Insights, Blogs & News
My Thoughts on Sharing Your Illness with Others
Everyone has a story to share – this is what connects us to one another, no matter our family background or where we come from. No matter what you’ve been through in your life, telling your story is the first step to creating meaningful relationships and building a strong support system. People with invisible illnesses are often misunderstood, blamed, mistreated and judged. When we don’t acknowledge the truth of such illnesses, we are telling these people that they don’t matter or that they have no value. How will people heal if others don’t want to acknowledge that they have an […]
IDA Blog Makes Top 10 Blogs for 2013
IDA blog makes top 10 thanks to the compassion and insight of Invisible Disabilities Association blogger Wayne Connell, founder of IDA, who is a regular contributor on Disability.blog by Disability.gov. The announcement that IDA made the “Top 10 Guest Blogs of 2013” on Disability.Blog by Disability.Gov brings joy to the entire team. We are thrilled to receive this recognition for building awareness and educating others about invisible disabilities! Wayne started writing as a commitment to help others better understand his wife’s challenges with Multiple Sclerosis, Lyme Disease, and Traumatic Brain Injury. This first-hand experience opened his eyes to a far-reaching need and led to the Invisible Disabilities Association. […]
Truly Caring is Healthy
“Why did I decide to found the Invisible Disabilities Association (IDA)?” This question has been posed to me on many occasions. The obvious answer is because of my wife, Sherri. As you may know, Sherri lives daily with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), chronic Lyme disease, chemical injury and traumatic brain injury, as well as severe pain and bone crushing fatigue. I met Sherri in 1992 at the age of 28 after she was officially diagnosed with MS and Lyme disease. I fell in love not only with her, but also with helping other people who are living with invisible disabilities […]
The 17th Mile: Vulnerability, Founder’s Syndrome and My Own Mental Illness
For those of you who know me, you know I am a slow and steady marathon maniac. For the past decade, I run a couple of marathons a year trying to someday run a marathon in all 50 states. For me marathoning is a metaphor for my life: committing to audacious adventures and figuring out how to get there step by step, finding dedicated partners to jog along with me, and riding the adrenaline rush when crossing the finish line. The other metaphor, which has been a focus of my year, is mile 17. At mile 17, I lose hope. […]
IDA Gala Inspires Reporter to Write About Fragrance Etiquette in Public Events
Since the establishment of the Invisible Disabilities Association’s Annual Award Banquets in 2008, we have asked our attendees not to wear perfume, cologne or fragranced lotions. We have done this, because millions of people have reported adverse health affects with exposure to the chemicals in synthetically fragrance products. We would like to share these quite bold and brave articles in response to our fragrance-free event requests. Thank you, Glory! Etiquette by Glory Weisberg, Society Editor the Fleurish Section, The Village Newspaper. The Invisible Disabilities Association has its Honors Banquet, Oct. 24. Verbatim, here’s what’s on their info postcard, which we […]
Invisible Disabilities in the News with IDA Founder, Wayne Connell
Press Release IDA on Comcast News with Beverly Weaver Parker, CO – September 30, 2013. Comcast Newsmakers reporter, Beverly Weaver, interviews Invisible Disabilities Association Founder and President, Wayne Connell about invisible disabilities. This interview aired several times in September 2013. ABOUT THE INVISIBLE DISABILITIES ASSOCIATION The Invisible Disabilities Association (IDA) is a non-profit organization that has been encouraging, educating and connecting people and organizations touched by invisible disabilities around the world since 1997. IDA provides awareness, articles, pamphlets, booklets, radio interviews, videos, seminars, events, resources, an online social network and much more. Contact the IDA Team: Go to the Contact Page on […]