What Is An Invisible Disability?
I am an International Coaching Federation-certified life coach at the ACC level, as well as a Professor at Westminster University. I completed my coach training at Coach U, and my PhD in Mathematics at the University of Chicago. I founded Inner Harmony Coaching in 2020. I help women find their authentic voice, believe in themselves, and succeed.
Several of my friends asked me the question “What exactly is an invisible disability, and what should we know about them?”, so I thought a brief intro might be in order.
An invisible disability is any condition that is not visible when you look at a person but limits major life activities. A few examples would be severe depression, Lupus, connective tissue disorder (that’s what I have), diabetes, chronic pain syndrome, dyslexia, etc, etc.
People with invisible disabilities often have a hard time getting the accommodations (and understanding) they need because they look healthy.
For those of you who don’t have a disability, it may be quite confusing, and you might wonder how to deal with a subordinate, coworker, etc who does.
The basic thing to remember is that folks with disabilities go to great lengths not to ask for accommodations when we have another option. Asking for help is not a pleasant thing to do, and we frequently get pushback. When we do ask for something, we really need it. Please believe us.
Sometimes you come across someone who seems abrasive when they ask for an accommodation. Remember that they may have had to fight for much of their life to get what they needed. They may have learned that a quietly stated request gets ignored. So, when you are tempted to get annoyed – give them some grace if you can. 🙂
