Our last post about sick days raised some questions about the needs of employees with invisible disabilities, including those who live with chronic illnesses, mental illnesses, neurodivergence, and other conditions. Existing ableist inequities in our society and workplaces advantage people who do not currently have disabilities. We need to make sure that our policies support all employees’ diverse needs, especially regarding accessibility. Here's a general introduction to invisible disabilities and some considerations for how to help.
30% of U.S. employees live with disabilities - yet an average of only 3.2% of U.S. employees self-identify as living with a disability to their employers. Disabilities can be visible, sometimes visible, or invisible - and most employees with disabilities are those living with invisible ones.
Statistics from the Center for Talent Innovation:
Of employees living with disabilities, here's how they classify their disability's visibility.
13%- Visible: people who meet me for the first time can easily tell that I have a disability
26% - Sometimes Visible: my disability can be visible or invisible depending on the circumstances
62%- Invisible: unless I tell them, people do not know I have a disability.
What is an invisible disability?
An invisible disability is a condition that impacts someone’s movements, senses, or activities, yet can’t be easily seen from the outside. These include physical, mental, or neurological conditions, as well as some chronic illnesses that have led to a disability.
More on chronic illnesses:
60% of adult Americans live with one or more forms of chronic illness, and 40% live with two or more forms of chronic illness - which can also be visible, sometimes visible, or invisible. Some chronic illnesses can lead to disabilities or can be legally categorized as disabilities.
Chronic illnesses impact not only a person's overall wellbeing and energy in a variety of ways, but also their time, finances, and needs to take leave for medical appointments, flare-ups, or other aspects of their condition or treatment plan.
Disclosure rates for disability are low, and invisible disabilities are the most prevalent. This means that many go through their workdays without their employer knowing how it may be impacting either their day-to-day job junctions, or their physical, emotional, or mental wellbeing or capacity.
Reasons why people may not disclose:
Fear of discrimination, bias, or stigma
Fear of their experiences being minimized, or of not being believed
Lack of understanding and awareness
Absence of accommodations or support
Gaps in Understanding
Most people have experienced illness, pain, mental hardship, or ebbs and flows of mood and energy. However, the symptoms of those living with disabilities and chronic illnesses can be far more intense and life-interfering than most able-bodied and neurotypical people can comprehend. Supporting those living with these conditions requires commitment to learning more and to raising awareness.
Don't minimize lived experiences - learn from them.
People with invisible disabilities and chronic illnesses are not "faking it," "exaggerating," or "being lazy." Telling them to just "push past it" or that you "had something similar once but got over it," is misinformed, invalidating, and inappropriate. Practice active listening and empathy instead.
Direct Actions
More thoroughly evaluate inclusivity of workplace policies, processes, and benefits for employees with disabilities and chronic illnesses.
Create transparency around accommodation requests and processes; have plans in place to handle when employees with disabilities or chronic illnesses need workload adjustments or leave.
Incorporate education about both invisible and visible disabilities in your workplace DEI training programs.
Create employee resource groups and/or affinity groups for employees who live with disabilities or are caregivers for those with disabilities.
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