Invisible impairments: Dilemmas of concealment and disclosure

Abstract

People with invisible impairments have choices as whether or not to reveal or conceal their impairments in social interaction. They may pass for “normal” if they silence impairment and disability experiences. Social conventions support silence. Disclosing impairments may occur in many circumstances, for many reasons and may have many ramifications. People with invisible impairments and the dilemmas they face have received little attention in disability research. This article discusses concealment and disclosure of invisible impairments as ongoing processes with an emphasis on performance, motivation and context. © 2008 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.