People with cognitive or emotional disabilities are rated less desirable among job applicants than job applicants viewed as physically disabled. Employers often perceive people with mental health disorders as violent, unpredictable, and unable to work. These stigmas are often used as justification for not hiring people with various mental health diagnoses. 

Ratings amongst Employers 

Delibereate concealment refers to ndividuals do not disclose their disability to avoid negative stigmas and discrimination

Deliberate Concealment

In employment settings, stigma toward invisible disabilities can lead others to question whether a disability is legitimate, pressuring affected workers or applicants to defend their diagnosis or provide proof of their disability.

Gettysburg College

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People with Visible and Invisible disabilities face differerent stigmas within the employment space that impact ability to obtain, maintain, and perform in jobs due to these stigmas. These stigmas vary across disabilities and personal experiences and impact each employee differently within the employment space, however research has found various overlaps across diagnoses and experiences. 

Employment and Stigma around Visible and Invisible Disabilities

Invisible disability is an umbrella term for disabilities that cannot be seen by others and interfere with day-to-day functioning, but do not have a physical manifestation. This "unseen" characteristic is central to the challenges these individuals face in various environments. 

Invisible Disability

Aesthetic-Sexual Aversion refers to the societal opinion on if a person is “visually pleasing” or not.

Aesthetic-Sexual Aversion

Spread Phenomenon refers to when people without disabilities assume that a PWD also has a lower IQ (Wright, 1983)

Spread Phenomenon

Stigmas specific to those with visible disabilities
- spread phenomenon
- aesthetic-sexual aversion

Visible Disabilities and Employment Stigma

- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Learning disabilities (including dyslexia)
- Psychosocial disabilities (mental illnesses or mental disorders)
- Neurological impairments (such as brain injury)
- Chronic health conditions (including chronic fatigue syndrome)
- Energy-fluctuating conditions (such as pain conditions like Ehlers-Danlos)
- Psychiatric conditions (various mental health disorders)

These categories demonstrate the diverse range of conditions that fall under the invisible disability umbrella, spanning mental health, cognitive, neurological, and chronic health conditions.

Types of Invisible Disabilities

The invisibility of disability often leads to their perceived non-existence, creating significant barriers to recognition and support. Others may question the legitimacy of these disabilities due to their non-visible nature. Individuals are sometimes required to provide documentation to prove their condition exists, which can be an emotionally difficult and challenging process. This need for proof highlights the fundamental issue of invisible disabilities being overlooked or dismissed in society.

Implications of Invisible Disabilities

Many invisible disabilities, like chronic fatigue syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), elhers-danlos syndrome (EDS), etc., can become visible. Sometimes this comes from the usage of medical aids like wheelchairs, canes, walkers, braces, feeding tubes, etc. This could also come from conditions with easily hidden symptoms that become less easily hidden with natural symptoms fluctuation or sudden worsening of symptoms due to triggers. 

Fluidity of Disability Visibility

Visibile Disabilities are defined as physical or mental impairments that are clearly visible in a persons behavior or bodies.

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