Insights, Blogs & News
Join Invisible Disabilities Week: Tell the World We Are Invisible No More
Join Invisible Disabilities Week on Oct. 15-21. By doing so, we are unified in our mission to bring awareness, education and support to our neighborhoods and around the world about invisible disabilities. People often ask what the term invisible disability means. In simple terms, it is a physical, mental or neurological condition that limits a person’s movements, senses, or activities that is invisible to the onlooker. Unfortunately the very fact that these symptoms are invisible, can lead to misunderstandings, false perceptions and judgments. Join Invisible Disabilities Week: Why and How to Define Invisible Disability The term we define, invisible disability, refers to […]
Mandy Harvey Performance of “What a Wonderful World” Wows New Audience
Mandy Harvey performance of “What a Wonderful World,” which took place during her appearance at the Invisible Disabilities Awards Gala in October 2016, was released in July 2017 on YouTube. It has climbed quickly to close to 20,000 views on the Invisible Disabilities YouTube channel. “What a Wonderful World,” featured on Mandy’s jazz album “Smile,” was written by Bob Thiele (as “George Douglas”) and George David Weiss and first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released in 1967 as a single. Armstrong’s recording was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. Another Mandy Harvey performance captured the hearts of America […]
Article Explores Curse of Mystery Diseases, Undiagnosed Symptoms and Genetics
We were immediately drawn into an article written by Brooklyn-based journalist Ed Cara chronicling the experience of twin sisters — Ariella and Sarah Cohen of Philadelphia — plagued with a mysterious array of undiagnosed symptoms that drove them regularly to the emergency room from childhood. Now in their 20’s, the young women suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome as well as other illnesses that the author describes are traditionally categorized as “none of the above” illnesses. Another Frustrating Night in the ER Results in Undiagnosed Symptoms How often have you found yourself driving to the emergency […]
Song Brings Hope: New Single from Mandy Harvey and Pete Ohlin
The Invisible Disabilities Association (IDA) today released the new LIVE performance by Mandy Harvey and Pete Ohlin, “Together.” This special song brings hope to people living with invisible disabilities. The song was created to bring awareness and encouragement to millions who live with illness, pain and injury around the world. Share the video! Download the single, “Together!” A portion of the proceeds go to IDA when you download it here. Two Come “Together” and Their Song Brings Hope One-fifth of Americans live with disabilities. Most of us are quick to recognize these individuals and be helpful when we can. This is pretty easy […]
Seven Realities of the Invisible Becoming Visible — LIVE Conference
People want to know about your illness, so they ask you. You explain it, but they still refuse to believe you. You think, ‘You just asked me and I just told you.’ They are thinking, ‘But they look OK on the outside.’ “The truth is, no one really knows what the illness or injury has damaged. We don’t know what is going on, on the inside. But we need to believe them,” says Wayne Connell, founder and president of the Invisible Disabilities Association . Wayne shares seven points about invisible disabilities and how caregivers, family, and friends can be a source […]
From Defining Invisible Disability to Invisible No More — What is an Invisible Disability?
How do you go about defining invisible disability? Is it a specific illness or condition, such as multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, bipolar disorder, diabetes, a Chiari malformation or syringomyelia? Is it the symptoms of an illness or disability, such as pain or fatigue or neuropathy or brain fog? Why do we even use the phrase? Where did it come from? Isn’t a disability just a disability, no matter if you can see it or not? Are people treated differently because their disability manifests itself visibly? Is having a disability different from being disabled? These are all great questions to ask if […]