14:10, 16 May 2025
Words by Abi Scaife, Staff Writer, London
“Disability doesn’t discriminate. Anyone can become disabled at any point in their life. It's important to recognise how disability intersects with other aspects of identity, such as being LGBTQIA+, Black, Indigenous, or a person of colour, or living in poverty, and to ensure those experiences are part of the conversation."
When you read the word ‘disabled’, what comes to mind?
Do you envision a wheelchair user? With hearing aids? Maybe they are using crutches?
While none of those images are inherently wrong, the reality is that they only tell a fraction of the story. When it comes to disability, the truth is often so much more complex.
The numbers make it easier to understand; according to one study, around 80% of disabilities are ‘hidden’; that is, there aren’t any immediate, outward signs that signify someone as ‘disabled’.
“We have a very fixed idea of what disability is,” says Dayna Halliwell-Roberts, better known on Instagram and TikTok as DyslexicDayna. “When someone doesn’t fit that box, we don’t know how to interact.”
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and, by apt coincidence, this month also contains a myriad of awareness days for various illnesses and disabilities, including many that are classified as invisible.
Lupus, Fibromyalgia, ME - all these illnesses are affecting thousands of people across the UK every day, but because they don’t fit into a traditional mould of disability, they, and by extension those who have them, go unseen.
According to the CDC, not only does having a chronic condition or long-term disability contribute to social isolation, but that isolation and loneliness can put people more at risk for mental health concerns like depression and anxiety.
When the struggles that make up your day-to-day go unseen, you become isolated. As Dayna puts it, you can feel ‘insignificant’.
“I’m neurodivergent, but I also have a physical health condition, and one doesn’t exclude the other,” says Dayna. “They’re always constantly intertwined in how I experience and live my life.”
Dayna gives the example of experiencing pain caused by her chronic illness, particularly in a public space. This physical pain can trigger a sensory overload, related to her neurodivergence, which in turn, makes it difficult for her to verbalise her needs. In public spaces, like commuter transport, this can pose problems; some of them are serious safety concerns.
Luckily, there are entities that can help. The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower scheme is one of the best-known projects dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities, as well as educating members of the public.
Aimed at helping those with disabilities that are often hidden, the Sunflower is a globally recognised project that allows you to take your accessibility into your own hands.
When an individual is wearing the Sunflower - in the form of a lanyard, pin, card or other signifier, it lets those around them know that they have a hidden disability and require a little more patience and understanding. This is particularly useful for those that, like Dayna, sometimes aren’t able to verbalise their needs.
Personalised Sunflower cards can add details, using symbols to signify areas where you may need accommodations. These icons can be as specific as indicating you need urgent bathroom access, or as generalised as asking for more time to complete tasks.
One of the pitfalls of disability assistance is that it often requires sacrifice on the part of the disabled persons. Whether that be having to divulge medical histories to non-medical personnel, having to discuss things you inherently find difficult with complete strangers, or trying to work around inaccessible facilities, the onus is always on that person.
With The Sunflower, especially the new Sunflower Extra card, you can give information on your own terms.
“The Sunflower was actually the first thing I could access when I first became unwell,” adds Dayna. “It was the first thing I didn’t need to prove anything for.”
For Dayna, one of the key ways our society can positively impact the mental health of those with chronic or hidden disabilities, is firstly, through education; secondly, through increased access to mental health services; and thirdly, by acknowledging that not only are disabilities not always visible, but they are complex, and do not exist in a vacuum.
This Mental Health Awareness month, remember your friends with invisible illnesses and ask yourself what you can do to help make the world a more accepting place.
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
Sense. Sense helps thousands of people who have complex disabilities to communicate, experience the world and fulfil their potential. Learn more here.
Scope. Scope is the disability equality charity in England and Wales, providing practical information and emotional support when it's most needed, campaigning to create a fairer society. Support them here.
Disability Rights UK. Disability Rights UK is the UK’s leading organisation led by, run by, and working for disabled people. Find out more.
This article aligns with the UN SDGs Good Health and Wellbeing and Partnership for the Goals.
