LibGuides UFV: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion E.D.I.: Invisible Disabilities

Definition

Invisible or Hidden disability is a disability that is not immediately apparent. They can include brain injuries, chronic pain, mental illness, gastro-intestinal disorders, visual and auditory disabilities, chronic illness, and much more

Spoon Theory

A popular explanation to explain what life is like living with an invisible disability is the Spoon Theory.

The theory is that while most people have unlimited amounts of energy and possibilities, those who are sick or who have an invisible disability have a limited amount of energy or possibilities which is represented by spoons. They must weigh their tasks and responsibilities against the number of spoons they have.

Watch the video for Christine Miserandino's explanation of how she created the Spoon Theory and how it works. Or read the story at the website: You Don't look Sick linked below the video.

Spoon Theory
Read about the Spoon Theory which is described in the video above. This is a captured webpage from the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.

Books

Chronic Illness by Ilene Morof Lubkin; Pamela D. Larsen
Call Number: WT 500 C575 2006
Publication Date: 2006
Available on the Chilliwack Campus
Coping with Chronic Illness by Silvia Bonino
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2020
Disability and Passing by Jeffrey A. Brune (Editor); Daniel J. Wilson (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2012
Passing-an act usually associated with disguising race-also relates to disability. Whether a person classified as mentally ill struggles to suppress aberrant behavior to appear "normal" or a person falsely claims a disability to gain some advantage, passing is a pervasive and much discussed phenomenon. Nevertheless, Disability and Passing is the first anthology to examine this issue. The editors and contributors to this volume explore the intersections of disability, race, gender, and sexuality as these various aspects of identity influence each other and make identity fluid.
Learning disability : theory to practice by S.P.K. Jena
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2013
Raising Generation Rx by Linda M. Blum
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2015
Examines the experiences of mothers coping with their children's “invisible disabilities” in the face of daunting social, economic, and political realitiesRecent years have seen an explosion in the number of children diagnosed with “invisible disabilities” such as ADHD, mood and conduct disorders, and high-functioning autism spectrum disorders. Whether they are viewed as biological problems in brain wiring or as results of the increasing medicalization of childhood, the burden of dealing with the day-to-day trials and complex medical and educational decisions falls almost entirely on mothers. Yet few ask how these mothers make sense of their children's troubles, and to what extent they feel responsibility or blame.
Women with Visible and Invisible Disabilities by Martha Banks (Editor); Ellyn Kaschak (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2014

Websites and Online Resources

Websites

Invisible Disability Association
Invisible Disabilities Association (IDA) is a nonprofit organization who provide awareness of invisible disabilities. Their mission is to encourage, educate and connect people and organizations touched by illness, pain and disability around the globe
Rick Hansen talks Invisible Disabilities
Rick Hansen explains what invisible disabilities are and how we need to be open and inclusive to all disabilities.

Articles

The experiences of microaggressions against women with visible and invisible disabilities.
Only two prior studies have examined the experiences of microaggressions for persons with disabilities. Our study was specific to women with both visible and invisible disabilities. Using mixed methods, we asked about the frequency and bothersomeness of microaggression experiences, and in six focus groups with a total of 30 women, we gained more depth about those experiences.
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Olkin, R., Hayward, H., Abbene, M. S., & VanHeel, G. (2019). The experiences of microaggressions against women with visible and invisible disabilities. Journal of Social Issues, 75(3), 757–785. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12342
Invisible disabilities, visible Service Dogs: the discrimination of Service Dog handlers
The article details ways of revealing invisible disability and ways to make request for assistance or accommodation. It provides explanation on moral and social attitudes that influence difficulties of people with invisible disabilities. It comments on the content of the standards of normalcy affecting people with invisible disabilities. It states that disability assessments presuppose views about the etiology of the individual's inability to read or speak.
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Mills, M. L. (2017). Invisible disabilities, visible Service Dogs: the discrimination of Service Dog handlers. Disability & Society, 32(5), 635–656. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2017.1307718
Invisible Disability
The article details ways of revealing invisible disability and ways to make request for assistance or accommodation. It provides explanation on moral and social attitudes that influence difficulties of people with invisible disabilities. It comments on the content of the standards of normalcy affecting people with invisible disabilities. It states that disability assessments presuppose views about the etiology of the individual's inability to read or speak.
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Davis, N. A. (2005). Invisible Disability. Ethics, 116(1), 153–213. https://doi.org/10.1086/453151
Supporting Students with Invisible Disabilities: A Scoping Review of Postsecondary Education for Students with Mental Illness or an Acquired Brain Injury.
Students with invisible disabilities such as mental illness or acquired brain injury (ABI) experience multiple barriers that reduce their likelihood of postsecondary course completion.
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Venville, A., Mealings, M., Ennals, P., Oates, J., Fossey, E., Douglas, J., & Bigby, C. (2016). Supporting Students with Invisible Disabilities: A Scoping Review of Postsecondary Education for Students with Mental Illness or an Acquired Brain Injury. International Journal of Disability, Development & Education, 63(6), 571–592. https://doi.org/10.1080/1034912X.2016.1153050

Webcomics

Existing with Invisible Disabilities [WebComic]
mpathize This is a place where people can tell their own stories about how prejudice and hardship affect their lives. We recognize that people are made up of different intersecting identities, and that no single story will be representative of how a certain prejudice affects people.
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They believe that the visual element of the comic or image help people relate to the story more. Topics covered include ableism, autism, cerebral palsy, invisible disabilities, migraines, and disabilities.