Are There Any Non-Physical Disabilities?

Have you seen a student read and read, even hire the best tutors, yet doesn’t do well academically? Or have you worked with someone who finds every excuse to use the restroom or keeps asking for some time off work?

Perhaps you know someone affected by bright colors or lights. These are all examples of non-physical disabilities. And in most cases, the challenges of having an invisible disability is severe. So, it is not enough for someone to look non-disabled; they may be going through uncommon yet excruciating pain.

Discrimination Against Disabilities

There have been conversations surrounding people with disabilities and how society perceives them. Before now, people who lived with conditions considered a disability were discriminated against and excluded from specific circles and institutions.

Most people maltreat them because of their conditions. Yet, our collective ignorance of their plight is what makes their situation worse.

For several years, non-physically disabled persons faced discrimination and ill-treatment from a better part of the society. Recently, their families began calling on the public to give the disabled a chance to live like their peers.

As the call for recognition of people with disabilities’ rights increased, Non-Profit Organizations (NGOs) and Government Institutions concerned with social welfare began to lend their voices. They started supporting people with disabilities, thus enabling a society that accepts them and treats them fairly. The result of this movement is that more people became aware of the different conditions of illnesses. And it is unconsciously ingrained in the mind of the public that disability is only physical.

What are Non-physical Disabilities?

Non-physical disabilities refer to medical, psychological, or mental conditions that prevent a person from living a full and everyday life. Simply put, anything which impairs a person’s quality of life is a disability. When this disability is unseen, it is a non-physical disability. Some of these conditions include depression, autism, anxiety, bipolar disorder, anorexia, sleep disorders, various forms of mental illness, diabetes, schizophrenia, etc.

These non-physical disabilities are numerous. And most times, people living with them are not aware, thereby making it difficult for them to seek help.

Like people with physical disabilities, those with hidden disabilities also face challenges, sometimes even more so than the rest. This probably stems from the fact that they look healthy on the outside. Most often, they are judged harshly and treated with a degree of suspicion or prejudice.

How Can We Help?

Though becoming more popular, a significant number of the society remain ignorant of non-physical disabilities. According to studies conducted by Leeds University, 1 in 7 people in the UK have hidden disabilities. And of all disability cases in the country, 70% of them are non-physical.

People with disabilities have a lot of triggers. It could be stress, the environment, noise, facing a situation that has caused trauma in the past, or any other thing. This is why raising awareness of the condition is critical to better understand them and how to handle the problem when it occurs.

Another way you can help a non-physically disabled person is by being understanding and less judgmental. Showing compassion to them would go a long way. We can also increase awareness by educating people within our circle or even people we meet randomly. If more people are aware of the disability, the easier it becomes to help those with such hidden disabilities.

Environment plays a vital role in the impact of disability on an individual. It is easier to cope in a healthy environment than an unsafe and unhealthy one. That is why when planning a building or city, we should consider those with hidden disabilities, just as certain concessions and amenities accommodate people with physical disabilities.

For instance, a person with a colostomy bag (a condition where bowel motions are collected in the disposable bag) or inflammatory bowel disease needs an accessible toilet as much as someone in a wheelchair. Wouldn’t it be nice for these people to be identified and given access to comfortable amenities to alleviate their problems without judgment?

What about people with epilepsy or autism who are sometimes triggered by a sudden flash of light or bright lights? Would having shades in the form of trees planted at strategic locations help them in any way? The answer would be yes. Using earth tone colors might also be a brilliant way of helping someone who has an invisible disability that they may never admit to others.

Finally…

The first and most essential thing we need to know about hidden disabilities is that understanding is vital. If people understood and knew about hidden disabilities without doubting or judging, life would be so much easier for all. This is why it is ideal to create a friendly and conducive environment for everyone.

On this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we at REES AFRICA remember the people that form our society and agree that we must care for them. And it does not matter whether their disability is a result of an individual’s carelessness or a natural cause. Or whether it is known to all, or only a few.

We will support persons with disabilities.

Image from www.coe.int