- 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

People with invisible disabilities often feel that there is a challenge to prove they have a disability. It is suggested that individuals need to defend their diagnoses and prove that it exists. 

Invisible disabilities and Employment Stigma

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

Visible 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. 

State University of New York at Binghamton

This systematic review explores invisible disabilities in higher education, focusing on students' disclosure decisions and their academic impacts. Students often choose not to disclose their invisible disabilities due to stigma and previous negative experiences, creating a paradox where "what is unseen does not exist." This non-disclosure leads to substantial academic and personal challenges for affected students. The research identifies common barriers these students face and examines factors that promote their academic success. Personal resilience and informal support networks play crucial roles in student outcomes. However, the review emphasizes that systemic institutional change is essential, particularly through inclusive teaching practices such as Universal Design for Learning and mandatory faculty training. These systemic approaches are necessary to transform risks into opportunities and ensure all students can thrive in higher education environments.

When what is unseen does not exist: disclosure, barriers and supports for students with invisible disabilities in higher education

Disability exists as both a hypervisible and invisible experience. Space, time, costs, and relationality make disability a in/visible experience. For instance there are times disabled individuals are asked to make their needs hypervisible - pleading case to ten people for accommodations. Yet, disability can also be invisible, often disabled workers are pushed to work remotely, pushed out of public life, or forced to mask their disabled experience and pain. There are also times were in/visibility collides for instance since in the United States most meetings are taken when sitting a disabled worker who uses crutches might be asked "what happened?" when they stand up using crutches after a meeting despite the fact that they have used crutches for years.

Invisibility and Hypervisibility of Disability 

While not all disabilities can fit neatly into one category, these categories generally encapsulate the types of disabilities through the Impairment Dimension.

-	Cognitive / Intellectual 
-	Chronic Illnesses 
-	Developmental
-	Mental 
-	Physical / Sensory
-	Speech / Communication


Types of Disabilities

Moriña, A. (2024). When what is unseen does not exist: disclosure, barriers and supports for students with invisible disabilities in higher education. Disability & Society, 39(4), 914-932. DOI: 10.1080/09687599.2022.2113038

Reference: When what is unseen does not exist: disclosure, barriers and supports for students with invisible disabilities in higher education

Invisible Disability

University students must proactively disclose their disability to receive legally mandated accommodations like varied learning materials or differentiated assessments. For students with invisible disabilities, disclosure presents a significant dilemma. Research consistently shows that the majority prefer not to disclose their condition, even when it means renouncing legal support and accommodations they're entitled to. This preference has persisted over decades, with disclosure described as "a complicated issue" left to individual student choice. The prevalence of non-disclosure is evident: among 1431 students in reviewed studies, the majority (n = 1274) didn't specify their invisible disability type, preferring to remain undisclosed even in research contexts.

The Non-Disclosure Dilemma of Invisible Disabilities in Higher Education

- Personal Barriers
- Faculty-Related Barriers
- Organizational and Systemic Barriers
- Social Barriers

Barriers to Support in Higher Education for Students with Invisible Disabilities

- Personal Factors
- External/Contextual Factors

Supports for Academic Success of Students Invisible with Disabilities

Abnormalities in the development of the nervous system that are influenced by both our genes and the environment. Developmental disorders commonly manifest as behavioral abnormalities.

Developmental Disorders

Physical and sensory disabilities are defined by physical or sensory impairments to a person's functioning.

Physical/Sensory disabilities

Developmental or acquired impairments to an individual’s speech, language, or hearing. Some individuals may face impairments in more than one area.

Speech/Communication Disabilities

Also called psychological disorders, these are disorders rooted in mental thought patterns that impair the person's functioning, with specific disorders having their own disgnostic criteria. 

Mental Disorders/Mental Illnesses

Chronic illnesses (also referred to as chronic disease or condition) is a condition that lasts for a year or more and requires frequent medical care. Chronic conditions can effect or limit the activities in one's daily life.

Chronic Illness

These include a variety of disabilities that affect cognitive/intellectual ability and functioning.

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