UK Disability History Month is highlighting the needs of people with invisible impairments, who represent more than half of the 13.5 million people who identify as disabled in the UK. Sarah Thompson reports.
More than meets the eye IT is not uncommon for people with invisible impairments to be misjudged in the workplace as shirkers or hypochondriacs. If an impairment cannot be seen, for many it simply does not exist. Consequently, those who need support struggle to get it, and requests for reasonable adjustments may be deemed unnecessary. But the impact of chronic conditions such as Crohn’s disease and diabetes, progressive conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, mental illnesses, autistic spectrum disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorders – all within the broad spectrum of invisible impairment – can be significant. Yet individuals themselves may be reluctant to disclose their condition. They may also feel unjustified in asking for adjustments, which can make their condition worse. ‘I don’t use a wheelchair or crutches’ Head of drama Chris Hamilton, who was diagnosed with a torn meniscus – a severe knee injury – and osteoarthritis a year ago, knows this only too well. His impairment affects his ability to walk, but Chris never considered he might be disabled. “I thought, I’m not in a wheelchair, I’m not using crutches, I don’t have a disability,” he explains.
“I’m disabled by the world around me. That’s been a really good way of looking at it.” Chris Hamilton
Further information n The NEU Disability Equality Framework, available early next year, will give
workplace reps tools to support disabled workers and organise collective action in their workplace to achieve disability equality. It will include a checklist to allow members to identify issues for improvement to be negotiated with school leaders.
n The 12th UK Disability History Month launched on 18 November with an online
event and runs until 18 December. The focus is invisible impairments, and organisers are asking for examples of good practice to add to their resources: ukdhm.org
n To date, 6,822 NEU members have identified as disabled – approximately
1.5 per cent of the membership. myNeu is the easiest way to make changes to your equality monitoring information: my.neu.org.uk/login or email membership@neu.org.uk or call 0345 811 8111.
A conversation with his school rep, Pablo Phillips, changed that. “Pablo pointed out that I don’t have a disability, I’m disabled by the world around me,” says Chris. “That’s been a really good way of looking at it.” With this change of perspective, Chris felt able to request some reasonable adjustments. He was given a lift key so that he could avoid using the stairs, and he changed his chair for one that would ease his joint pain. Returning to work following surgery, he was still in pain, but was walking again. “People assumed I was better,” he says. “There were points when I felt like I needed to limp more, so that people realised I was still ill.” His osteoarthritis has no physical signs, and this makes it difficult to ask for help. “I lift things when I shouldn’t because it’s easier to do that than to phone someone to do it for me. It’s difficult to justify,” he explains. “You get that feeling people think that you’re swinging the lead.” Self-identify and inform your employer Colleen Johnson, national executive seat holder for disabled members, says it is vital that anyone with an invisible impairment informs their employer. She suggests sending a dated email or letter – even if adjustments are not yet needed. “There may come a day when you need a little bit more time to get from A to B, different furniture, a different kind of duty,” she says. “We have members who didn’t selfidentify and, at some point down the line, they reached a crisis point.” Colleen understands, too, that many people are worried about disclosing their impairment. As a first step, she suggests self-identifying to the NEU, which provides a strong union group for support and advice. “Together we can demand our rights such as adjustments in the workplace and fair treatment from employers,” she says.
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