Hiding a disability is terrible

Post Reply New Topic

Society often demands it though.

It often would rather I be angry than disabled.

Try to remember that you don't have to hide it from those who love you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=524VlYD0PVw

I don't hide it at all. In fact I'm very open about it. If I saw someone I barely knew. I wouldn't mind telling them that I have autism. I don't get what's wrong with that.

A lot of people think revealing an invisible disability is people making excuses for their bad behavior or they start infantilizing you. And despite laws prohibiting it revealing autism can put one's job in jeopardy because companies are fearful of you suing them, hacking their company, shooting up the office, and the price and effort of accommodations.

Hiding who you are can be very damaging mentally and eventually physically.

We often in a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation

But there are people and employers that are very accepting and accommodating.

One has to make a judgment for each situation

I understand where you come from, I would try to hide my disability with certain people just because there's not everyone can be trusted.

We shouldn't have to hide being on the spectrum. That's like a blind person being forced to hide the fact that they can't see. But I have only "a dash of autism", so most people have no clue unless I tell them anyway, which I usually only do if I feel it's necessary because I don't even know them.

I personally don't think people will be mad at me that I have autism. They would understand that I'll have some problems that makes things harder and slower for me. So when I'm at work. I'll flat out say that I have autism.

As far as I'm concerned, not hiding it is even more terrible.
Best case scenario of people knowing = unconscious bias.

I like the comparison to a prosthetic leg. Compare the daily interactions of walking around with a prosthetic covered vs uncovered. Most people don't like being treated differently, I myself, can't stand it.

I'm 47 and have never told a sole about my Asperger's.

And I still live with both parents.

it's terrible, makes me feel like giving up

i feel ashamed ever ask for help or accommodation, to expose myself like that.

While I understand that is something that could not be done today due to cable news and social media it still must have been very difficult for President Franklin Roosevelt to hide from the public that he used a wheelchair for 12 years.

People were aware that FDR was disabled. It's just that they didn't really know to what extent. In fact, when he was running for POTUS, one of the concerns was about whether he is capable of doing his duties as POTUS with his disability.

In public, he "walked" with concealed leg braces, a cane, and being supported by his son's arm. They also portrayed him as having "triumphed" over polio. A cane was more acceptable to the public than a wheelchair, so FDR was very strict about not being photographed or videotaped in his wheelchair. In private, he used a wheelchair and could barely put on his pants by himself.

A video about how FDR walked.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3Obl1x0HgE

I told my stupid sister and she told he idiot husband whom she would later have a bitter divorce with.
He would then use that as part of his child custody battle saying our side of the family was defective.

Should I have told her in the first place ?
Probably not if I could go back in time.