What defines a disability? Is it a wheelchair? Something that is very visible to everyone. Or a blind man with a cane and a dog? Both of these are signs of somebody being disabled, but what about when a disability is more discreet and less visible? Does this make it any less significant?
There has always been a different perspective on visible and invisible disabilities. You can often see the difference in treatment between the two, the visibly disabled are more likely to gain sympathy from others, which isn’t always a good thing, compared to the invisibly disabled, whose disabilities are less apparent.
This can mean when seeking help of any kind, members of the public are more likely to assist someone who is visibly disabled, as opposed to someone who isn’t and they may think someone is just claiming to be disabled because they are just lazy or aren’t willing to do things for themselves.
There has always been a debate between which is worse, with some claiming that being visibly disabled is worse because quite often it means that your mobility is impaired, making life generally difficult. Others say that invisible disabilities are harder to deal with because not only is life difficult, but also when seeking help, a positive reaction is less likely, than if you are in a wheelchair, for example.
However, it could be argued that those who are visibly disabled suffer more prejudice, in terms of bullying or alienation. As a result of being more apparently disabled, there is a greater likelihood of being treated different because you look different. If your disability is less apparent, then that kind of treatment is less common, that’s not to say it does not occur, but is fair to say that it is less likely.
An invisible disability can sometimes mean a mental disability, be it learning difficulties, concentration problems or something a lot more serious. This can make socialising with the everyday population much more difficult than those who are perhaps in a wheelchair, who may suffer just physically and not mentally.
Even though it is hard to lead a normal life being wheelchair-bound, at least it isn’t as difficult to interact with others and this is clearly crucial for every human being, as we all just wish to be “normal”.
As I mentioned earlier, bullying takes place towards visibly disabled people, however it is obviously not limited to this group. Often because it is difficult for someone mentally disabled to interact with others, when they do have the opportunity, they suffer from bullying and are shunned by others.
From my own experiences, as a wheelchair-bound disabled person, I have thankfully not suffered much bullying. This is probably down to the fact that the people I have spent the most time with have generally been very good with accepting me the way I am. Some isolated incidents have occurred but I haven’t ever been too upset by them, it’s just a fact of life.
A recent incident was upon entering a taxi, the driver was more than happy for me to travel facing the wrong way in his cab, with no restraints to hold me safely. When I insisted that I be positioned properly and have the restraints put on he said: “You people are all the same”, now I’m not sure what he meant by this, but when I asked him, he didn’t respond.
But anyway, I didn’t know if he meant “You people” in reference to my disability or some other unknown reason, either way it’s not as if disabled people gather in large groups, acting exactly the same as each other, we are all different.
The likelihood of such a blatant form of ignorance happening towards an invisibly disabled person is less likely. Although it does still happen, as Elspeth Molony, of the equality unit for Capability Scotland, explained that sometimes the treatment can be as blatant and hard to deal with.
She said: “The invisibly disabled may also suffer, for example, when someone with a blue badge gets out of their car, if they are wheelchair-bound then nobody would be likely to say anything to them. On the other hand, someone who has a heart condition or someone less visibly disabled may be accused of exploiting the blue badge system and faking their disability.”
However, for every such incident, it varies on each person’s individual circumstances, whatever disability they suffer – be it visible or invisible – and the people they encounter in their day to day lives.
Bullying and discrimination comes in many different forms but one thing remains constant. Disabled people of any variety suffer ignorance and discrimination from society in general, although there are exceptions to this as not everyone is judgemental and many are very accepting.
But being disabled and trying to integrate within society is very difficult, especially when you are looked upon differently and therefore treated differently. Whether in a wheelchair or something less apparent, it is very difficult for sufferers of both forms, perhaps for other reasons, but either way similar adversity exists.
Rather than a widespread debate about what form of disability is worse, it would be better to conclude that all disabilities are a terrible thing to suffer but it is something individuals have to deal with, and as a result wider society also.
Disability must be embraced in a way, not as something evil or unpleasant, but as something just a little different from the norm, which isn’t always a bad thing it must be said. This difference should be welcomed, celebrated even, in the same vein as most of us accept those of another race or culture and sex or sexuality.
Raymond Harland, former head of the Democracy Disability & Society Group, which dealt with equality and inclusion, suggested the same. He said: “No matter what kind of disability someone suffers, it shouldn’t make a difference to the way they are treated. The disabled should be treated equally at all costs, as it would make for a better society.”
