The Invisible Disabilities Page

Welcome to the Invisible Disabilities Page! This page is aimed to those of us who have diseases, disorders and disabilities that aren't visible to most people and are misunderstood, or even met by hostility by society at large.

As a hearing-impaired, vision-impaired person with ADD, I have had plenty of experience (too much) from this perspective. While there are many good disability pages, some of which I've included here, none have spoken from this view.

This page is for all people with disabilities who want to understand each other a bit better without falling for the stereotypes so often held against them by others within the disabled community, and society at large.

The Inivisible Disability mailing list.

IMPORTANT: If you're looking for medical advice, please read my disclaimer.

Be sure to read the guest essays.

If you're concerned about free speech and the possible implications for this site, read my essay, Paranoia Revisited.

Essays

The Invisible Disability FAQ and Essay
A FAQ list and essay about why I put up this page.
Our Own Media, Our Own Story
A few years ago, I was involved with a video production project with a local disability advocacy organization. The project tanked after 6 episodes for various reasons, and I'm no longer with the group, but I still think it's a good essay.
Is Clubhouse Philosophy Breaking Down?
This is an essay I wrote when I was a member of a mental-health clubhouse, about the nasty way that some people with disabilities treat others who aren't as "disabled" as they are. This essay inspired this web site years later.
Book Review: "The Truth About Addiction and Recovery"
An essay, also written at the clubhouse, reviewing Dr. Stanton Peele's book that challenges conventional addiction treatment dogma.

Guest Essays

"Coming Home To Disabled Country"
by Sarah Triano and Laura Obara

Many people with invisible disabilities have experienced discrimination at the hands of people without disabilities. Yet there is nothing more bitter or disheartening than to be discriminated against by your own people. If you work at a disability organization and you are not angry after reading this, you don't belong in the business.

Notable Links

"Crip Caste"
An excellent New Mobility article about the hidden but prevalent pecking order within the disability community.
America's War on the Disabled
This is a frightening, dehumanizing account of one person's dealings with Social Security Disability. The full book is available on line, and I strongly recommend reading it if you or someone you know is/has been on SSI.

Searching for Medical Information

This page is focused on the social and political aspects of disability, invisible or otherwise. Because of this, and because there are so many disabling conditions that are invisible, I'm no longer able to maintain a list. However, there are several other websites that do focus on medical aspects of disability that you can find on my search page.

Have something you want to say? Mail me! You might see it here! I'm looking for comments, links, and anything on your mind!


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Invisible Disability Search
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David Moisan
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Copyright © 1996-2003, David Moisan
Last updated on November 23rd, 2003
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