Hidden disabilities

Government statistics tell us that there are around 13.3 million people with disabilities living in the UK. They also tell us that there is an estimated 3.8 million people with a disability in employment.

As these statistics are quite high, so are the chances that you employ someone who has a disability. However, it is also likely that you might not be aware of it. 96% of illnesses are invisible, meaning that you cannot see them and, usually, you would not know about them unless you were told.

People are often not forthcoming with their disabilities, often due to a perceived stigma or lack of acceptance and understanding. As an employer, it’s your responsibility to encourage these people to ask you for help, so you can support hidden disabilities in your workplace.

What is an Invisible Disability?

An invisible disability is one that is not easily visible and immediately apparent. Invisible disabilities, also known as hidden illnesses/disabilities, can hinder a person’s abilities in the world of work, education, and social environments. Although the illness creates challenges for the person who has it and can dramatically affect how they perform in everyday life, the nature of the disability makes it difficult for other people to recognise.

As well as not recognising the disability, people also struggle to understand it if they can’t see any physical evidence of it. This lack of understanding leads to many people keeping quiet about their disability.

Examples of Hidden Disabilities

While this list is by no means exhaustive, some examples of hidden disabilities are:

• Autism.

• Brain injuries.

• Chron’s Disease.

• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

• Chronic pain.

• Cystic Fibrosis.

• Depression, ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, and other mental health conditions.

• Diabetes.

• Epilepsy.

• Fibromyalgia.

• HIV/AIDS.

• Insomnia.

• Learning difficulties, including dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, and language processing disorder.

• Lupus.

• Rheumatoid Arthritis.

• Visual and auditory disabilities. These may be invisible if someone wears contact lenses and a hearing aid, for example.

The Office for Disability Issues has updated Department for Work and Pensions estimates which show there are 11.6 million disabled people in Great Britain, of whom 5.7 million are adults of working age, 5.1 million are over state pension age and 0.8 million are children. This estimate covers the number of people with a longstanding illness, disability, or infirmity, and who have a significant difficulty with day-to-day activities.

Living standards

A substantially higher proportion of individuals who live in families with disabled members live in poverty, compared to individuals who live in families where no one is disabled.

19% of individuals in families with at least one disabled member live in relative income poverty, on a before housing costs basis, compared to 15% of individuals in families with no disabled member.

21% of children in families with at least one disabled member are in poverty, a significantly higher proportion than the 16% of children in families with no disabled member.

Employment

According to the Labour Force Survey, disabled people are now more likely to be employed than they were in 2002, but disabled people remain significantly less likely to be in employment than non-disabled people. In 2012, 46.3% of working-age disabled people are in employment compared to 76.4% of working-age non-disabled people. There is therefore a 30.1 percentage point gap between disabled and non-disabled people, representing over 2 million people. The gap has reduced by 10 percentage points over the last 14 years and has remained stable over the last two years despite the economic climate.

Discrimination

Disabled people are significantly more likely to experience unfair treatment at work than non-disabled people. In 2008, 19% of disabled people experienced unfair treatment at work compared to 13% of non-disabled people.

Around a third of disabled people experience difficulties related to their impairment in accessing public, commercial and leisure goods and services.

Leisure, social and cultural activities

Disabled people remain significantly less likely to participate in cultural, leisure and sporting activities than non-disabled people. Latest data shows disabled people are more likely to have attended a historic environment site, museum, or gallery than in 2005 to 2006. However, disabled people are less likely to have attended a library over the same period.

How to Support Hidden Disabilities in the Workplace

Government statistics tell us that there are around 13.3 million people with disabilities living in the UK. They also tell us that there is an estimated 3.8 million people with a disability in employment.