Hidden Disabilities: Part II

Over these past weeks I have been thinking quite a bit about hidden disabilities such as mental illness and other cognitive and developmental disabilities like ADD, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders and many others. What has occured to me is that there is really a true lack of understanding of these types of disabilities. Yes, there have been strides made to have a greater awareness to what these types of disabilities are, yet we as a culture are mired in sterotypes and stigma from years gone by. It is often sad that a decade and a half after the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act that literally millions of people with disabilities are still almost at a stand still. While I can discuss this in a broader cross disability perspective I want to make sure to really focus here on "hidden" disabilities because these are so often overlooked within the mainstream culture. Or when "uncovered" these hidden disabilities are seen in a negative light.

I think it is critical to reframe the perspective of what the perception is of people with hidden disabilities in our society. Rather than continually propogating old myths that I often think have been media driven - things like the mentally ill criminal or that a person with a learning disability or special needs cannot assume mainstream schooling or gainful employment is just ludicrous. There needs to be an awakening in our society from our educational institutions, the private sector, media and public officials.

Science and medicine have done tremedous things for people with disabilities allowing for them to live fuller more productive lives. For those people with hidden disabilities it is an essential piece of their daily lives. However, for many it is still misunderstood that through this treatment there conditions are treatable and that one can go about their day to day lives. I beseech the media, public officials and others to start to take a more disability friendly stance. Using there station in the world they can affect a tremendous amount of people in a truly positive way. It is my belief that education & advocacy is crucial if we are to succeed in dispelling the myth and stigma of those with hidden disabilities. We must focus on the ability - that is where true change will happen.

So how do we begin? In these arenas of public life, media and private industry - BE CREATIVE!!! THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX But most of all don't be afraid! It has been fear that has gotten us to this point, we must break down that barrier. It is about time!