"According to the National Institutes of Health, an invisible disability is 'a physical, mental, or neurological impairment that is not obvious to others, but may impact upon a person's movements, senses, activities, and day-to-day life.' The adjective 'invisible' in referring to disabilities is juxtaposed with those disabilities that include physical manifestations or markers; a wheelchair or someone missing a limb are such examples of 'visible' disabilities."
"One motivation for doing so is to ensure that various voices and perspectives are not being shut out, and to invite perspectives to participate in doing 'philosophy.' I wish to call your attention to a group often not recognized as worth recording data about: philosophers, particularly graduate students, with invisible disabilities."
"I am myself a doctoral student in philosophy with various invisible disabilities seeking to raise awareness. I have autism, sleep apnea, narcolepsy with cataplexy, and various mental health struggles. After years of being a hyperactive insomniac, I am now chronically exhausted."
Academic institutions like the APA collect demographic data to ensure diverse voices participate in philosophy, yet philosophers with invisible disabilities remain largely unrecognized in these efforts. Invisible disabilities—physical, mental, or neurological impairments not visibly apparent but affecting daily functioning—differ from visible disabilities like mobility aids. The author, a doctoral philosophy student with autism, sleep apnea, narcolepsy with cataplexy, and mental health challenges, advocates for acknowledging this overlooked population. While disability experiences vary widely, invisible disabilities create unique barriers within academic settings. The author emphasizes the need to bring attention to these philosophers' experiences and challenges, motivate institutional reflection on professional practices, and encourage support for this underrepresented group in philosophy.
#invisible-disabilities #philosophy-graduate-students #academic-inclusion #demographic-data-collection #accessibility-barriers
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