Exploring the Hardships and Stigma Students With Invisible Disabilities Face

Over 42 million Americans are considered to have a severe disability, and 96% of these are hidden (Forbes). Invisible disabilities are impairments that come with few visual identifiers and are unapparent to an outside observer (Boskovich). When these individuals with invisible disabilities are students, they struggle because they do not receive the help they need to succeed. Many students with invisible disabilities either are not identified as having them or choose not to disclose them because of stigma. This can cause students to be underrepresented in the student body, and it can affect the number of accommodations they receive.

Review of literature

Identifying Students With Invisible Disabilities is Difficult

Before teachers and schools can do anything to help students with invisible disabilities, they first need to identify them. This is difficult to do if a student is masking or disguising their disabilities (Boskovich). For example, although learning disabilities are the most common form of disability in education, affecting 1 of 5 students, only a third of those students have been identified (Barto). Learning disabilities are the most common hidden disability in education affecting 1 out 5 students, but only a third of those students have been identified (Barto).  In fact, younger students themselves may not be aware that they have disabilities until they are older, further complicating the task of identifying invisible disabilities (Johnson). Race and ethnicity tend to complicate the ability of others to identify students possessing disabilities, invisible or not. Asian and Pacific Islander, compared to White, students are under-identified as having an invisible disability and do not receive the proper accommodations (Sullivan et al 449 & 453). This is because "teachers are less likely to perceive Asian students as having disabilities than they are of students from other racial and ethnic groups” (Sullivan et al 451 & 452). It then puts these students at a disadvantage as teacher referrals are usually the primary way students access special education services. 

Stigma Associated With Having an Invisible Disability 

Throughout history some people judge or bully those who are different, and this fact is no different among students with invisible disabilities. A study showed that children with invisible disabilities are two to three times more likely to be bullied than other kids (Caralee). Some people even say “but you don’t look disabled” to those with hidden disabilities (Disability and Higher Education). These statements undermine the struggles people with invisible disabilities face. In higher education students who received academic support are stigmatized when they disclose their invisible disability to faculty and students (Mamboleo et al 44). Mamboleo et al (43) agree that students with invisible disabilities receive judgment from other students, but they state that teachers contribute just as much or even more towards the unwanted stigma to those with invisible disabilities.In fact, faculty were found to have exhibited a negative attitude towards students with invisible disabilities. On top of this,  In South Korea, for example, 60% of respondents said that there is still discrimination towards people with invisible disabilities (Shin & Choi). These various forms of stigma cause students to not disclose their invisible disabilities, giving them a disadvantage in education. 

Students With Invisible Disabilities are Underrepresented

As I have mentioned before, students who have invisible disabilities are underrepresented in the school and/or disability populations. A study by Shin and Choi states that the number of students who are identified as having an invisible disability makes up only 0.02% of the school population. They even show that “in 2019, only 1.5% of students receiving special education support were identified as having learning disabilities,” which are the most common invisible disability. In an article subtitled “But You Don’t Look Disabled: Legitimizing Invisible Disabilities,” the authors point out that, even at the college and university levels, students with invisible disabilities are the most marginalized, vulnerable, and excluded groups on campus (“Disability and Higher Education”).

Why Students With Invisible Disabilities Face a Lack of Accommodations

Studies have also shown that students with mild disabilities receive less attention than those with more severe disabilities (Shin & Choi). Teachers and schools see those with severe disabilities and thus accommodate them more. Many students with invisible disabilities do not receive the accommodations they need and are entitled to. Part of the problem is that, even though these disabilities "are legally documented, their invisible nature, along with the stigma sometimes associated with having any disability, keeps many students from requesting the accommodations they need" (Bohanon). Another problem is that parents of students with invisible disabilities do not know about the accommodations available to them. Venville et al states that the reason many students do not receive accommodations is because they do not know how or where to access them (572). Others state that the main challenges students face when requesting and utilizing accommodations are a lack of instructor understanding, judgment from students, and improper facilitation by instructors (Mamboleo et al 43). Bohanon, Venville, and Mamboleo disagree on exactly why there is a lack of accommodations, but they all agree that this is a problem that needs to be corrected. When students with invisible disabilities are not being identified, are not disclosing their conditions, and are not finding resources, their academic performances and their ability to be accepted socially will continue to be jeopardized. 

Conclusion

Experts agree that the treatment of students with invisible disabilities is a problem that needs to be fixed. However, they provide different reasons to show how students with invisible disabilities are underrepresented and are not receiving the proper accommodations. The end result is students not reaching a level playing field socially or academically. These sources suggest that schools should create a more inclusive environment to allow students to feel safer disclosing their invisible disabilities and should provide teachers with greater resources and support to foster those students’ continued education and growth.