Interrogating (In)visibilities

Critical attention to invisible disability raises interesting questions about the social and corporeal (in)visibility of disability. The article conceptualizes invisible disability in relation to the visible body, while maintaining the category’s ties with social visibility. To explore invisible disability, economies of visibility—originally proposed in black feminist media scholarship—is developed as a lens to explore the connections between (in)visible embodiment and social visibility in media texts. The lens is used to examine the representation of characters with invisible disability and visible disability in the case study of the popular Australian soap opera Home and Away. The examination illuminates economies of visibility as a productive way of grappling with how invisible disability vexes the visual binary of disabled/able-bodied.

What Is PTSD? Diagnosis, Treatment, and Challenges

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can occur when someone experiences a scary event or serious injury. This disorder can affect multiple parts of a person’s life, from relationships with loved ones to performance at work. Unfortunately, PTSD is not understood well. It is considered an invisible disability, which means it can be difficult to determine if someone has PTSD just by looking at them, since they have no visible symptoms. Because of the difficulty of diagnosing PTSD, healthcare professionals are working toward checklists that can be used by all doctors for PTSD diagnosis and treatment, which will hopefully improve the care of PTSD patients. Similarly, disability activists continue to raise awareness and educate the public on PTSD. In this article, we will discuss the causes of PTSD, its effects on daily life, diagnosis, treatment, and the importance of showing kindness toward people with this invisible disability.

Madness Reconsidered in Susanna Kaysen’s Girl Interrupted

This paper focuses upon the invisible disability of mind and how it is reflected in Susanna Kaysen’s Girl Interrupted. Normality and commonality are thus, challenged with the idea of uniqueness. The mental illness is brought forward to let society analyse and understand disability of mind. Mental illnesses are common, yet avoided due to the social prejudice and narrow perspectives. Thus, this paper serves as an awareness of inner struggle reflected in Girl Interrupted, claiming it to be a universal experience and to create a scale of normality.

What It Means for a Disabled Librarian to "Pass"

Through autoethnographic research and a deep dive into theoretical literature, this article explores the idea of hidden or invisible disability and its impact on information work. Much of the current work on disability in higher education is focused on issues involving serving students or library patrons with disabilities. A less explored area of research focuses on the experience of being a library worker with a disability and how that may affect the nature of information work and the provision of service. Moreover, the author explores the repercussions of performing information work with a hidden disability, and how the nature of hidden disability and the act of passing brings about its own ethical quandaries and challenges. The conclusion discusses practical applications for working with colleagues who may have hidden disabilities and provides questions for further exploration.

Invisible disabilities: perceptions and barriers to reasonable accommodations in the workplace

Purpose The subject of invisible disabilities is becoming more prevalent in the workplace. Invisible disabilities (as defined by the Invisible Disabilities Association) refers to symptoms such as “debilitating pain, fatigue, dizziness, cognitive dysfunctions, brain injuries, learning differences and mental health disorders, as well as hearing and vision impairments.” There are times when employees are hesitant to disclose their invisible disability to their employer or coworkers, which means that accommodations for disabilities may not be requested or made. Accommodations made in the workplace for invisible disabilities can include flexible schedule, special software for assisting with scheduling or prioritizing tasks, or architectural changes such as a standing desk. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach For this literature review, articles on invisible disabilities and accommodations were researched and used to support the importance of accommodations in the workplace. Findings Invisible disabilities are affecting the workplace and must be addressed. Those struggling with invisible disabilities need to consider sharing information about their disability with their employer as well as requesting accommodation. The question of whether or not to inform coworkers should be left to individual employees and what they feel comfortable divulging. More research needs to be done on how to create learning opportunities and sensitivity in the workplace to those with invisible disabilities. Perhaps training should be offered at the time a new employee begins work. Originality/value This literature review is of value because it speaks to an important issue facing today’s workplaces – invisible disabilities and accommodations. Mental illnesses are an invisible disability and as more people are diagnosed and enter the workforce, employers are faced with an increasing demand to meet the needs of these workers. Educating employers and employees on the topic of invisible disabilities and accommodations paves the way to a greater and more productive workforce.