We live in a world constructed by the guiding principles of normative systems and structures. When one refers to normative it indicates “the rules or expectations that determine and regulate appropriate behaviour within a culture, group, or society”[1]. Predominantly these rules are curated by people who are in positions of power and represent what an ideal society ought to look to function to its full potential. These ideal types are then manufactured and reinforced through a myriad of forces like media, movies, laws, criminal codes, cultural and social norms. The individuals who easily fit the normative rhetoric often are the beneficial ones in the complex social spectrum we reside within. But what about individuals who have ‘hidden disabilities’, how do we envisage an inclusive world when the systems are favouring the able-bodied individuals to tap into their full potential in all domains of life?
A hidden disability, commonly referred to as an invisible disability, is characterized by not being readily apparent to observers. This designation encompasses a diverse spectrum of disabilities and medical conditions that lack overt visual indicators. Individuals contending with hidden disabilities often encounter difficulties in their daily routines due to a lack of acknowledgment or comprehension of their condition by others. Such circumstances may heightened stress for these individuals, exerting an adverse impact on their overall well-being and interpersonal relationships. Instances of concealed disabilities encompass conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, persistent pain, and mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and autism spectrum disorder. Another definition by, the Center for Disability Rights lists the following as examples of invisible disabilities: learning differences, deafness, autism, prosthetics, traumatic brain Injury, mental health disabilities, bipolar disorder, diabetes, ADHD, fibromyalgia, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, anxiety, sleep disorder, Crohn’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and cystic fibrosis, but there are many others.
There is a wide array of how the definition of hidden disabilities can be understood. But there is also a lack of in-depth definitions which help in understanding the appropriate equipment required to best assist individuals with hidden disabilities. For the purpose of this article the focus will be on mental health conditions like bipolar disorder[2], anxiety[3], post-traumatic Stress[4] disorder and depression[5]. Within a complex society such as India how do we engage with the idea of inclusivity? A voluntary process of indicating to the public that you have hidden disability could be a potential way. The emblem denoting hidden disabilities is represented by the sunflower, universally acknowledged as a symbol for imperceptible or hidden disabilities. Serving as a straightforward means of communication, individuals can utilize, wear, or disseminate this symbol to convey to those in their vicinity that they have a disability or condition not readily visible. Additionally, the symbol signifies that such individuals may require augmented support, comprehension, extended time, or patience in various settings such as retail establishments, workplaces, public transportation, or communal spaces. The sunflower is used globally in awareness initiatives to foster support, respect, and recognition of the fact that certain disabilities evade the immediate visibility[6].
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower’s statistics shows that countries like Canada, Denmark, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Ireland, Latin America, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the UK, the UAE and the USA[7] have incorporated this tool locally. India can be one such country as well. While the tools at hand, on the face of it looks extremely simple and easy to incorporate, that’s not the case. The biggest challenge in any kind of large-scale intervention is awareness building and continuous implementation at all levels. One promising space for this kind of large-scale intervention are education spaces. If we start the process of awareness building at a young age it will be fruitful for the society at large. This can be incorporated as a general knowledge or awareness building period. Wherein the range of invisible and hidden disabilities can be taught for the purpose of building a more inclusive educational space which would transcend into an inclusive society as well.
For a nuanced understanding a comparative approach has been used across four countries to see how existing policies are addressing hidden disabilities. The policies referred to are from Canada, Denmark, Singapore and India. All four countries have signed the UN Conventions on the Rights of Persons with disabilities (2006). The convention states that, “the purpose of the present Convention is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity. Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others”[8].India is the only country that has a detailed list of disabilities which are recognised by the law, whereas Cananda, Denmark and Singapore have broader categorisations of disabilities (physical, mental, sensory, intellectual, cognitive, learning, etc). All four policies emphasise on the aim to eliminate barriers by assistive tools (physical, architectural, technological) to aid people with disabilities in reaching their full potential for equal participation in society.
The following are the main focus points of the policies addressing persons with disabilities in Canada, Singapore and Denmark.
The Accessible Canada Act received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019, and came into force on July 11, 2019. Definitions from the Act. Disability “means any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment—or a functional limitation—whether permanent, temporary or episodic in nature, or evident or not, that, in interaction with a barrier, hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society.”[9]
“Definitions of disabilities vary widely among countries. According to Singapore‘s Enabling Masterplan, persons with disabilities refer to those whose prospects of securing, retaining places and advancing in education and training institutions, employment and recreation as equal members of the community are substantially reduced as a result of physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities as well as autism. As the first-stop and focal agency for disability in Singapore, SG Enable raises awareness on disability issues and facilitates access to disability schemes and services. It brings partners together to share knowledge, collaborate and innovate, striving towards a common goal of building an inclusive Singapore and enabling lives. Set up by the Ministry of Social and Family Development in 2013, it is a registered charity and an Institution of a Public Character”[10].
“This is a key right that expresses the fundamental principle that society must be organised so that persons with disabilities can participate on equal terms with others. The fact that the concept of disability is broad and encompasses all types of impairments means that accessibility must be ensured for people with physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments. The provision states that Denmark has a duty to promote access for persons with disabilities to physical surroundings, transport facilities, information, communication and other facilities accessible to the public. Accessibility thus concerns much more than just accessibility to physical structures”[11].
As can be denoted from the above extracts, they are broad in the defining what disabilities entail. India’s RPWD Act 2016 mentions mental behaviour (mental illness) as a distinct category. The definition states that, “mental illness” means a substantial disorder of thinking, mood, perception, orientation or memory that grossly impairs judgment, behaviour, capacity to recognise reality or ability to meet the ordinary demands of life, but does not include retardation which is a condition of arrested or incomplete development of mind of a person, specially characterised by sub normality of intelligence”[12]. While the meaning is broad and does not specify which mental conditions are under the definition, it can be said that depression, bipolar, PTSD and anxiety can be considered as disabilities within India’s RPWD Act.
In the current digital world, we live in the need for sensitisation of mental conditions is dire. The most rampant concern and issues of mental conditions are the stigma attached to them. All four policies mention the need for awareness building and barrier free participation for persons with disabilities. The prongs for information dissemination have to be multi-layered and tailor made to the diverse terrain India inhabits. One promising suggestion discussed above is the introduction of the sunflower symbol combined with awareness building programs. One can also look at targeted radio and television commercials to reach a larger audience. Awareness building workshops at work spaces, for parents, teachers and the larger public can be strong prong as well. An important overarching core of this intervention would be sensitivity, otherwise the workshops at schools, work places, and public events can be prone to furthering the existing stigma. A well curated workshop which is represented from all aspects (psychologists, persons with disabilities, caregivers, teachers, special education teachers, etc) would be a favourable stepping stone to achieve the larger inclusive society envisioned globally.
[1] norm definition | Open Education Sociology Dictionary
For more detailed definitions of mental health conditions
[2] What is Bipolar Disorder? | SAMHSA
[3] Anxiety – Clinical Methods – NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)
[4] Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic
[5] Depression (major depressive disorder) – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic
[6] hidden disability – Meaning & Definition – Inclusio.io
[7] What is the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower? (hdsunflower.com)
[8] Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities | OHCHR
[9] Summary of the Accessible Canada Act – Canada.ca
[10] Information on Disability in Singapore | SG Enable
[11] Article 9 | Danish Institute for Human Rights (menneskeret.dk)
References
Article 9. (n.d.). Retrieved from The Danish Institue for Human Rights : https://menneskeret.dk/emner/handicap/forstaa-konventionen/artikel-9
Bell, E. K. (2013). Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/norm/
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. (n.d.). Retrieved from United Nations: https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-persons-disabilities
Disability In Singapore. (n.d.). Retrieved from SG Enable: https://www.sgenable.sg/about-us/our-impact/disability-in-singapore#source-link-1
Hidden Disability. (n.d.). Retrieved from inclusio: https://inclusio.io/glossary/hidden-disability
India, G. o. (2016). The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. Retrieved from India Code: https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/2155/1/a2016-49.pdf
John B. Griffin, J. (1990). Chapter 202 Anxiety. In H. W. Walker HK, Clinical Methods: The History, Physical, and Laboratory Examinations. 3rd edition. Boston: Butterworths.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). (n.d.). Retrieved from Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355967#:~:text=Post%2Dtraumatic%20stress%20disorder%20(PTSD)%20is%20a%20mental%20health,uncontrollable%20thoughts%20about%20the%20event
SAMHSA. (n.d.). Bipolar Disorder. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/bipolar#:~:text=Bipolar%20disorder%20is%20a%20serious,thinking%2C%20behavior%2C%20and%20sleep
Sawchuk, C. (n.d.). Depression (major depressive disorder). Retrieved from Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20356007#:~:text=Depression%20is%20a%20mood%20disorder%20that%20causes%20a%20persistent%20feeling,of%20emotional%20and%20physical%20problems
Summary of the Accessible Canada Act. (n.d.). Retrieved from Government of Canada : https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/accessible-canada/act-summary.html
Sunflower, H. D. (n.d.). What is the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower? Retrieved from Hidden Disabilities Sunflower: https://hdsunflower.com/uk/insights/post/for-people-with-non-visible-disabilities
