Introduction

In general, when most people think of disability, the image of a person in a wheelchair comes to mind. It's the image we see all around us marking parking spots, spaces to be prioritized on the bus. In recent years, the public understanding of disability has expanded to include the less visible, typically referred to as situational or invisible disability. In 2017, the Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) found that an estimated one in five Canadians (or 6.2 million) aged 15 years had one or more disabilities*. This study includes other disabilities such as memory and learning disorders, however the statistic demonstrates how prevalent the issue is. As many countries are experiencing an aging population, there has been an increase in public awareness for aging in place, and adapting homes to allow people to stay at home for longer. As a relatively younger person (I am in my thirties), I see the need for this adaptation now, to support our multi-generational home. Additionally, adapting our homes to accomodate the climate changes that have already begun to impact us is also relevant to creating supportive spaces.

not all disabilities are visible

#ThinkOutsideTheChair

As someone who lives with multiple invisible disabilities, I am hoping to share my experience as both a designer and person in need of supportive spaces. My main experience is with chronic nerve pain that occasionally causes debilitating conditions. Most days I can walk; some days I cannot and need support to hold myself up. Sometimes pain and headaches cause extreme dizziness, nausea, light and sound sensitivity, other days these are not prominent. All this to say that these occasional disabilities can be completely invisible to most people yet affect my ability to function. This is what creates a whole subsection of society I call “Invisible Inbetweeners” which is not the visible, understandable disabilities most accessability design is targeted for. Hidden and debilitating conditions that impact living.

Most people who deal with this type of condition refer to ourselves as ‘Spoonies’. Here is a great visual explanation.

Previous to the accident that created my current condition, I had studied accessible design, worked on commercial and healthcare spaces that used academic guides - and believed I had a good understanding of it. The lived experience of being in a wheelchair temporarily, needing a walker, and bouncing back and forth between a visible and invisible condition has completely changed my perspective.

I hope this journal provides a space for conversation and ideas on how to design your space to support yourself better. If you are experiencing a design challenge with your space, let's try to figure out how to make it work. For designers reading this - I hope this provides a different perspective on how to accommodate more people, in a wider definition of universal design.

Through this blog I will try to provide design concepts to support living with mainly mobility and pain based invisible disabilities such as; Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Endometriosis, Chronic Fatigue, Chronic Pain, Migraines, Vertigo and POTS. I will touch on the cognitive issues that stem from pain, such as memory and how that can add to the physical constraints. As mentioned above, climate change needs to be addressed as part of this adaptive design, and where possible I will add this to my posts. It is important to note that each person experiencing chronic pain, fatigue or other invisible disability will always have their own unique perspective.

There is no one size fits all solution. 

When new information is added to a specific post; it will be noted in the PostScript.

*https://canadianequality.ca/invisible-disabilities-in-the-workplace/