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Hidden disability VS visible disability

AmesXOX

I have visible disability basically its the first thing people see the issue is not my disability its other peoples reactions and discriminations but I here something very common popping up and I don't want to offend anyone but it is annoying me as it is undermining the discrimination that I am a victim of it is disability is not always visible I have actually in the past been called a cripple by someone with a hidden disability so it bothers me that this keeps coming up.

The first reason is employees can now hire someone with a hidden disability and discriminate against someone who looks more disabled and there is actually no way to prove discrimination as they are hiring a disabled person living in the UK we rarely see disabled looking people in jobs I recently go turned down from a job and I confronted them the reason I confronted them was because one of the interviewees asked if I needed any future operations this offended me as able bodied people are not subject to these questions and I was also asked if I could type and write which I can do well my disability is visible on both of my hands but I have adapted well I can pretty much do the same as an able bodied person. When I confronted the women over the phone she told me disability is not always visible and she was also disabled which I don't believe her because it was very clear in the interview that she saw me as a second class citizen.

I do feel managers may look at someone like me and think it will be to controversial to hire someone who looks like me and someone who is attractive and is registered as having a disability will be more likely to be giving a chance I have had really bad experiences in the work place and I feel that the hidden disability is saying that I am some how lucky to not be able to find work and that I am lucky that I cannot date or get married or have a family because I'm classed as deformed that certain groups will exclude me based on how I look I want to find work I don't want to live of benefits I have been on and of work for five years I have good work experience the issue is no employee wants to give me a contract all I get is agency and bank they don't want to give me a contract. Because of how I look people say that all I' m good for is living of benefits, girls are bitches I have been seriously bullied in the work place I don't have the same rights as other UK citizens I am a second class citizen I do my best to try and find work and be positive but when I'm speaking out and the person that is perpetrating the discrimination is also claiming to be disabled them selves its getting even more frustrating I don't want to offend people who have a disability but this is starting to happen no people.

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Comments

Roddy

Hi AmesXOX

I'm sorry to hear about the problems you face, particularly in the workplace. I feel strongly that employment law should be addressed more thoroughly and those that conduct interviews should be trained.

It is natural of all people to notice change or somebody dressed differently for example, and unfortunately many disabled people feel this is being directed towards them due to their obvious disability. However, this should not also mean that we are then treated differently which is I think a major problem and not an easy one to put an end to.

Regarding interviews for any work, it is not wrong to ask if/when your application is unsuccessful, for a reason. You can always suggest that you would like to know so that it will help you when applying for another vacancy. Of course, it's very unlikely that you'll receive 'an totally honest' answer, but it could just make an employer think twice before discriminating another person again.

I hope that you can put what has happened behind you. It is their loss and not yours, as you're most probably excellent at doing what you do and they missed out... Don't give up, as there truly are some nice people out there, who are understanding to anybody's disabilities and are willing to accommodate them too in the workplace.

AmesXOX

Hi thanks for your reply but the issue I am facing is most people think I'm good for nothing except claiming benefits and living in a council estate.

I have found there is allot of politics around disability and I have even felt discriminated against by other people that are disabled like mental health and hidden disability and I feel employees will favour a hidden disabled person over someone with a very visible disability there is no data held on issues like this as disability is disability so when I voice these concerns I'm not really being listened to we associate disability with benefits way to much and the issue is people with a more visible disability will have an easier time claiming benefits which I feel this is where this resentment stems from the hidden disabled however in the work place it is interviewees will think I need surgery I cannot write or type and now there is new politics so apparently I'm suppose to be grateful that my disability is the first thing people see and I'm a second class citizen. .

sparkle22

Hiya you explain really well the difficulties you face with a visible disability, and I'll be honest as someone with a hidden disability myself, it hadn't occurred to me that there are a different set of difficulties that people with visible difficulties face. The immediate discrimination is something you will suffer from more, no doubt about it, which you are noticing in your life, where as my main difficulty is people expecting me to act in a certain way (act normal), when I cant, and when I explain I cant they dont believe my reasons. They expect me to think and act like a person who isnt disabled because I dont look disabled. I also totally get what you say about being able to get a job more easily etc but if you cant do the job, because of a hidden disability then getting the job is a bit of a useless skill. A hidden disability is hard too, but its just hard in different ways, and I'll be honest I've wished that my hidden disability was visible, just so people would believe me, believe that I'm struggling and I'm not 'faking it'. So my discrimination is different to yours, its an ongoing lifelong struggle to be believed, to have to try and convince people, despite my outward appearance that I have a disability, and yours is a lifelong struggle to try and convince people that despite outward appearances you have value and you're not 'just' your disability. Its hard for both of us x

AmesXOX

I get where your coming from I have had the worst year of my life honesty I feel the benefit system is part of the problem it oppresses people and it does not solve the social issue the UK government keeps throwing money but they are doing very little to raise any kind of awareness about disability other than people with a disabilities claim benefits and that upsets me so much the media keeps printing stories about benefit cheats which makes able bodied people even more hostile towards anyone with a disability.

Misscleo

If brought this subject up so many times on here.
Like people who park in disabled bays yet they can clearly walk
And they know disable people wont beable to park yet these planks still dump themselves in disable bays.
And if had that problem you spoke of where we treated like 2nd citizen because we have a disability that can be seen.
Hate crime against disable people is another thing that happens a lot.
The binmen in Birmingham refused to collect disable people rubbish for 6 weeks. Yet they collected able bodied people rubbish in the same roads.
Disability hate crime needs to be stepped up. They should go to jail for attacks on disabled people but the police wont prosecute these cowards

sparkle22

AmesXOX said:

I get where your coming from I have had the worst year of my life honesty I feel the benefit system is part of the problem it oppresses people and it does not solve the social issue the UK government keeps throwing money but they are doing very little to raise any kind of awareness about disability other than people with a disabilities claim benefits and that upsets me so much the media keeps printing stories about benefit cheats which makes able bodied people even more hostile towards anyone with a disability.

This is exactly it. The government are trying (in my opinion) to divide people, and to turn people against each other, the programmes like 'benefits street' are absolutely disgusting, they are trying to turn the 'normal' people against all groups that claim benefits, like they are a lower class of people that they can feel superior too and that most of them are just benefit cheats, which just isnt true.
When I was growing up, there was a lot of media coverage about disability discrimination, but I havent seen much other than the 'hidden disability' campaigns recently, and there shouldn't be a separation in my opinion. It should be "dont discriminate on disability whether visible or hidden", we dont need separate campaigns we need bringing together as a group, not separating.

Maybe you could write to your MP and tell him your concerns, whether it would help I dont know, but it wouldn't do any harm.

Misscleo, I dont know anything about the bin situation in Birmingham, but that does sound like discrimination, you should try and get advice maybe ask the council, because that is really unfair. I cant drive due to my illness, so I dont encounter the parking issues you face but people can be very selfish, and not even consider their impact on others. There are also people with hidden disabilities that are allowed to use a disabled space, but they would have any relevant badges etc