April 2021

It’s now fairly common to see a sticker on a car parked in a disabled bay saying that the user has an invisible disability, or to see a social media post declaring that “not all disabilities are visible.” It has definitely long been the case that people have assumed they’re able to tell a person’s ability or disability simply by looking at them. This is primarily because of the physical aides deployed by so many people with disabilities, or the differences that may manifest in their physique or persona. However, this has never been the case and now, with more medical understanding than ever available, the visibility of so-called ‘invisible’ disabilities is growing. How many people in the UK have an Invisible Disability? In the UK, it’s estimated that over 11million people are living with a disability. It’s believed that up to 70% of these people have a hidden, or invisible, disability and so their condition may not be immediately obvious to others. The term ‘disability’ is an umbrella term for impairment of the person’s quality of life due to their own health, be that physical or mental. This is often misunderstood and so only physical disabilities are focused on or intended to be counted in the use of the word ‘disabled’ or ‘disability’. What kind of condition counts as an Invisible Disability? There are many conditions that may not be immediately visible to others that count as a disability. This includes for example autism, severe anxiety or clinical depression, Chrons Disease, Diabetes, fibromyalgia and brain injury, etc. All of these may not be immediately noticeable when you meet a person with them, but the condition inhibits their quality of life in different ways. Do those with Invisible Disabilities have the same rights as those with Visible Disabilities? Those with an invisible disability are as eligible as those with an obvious physical disability to apply for disability benefits, a blue badge for parking, and other authority-led disability support. However, there is a type of discrimination that those with hidden disabilities may suffer that differentiates itself from the more common ableist theme. Some people are quick to assume that without a wheelchair or walking aid that they’re unable to park in a disabled space, or that if they’re able to work or leave the house that they’re not eligible for disability benefits and are somehow ‘cheating the system’. These are painful and unjust accusations, but extremely common, and it is from this discrimination and prejudice that schemes highlighting invisible disabilities have been born. Do those with Invisible Disabilities still need care help? Our experience tells us that care plans, and hence requirements, of those with invisible disabilities, are just as bespoke as those for people with visible disabilities. At Abacus Care & Support we work with a huge variety of people to support them and help them fulfill their full potential – never letting their disability define them.