According to the WHO’s World Report on Disability 2011, 15 percent of the world’s population lives with disabilities. In the current situation, those who have recovered from COVID-19 too are expected to face certain health-related issues and we need to be aware of these as well as sensitize our teams. It’s important that we are aware of invisible disabilities, which include but are not limited to the following (Also, check out this infographic on the 4 most common invisible disabilities at the workplace):

Mental health disorders: Mental health conditions such as anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and even obsessive-compulsive disorder can be debilitating for an employee.

Chronic pain and fatigue: Chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia can affect a person’s movements. People with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) could have symptoms ranging from muscle pain and anxiety to sleeping disorders.

Neurological disorders: Neurological disabilities include epilepsy and brain tumours. Those with neurological disorders could have symptoms such as muscle weakness, poor coordination, loss of sensation, seizures, confusion, pain and altered levels of consciousness.

Intellectual and developmental disabilities: These disabilities include autism spectrum disorders (ASD). They could cause an employee to have difficulties in expressing themselves through words, gestures, signs and show affection.

Invisible disabilities like chronic pain or neurological conditions can impact how people approach their work. Here’s how you can be a responsible co-worker and support colleagues with invisible disabilities:

Whether or not your organization speaks about and has policies in place for people with invisible disabilities, you can aim to judge less and accept more.

Progressive organizations strive to move toward creating a culture of equality. As managers and peers, it is important for us not to limit our knowledge to only visible inclusion.

A responsible manager or colleague would be one who is genuinely inclusive of the diverse needs of their peers. Inclusion in the real sense moves beyond gender, ethnicity, diverse work groups and disability.

Let’s remember that pain is personal and just because you can’t see it, does not mean your colleague does not feel it!