Understanding Disability 2024-2025 Fall Semester PDF

Understanding of Disability 2024-2025 Fall Semester 3rd Week – Invisible Disabilities Hikmet UCGUN, PT, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation (Eng) Faculty of Health Sciences Istanbul Atlas University © H...

Understanding of Disability 2024-2025 Fall Semester 3rd Week – Invisible Disabilities Hikmet UCGUN, PT, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation (Eng) Faculty of Health Sciences Istanbul Atlas University © Hikmet UCGUN / May not be copied or reproduced without permission. Disability Disability can be defined with a dictionary definition which is a physical, mental, cognitive, or developmental condition that impairs, inhibits, or limits a person's ability to participate in certain tasks or actions or to participate in daily activities and interactions In other words, disability is an integral part of being human and every individual is a candidate to be disabled one day Disability It is estimated that approximately 1 billion people, which corresponds to about 15% of the total population in the world, are disabled and 80% of them live in developing countries Types of Disability Disability types can be categorized according to physical and mental disorders that may reduce or completely prevent an individual's ability to perform activities of daily living Accordingly, disability can be divided into subcategories of 8 main types of disability: Types of Disability 1. Disabilities Associated with Mobility and Physical Impairments 2. Disabilities Associated with Spinal Cord Injury 3. Disabilities Associated with Head and Brain Injuries 4. Vision Disability 5. Hearing Disability 6. Cognitive or Learning Disabilities 7. Psychological Disabilities 8. Invisible Disabilities Invisible Disabilities The dictionary meaning of visibility can be expressed as the fact of attracting attention or being easy to see Invisibility, on the other hand, is expressed as the fact or state of not being able to be seen in the dictionary, in contrast to visibility Visible disability is generally used to express that the presence of a disability is known by those around the person with a disability Visibility is imperative for people with disabilities in order to be recognized, be able to claim rights, be a part of society, have a voice, demand, and be represented fairly  The visibility of an individual's disability is not always voluntary Visibility can bring with it many risks, and therefore situations may arise where the disabled person must or not disclose herself/himself, taking into account all of the potential benefits and harms Invisible disabilities can negatively affect the individual's ability to move, speak, hear, think, and communicate, on the other hand, may not be noticed by other individuals that the individual has a disability and therefore has to face such difficulties This situation often causes individuals to be described as “odd” or "weird" and to be exposed to peer bullying, especially at a young age Terms of Invisible Disabilities This terminology is preferably used and recommended by the association "Disability:IN" The association state that this terminology is most appropriate since it expresses that the Non-apparent disability is not only visible and does not have any bad connotations Disability This terminology is preferably used for situations where the disabled person deliberately conceals the information that he or she is disabled Hidden By choosing not to reveal himself/herself, the individual actively hides his/her disability and Disability becomes invisible This terminology can often be used to refer to situations in which an existing disorder or impairment is not assumed to be a disability, or where there is insufficient awareness, and situations where this condition is not considered to constitute a barrier in the individual's life Invisible Although opinions have been expressed that this term may be disturbing for some people with Disability disabilities, as it may also mean that the person is not visible, it is seen that this term is often preferred in the literature and in the reports of relevant institutions and organizations Common Types of Visible Disabilities Blindness Deaf and Amputations Hard of Hearing Mental Down Illness Syndrome Visible Muscular Disabilities Tourette Dystrophy Syndrome Locomotor Paralysis Disability Cerebral Palsy Common Types of Invisible Disabilities Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Epilepsy Anxiety disorders Fibromyalgia Asperger syndrome Invisible Disabilities Systemic lupus erythematosus Asthma Metabolic syndrome Autism Multiple sclerosis Bipolar disorder Myasthenia gravis Chronic fatigue syndrome Reflex sympathetic dystrophy Chronic pain Rheumatoid arthritis Depression Scleroderma Diabetes mellitus Trigeminal neuralgia Ehlers danlos syndrome Temporomandibular joint disorder The Challenge of Invisible Disability ✓“Seeing is believing” ✓Misunderstandings ✓Judgements based on incorrect perceptions ✓A person with multiple disabilities is often characterised by those that are visible Living with Invisible Disabilities There are two contrasting models or ideologies that frame how people with Invisible Disabilities are treated and viewed: ✓The medical model ✓The social model These models help health communication scholars understand or frame the stigmatization individuals with Invisible Disabilities face Medical Model The medical model positions disability as a physical or mental impairment of the individual, with personal and social consequences Also, within the medical model there is a belief that the biological condition can be “corrected” “cured” or “overcome” This perpetuates the idea that the person with a disability is “abnormal” Health care professions who adopt the medical model may undervalue or discount the social and environmental obstacles faced by persons with disabilities Social Model The social model emphasizes the relationship between an individual and his or her social environment In this model, discrimination is expressed in public life (e.g., work, education, policies) In Western society, independence and productivity are valued Because of the demands of social life, a person with physical or mental disabilities may be excluded and segregated through restricted access to certain environments and social activities Needs as an Employee with Invisible Disability Workplace adjustments for people with invisible disabilities https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yiBY5hA0oo Employee Attitudes and Values Improving awareness and understanding of invisible disabilities may reduce stigma and exclusionary practices, and support self-identification and disclosure Some of the things that can be done: Reframing on talents and skills Representation Training and mentoring programs Open communication Employee Attitudes and Values Reframing on talents and skills Developing recruitment, induction and onboarding, and retention processes that focus on individual strengths, talents and abilities, and challenge entrenched ideals about what constitutes employability Representation Positive representation of people with invisible disabilities in media, as well as in senior management and hiring roles, may challenge negative stereotypes and improve understanding Forums for disabled employees or students could encourage students to have a powerful, collective voice in organisations Employee Attitudes and Values Training and Mentoring Programs Training programs could increase awareness of less-recognised disabilities, and challenge misconceptions of invisible disabilities Reciprocal mentoring schemes, where disabled colleagues mentor senior colleagues, could help to develop more inclusive teaching and working practices Open Communication Encouraging positive conversations about disability may support individuals to disclose and maintain open communication regarding their needs Supportive line management is a key factor influencing disability disclosure in the workplace Hidden Disabilities Sunflower An association established in 2016 to support people with invisible disabilities The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower was established to promote inclusion, acceptance and understanding Sunflower officially operates in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Latin America, Netherlands, New Zealand, United Kingdom, UAE and USA Why did they choose a sunflower? Without a visual sign, it can be difficult for others to recognize, accept or understand the daily obstacles faced by people living with an invisible disability They decided to find a sign that is clearly visible from a distance, but also distinctive, joyful and dynamic. So they chose the sunflower because it is universally known and evokes happiness, positivity, strength, growth and confidence Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurological condition that affects mental function and memory. It is a constantly developing condition that causes brain cells to slowly degenerate and die. This eventually leads to memory loss and decreased mental health and functioning Aphasia, also known as Dysphasia, is when a person has difficulty with their language or speech. It can be very mild, and sometimes can only affect one form of communication, such as reading or speaking, but it usually affects several aspects of communication at the same time. In its severest form, the person with aphasia may have very little, or no, speech and find it difficult to follow a simple conversation Asthma is a common, long-term condition that affects the airways in the lungs – the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. It usually causes symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. Asthma often starts in childhood, but adults can develop asthma too COPD is the name used to describe several lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties, including emphysema - damage to the air sacs in the lungs, and chronic bronchitis - a long-term inflammation of the airways COPD cause airways to become narrower, which makes it harder to breathe in and out and often affect daily activities. Everyone’s experience of COPD will differ dependent on the current state of their condition and the symptoms can gradually get worse throughout life Diabetes type 1 is an autoimmune condition that causes the glucose (sugar) level in the blood to become too high. This happens when the body is making little or no insulin, the hormone responsible for regulating the level of blood glucose In diabetes type 1, the body's immune system attacks and destroys the cells in the pancreas (the organ where insulin is made), and so the body cannot make insulin anymore Diabetes Type 2 is a lifelong metabolic condition that causes the glucose level in the blood to become too high. This happens when the insulin made by the pancreas is not enough or does not work properly There is currently no cure for diabetes type but modifications to lifestyle can help with managing the condition. Sometimes, if diet and exercise are not enough to manage blood sugar, diabetes medications or insulin therapy may be needed to control the condition Dyslexia is a learning disorder that affects reading, writing and information processing. It involves difficulties with recognizing speech sounds and understanding their relation to letters and words, spelling, and visual-verbal response. These difficulties typically result from differences in function in areas of the brain that are responsible for processing language Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a collection of inherited disorders that affect the body’s connective tissues — mainly the joints, skin, and blood vessels Extremely flexible joints and delicate, elastic skin are the main characteristics of EDS Epilepsy is a condition that affects the brain and nervous system and means that someone has a tendency to have seizures Epilepsy can start at any age and there are many different types. It is often a life-long condition but for some, epilepsy lasts for a limited time and they stop having seizures Although most people who get Covid-19 recover quickly, for some the effects of the virus can last for weeks or months. This is known as Long Covid. It is not contagious and is a term used to describe signs and symptoms that are experienced for longer than 4 weeks after first contracting the virus Symptoms are wide-ranging and fluctuate in severity from day to day. They can include breathlessness, chronic fatigue, "brain fog" and anxiety A migraine is a neurological condition that often causes painful headaches. A migraine is characterised by throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, usually on one side of the head Migraine happens as attacks and can last for hours to days, and the pain can be so severe that it interferes with someone’s daily activities Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune and neurodegenerative condition that affects the central nervous system, specifically the brain and spinal cord MS is characterised by a range of symptoms which include partial or complete loss of vision, weak legs, tingling sensation, or balance Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition that affects the brain and is caused by a loss of nerve cells in parts of the brain Although Parkinson's is mainly characterized by shaking (tremors), slow movements, and stiffness, people with the condition may also experience changes with cognition including, problems with memory, attention, and the ability to plan and accomplish tasks Scleroderma is an autoimmune condition that affects blood vessels, muscles, and organs in the body, which results in the tightening or hardening of the skin The thickening and tightening of the skin can lead to problems with other body organs, digestive tracts, and blood vessels and cause severe problems such as shortness of breath and high blood pressure Tourette Syndrome is a neurological condition that causes individuals to make involuntary vocal noises and movements called tics It usually starts in childhood and can range from mild to very severe. Swearing or saying inappropriate things only affects 10% of people with Tourette's  In 2008, The Invisible Disabilities® Association (IDA) was founded in USA as a non-profit social association The association was founded by volunteers to enable people with invisible disabilities to come together with each other and with all other professionals they may need Since 2015, the 3rd week of October is celebrated as "Invisible Disabilities Week"  Invisible Disability Project (IDP) is a social/cultural movement and an educational media project that consciously disrupts “invisibility” imposed upon unseen disabilities at the intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality ‘’This is me’’ Videos https://www.invisibledisabilityproject.org/  Thank You… © Hikmet UCGUN / May not be copied or reproduced without permission.