disability is not obvious to others and is disclosed openly by the person living with it, this stigma may be compounded by skepticism or the perception that a hidden disability is somehow less debilitating.
Extend the same trust to others that you would want for yourself. Trust that a person with a hidden disability is not “making it up” and that they understand their limitations through personal experience or the opinion of a medical professional regarding the necessary accommodations or time off. Be willing to offer advice when it’s asked for, but please don’t assume that someone with a disability hasn’t already explored all practicable solutions. Lastly, don’t treat us specially; we still want to be treated like all other workers.
2. It’s not a Competition
Only adults play the game of one-upmanship. This is something I’ve learned from my Wish Kids and their siblings. Kids don’t try to be more injured in comparison to other kids. Yet it has been my experience that adults, whether disabled or not, do this all the time, particularly when the affliction is hidden. When someone shares their experience of being injured, sick or disabled, trying to one-up them or redirect focus to our own problems can make them feel unheard.
We can better support one another by practicing active listening, showing compassion and encouraging the speaker to triumph over their current or next big challenge. It’s essential to recognize that everyone feels pain differently. After connecting through empathy, there will be a more opportune time to share your own experience.
3. There May Be Accessibility Challenges
It’s important to recognize that persons with hidden disabilities may face similar accessibility challenges as those with visible disabilities. I’ll use my experience on the recent Maui Wildfires Disaster Relief Operation to provide some examples of common accessibility challenges and recommendations for addressing them.
During the initial chaos of intake, and because I wanted survivors to feel as comfortable and knowledgeable about the situation as possible, I learned to speak slowly and clearly and make direct eye contact with survivors. This was crucial, as I couldn’t tell by looking at someone whether they still had their hearing. I was surprised to discover how many people were hard of hearing—a hidden disability that often goes unnoticed in our daily lives.
When survivors had outbursts of anger, irritation or tremendous sadness, I learned the importance of listening without interrupting or engaging in one-upmanship. Instead I offered to connect them with a Disaster Mental Health volunteer and asked whether I could connect them with a medical volunteer for medication or orthopedic supports. I also learned to accept responses like “No” or “I’m not ready” with compassion and understanding. At NUWC, we have the opportunity to refer coworkers to the DONCEAP for support.
When survivors struggled to communicate or move, regardless of whether their disabilities were visible, I made a point of adapting myself or the environment to accommodate them without judgement. We can more effectively help coworkers by respecting their dignity and customizing our approach to accommodate them.
4. Disability Varies
Individuals with disabilities may have varying degrees of severity and combinations of challenges that are unique to every individual. Therefore, we should avoid prescribing standardized treatments or adopting a formulaic approach to our treatments. The ways we validate and support each person should be unique to that individual.
5. Value Everyone
Regardless of disability, every human being has an innate value that they bring to the world. By recognizing and validating the inherent worth of all individuals, we can create a more inclusive and supportive workplace environment.
One YouTube contributor, a 19-year-old with visual impairment, shared the emotional complexities of living with a hidden disability: “[S]ometimes I feel less of a person than normal people do, because I can’t do everything everyone else can. I know that is not actually the case, and I shouldn’t think like that, but I can’t help feeling that way sometimes.”
Despite these feelings, the contributor explained how volunteering helped her find a sense of purpose: “That is also the reason why I started volunteering – to make up for the things I can’t do, so that I deserve a place in this world.” This sentiment reflects the internal struggles many individuals with hidden disabilities face and highlights the importance of support and understanding from those around them.
Persons with invisible disabilities face significant challenges that are not always visible to others. By checking our prejudices at the door, recognizing that it’s not a competition, being aware of accessibility challenges, understanding that disability varies and recognizing the innate value of all individuals, we can create a more inclusive and supportive workplace environment for everyone.
-KPT-
NUWC Division, Keyport provides advanced technical capabilities for test and evaluation, in-service engineering, maintenance and industrial base support, fleet material readiness, and obsolescence management for undersea warfare to expand America’s undersea dominance.
| Date Taken: | 10.28.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.28.2024 18:39 |
| Story ID: | 484094 |
| Location: | KEYPORT, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 205 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Five ways to validate individuals with hidden disabilities, by Frank Kaminski, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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