Non-visible disability

Overview

Non-visible disability is a term that can be used to describe a wide range of different disabilities that are not immediately visible to other people. Non-visible disability can be: 

• physical, mental, neurodevelopmental, sensory or cognitive in nature
• temporary or permanent 
• present from birth or acquired later in life.

Non-visible disability is not visible to other people, but it has the potential to significantly impact a person’s daily life, including their employment.  

A large number – many estimates suggest 80–90% – of people with disability live with non-visible disability, including mental health challenges, musculoskeletal conditions, neurodevelopmental conditions, sensory disability, chronic pain or fatigue conditions and autoimmune diseases. 

Non-visible disability and employment 

People with non-visible disability can experience negative consequences in the workplace including stigma and discrimination from employers and non-disabled colleagues.²

There are a number of common misconceptions that make can it harder for people with non-visible disability in the workplace. This can be because a person doesn’t fit the stereotype of what a person with disability ‘looks’ like, or because the nature of their condition might fluctuate so that some days are better or worse than others. These misconceptions can lead to belief from employers and colleagues that the person is ‘faking’ disability or getting preferential treatment.³

This can lead to a reluctance to share information about non-visible disability:

• when applying for employment or career progression, due to a perception that their disability can make them a less desirable employee than a person without disability
• with co-workers as some people may feel that they need to disguise or mask their disability to fit in, but this can result in feelings of isolation and a lack of support
• with employers, which means that they cannot access workplace adjustments that allow them to more fully participate in work.^{4 5} 

When a person does share details about their non-visible disability and request workplace adjustments, this can also be viewed negatively by colleagues due to perceptions of unfairness because the disability is not visible to them.^{6 7}

A note about language: Other common terms for non-visible disability include ‘invisible’ and ‘hidden’ disability. We have chosen to use the term ‘non-visible’ disability to avoid any suggestion that the disability is not legitimate or being deliberately concealed from others. ⁸

Key strategies for success

People with non-visible disability face a number of complex challenges in navigating employment. Some strategies to better support them include:

• building an understanding of a person’s unique needs and any barriers to employment that they may experience as a result of their non-visible disability and how workplace adjustments might help to address / manage them
• supporting employers to build skills, knowledge and confidence in disability inclusion to promote inclusive workplaces
• promoting a workplace culture that encourages the sharing of disability information in a supportive and non-judgmental way.