How invisible is an invisible disability?

When you hear the word ‘disability’ what do you think? Chances are you think of a visible disability such as the need to use a wheelchair, walking with a guide dog, or someone who is an amputee. There is much more to disability than what you can see. Disability can also be invisible, sometimes called a ‘hidden disability’.

There are 4.4 million Australians who have a disability and 90% of them have an invisible disability.

The list of invisible disabilities includes psychological conditions, MS, autism, ADHD, arthritis, brain injuries, diabetes, epilepsy, cognitive and learning disabilities, chronic pain and fatigue and more.

In this panel we unpack the myths regarding invisible disabilities, how they can impact student life, hear about the lived experiences of an invisible disability from current students and learn about support available at the University.

Stephanie Mantilla will be discussing the broad nature of invisible disability and why sometimes invisible disabilities are thought of as less legitimate disabilities even though most Australians with a disability have an invisible disability. She will address some common misconceptions associated with invisible disabilities (e.g., if they’re always invisible) and the experiences of people with invisible disability (e.g., if they should be expected to disclose their invisible disabilities). Stephanie will suggest some ways that we can be more inclusive of people with invisible disability in our everyday lives and across university life. In making these suggestions she will highlight the importance of adopting empathetic and flexible approaches in our everyday lives.

Two first year students will share their experiences of studying with an invisible disability.

The team from Inclusion and Disability Services will explain support available at the University and how to access it.

About the Speakers:

• Dagmar Kminiak, Manager – Inclusion and Disability Services will host the talk.

• Stephanie Mantilla is a third year PhD student at the University of Sydney who is passionate about raising awareness about invisible disabilities. Her research focuses on understanding the experiences of people with invisible disability and examining the representation of people with invisible disability in the media. Her PhD thesis examines how we can improve health social media campaigns so that they are more inclusive of people with invisible disability. Stephanie is the 2021 recipient of the ANZCA Christopher Newell Prize for her research that examines disability and the media. She has also previously published work that examine the nature of the representation of people with invisible disability in Australian television.

• Katie Barton is a first year Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Advanced Studies student studying through the Taronga Wildlife Conservation stream.

• Edward Cairns is a first year student in the Sydney Medical Program