Section 8: Non-visible disabilities

Non-visible  disabilities cover many types of disabilities or impairments that are not visible. Some examples are:  

• mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, personality disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder. 
• autism and Asperger’s syndrome  
• visual impairments or restricted vision  
• hearing loss  
• sensory and processing difficulties  
• cognitive impairment, including dementia, traumatic brain injury, or learning disabilities.
• non-visible health conditions, including diabetes, chronic pain or fatigue, respiratory conditions, and incontinence.  

As non-visible disabilities are not obvious it can be difficult for people to access the support they require and they may face stigma when they do.  It is important to ensure that non-visible disabilities are included in your training, in any policies such as your reasonable adjustments policy, and that your managers are aware more generally of non-visible disabilities.  

Most important is to foster a culture where people can feel comfortable disclosing their non-visible disabilities to ensure that they can be supported.  

Some people may  choose to use a sunflower lanyard a symbol for non-visible disabilities (hdsunflower.com) or similar to inform others that they have a non-visible disability.