Guidance

DPTAC position statement on non-visible disabilities

Published 8 August 2020

The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) was established by the Transport Act 1985 and is the government’s statutory advisor on issues relating to transport provision for disabled people.

DPTAC’s vision is that disabled people should have the same access to transport as everybody else, to be able to go where everyone else goes and to do so easily, confidently and without extra cost.

DPTAC is frequently asked:

• what is a non-visible disability?
• why has DPTAC chosen to use the term ‘non-visible disabilities?
• what difficulties might people with non-visible disabilities experience when travelling?

This is DPTAC’s first position statement to explain the reasoning behind its use of the term ‘non-visible disabilities’.

Visible and non-visible disabilities

Disabilities occur in many different forms. Some people will experience a disability that is outwardly visible to others, whilst others will experience a disability that has no, or little, outward visible signs. Many people will experience a combination of these.

As you walk down the street or travel by bus or train, you may instantly recognise that a person is disabled. For example, they may:

• be in a wheelchair
• have difficulty walking
• carry a white stick

They have a visible disability. However, as you look around there may be equally as many, if not more, disabled people you cannot see. For example, they may have autism, a disabling mental health condition, or be living with significant chronic pain. They have a non-visible disability. Having a non-visible disability can be just as life-affecting for a person as a visible one.

Disability statistics

According to the Family Resources Survey (UK) 2018 to 2019, 21% of people have a disability (1 in 5).

Of those people who reported a disability:

• 48% have mobility difficulties (1 in 2)
• 36% experience stamina/breathing/fatigue difficulties (1 in 3)
• 27% experience mental health difficulties (1 in 4)
• 16% experience memory problems (1 in 6)
• 13% experience hearing loss (1 in 8)
• 12% have a sight impairment (1 in 8)
• 14% have learning difficulties (1 in 7)

It’s impossible to split these statistics into visible and non-visible disabilities. For example, some people living with breathing difficulties may not have any outward signs of their disability, but others might.

What is a non-visible disability?

There is a wide range of disabilities that are not necessarily ‘visible’ to other people. DPTAC has created the following list after careful thought and consultation. We believe it broadly covers the main range of non-visible disabilities.

Non-visible disabilities may include:

• mental health conditions – for example, anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia, personality disorders
• autism and Asperger syndrome
• sensory processing difficulties
• cognitive impairment, such as dementia, traumatic brain injury, learning disabilities
• ‘non-visible’ physical health conditions, such as chronic pain, respiratory conditions, diabetes, incontinence
• hearing loss
• low or restricted vision

DPTAC believe it’s important to emphasise that there is no strict delineation between visible and non-visible disabilities and to remember that sometimes people experience a combination of both. For example, a person in a wheelchair may also have a mental health difficulty.

Why has DPTAC chosen to use the term ‘non-visible disability’?

There are several terms used to describe disabilities that are not visually obvious. These include:

• non-visible disabilities
• invisible disabilities
• less-visible disabilities
• hidden disabilities

DPTAC has decided to standardise on the term ‘non-visible disabilities’ after the following concerns were expressed:

• ‘hidden disability’ implies that people are purposefully hiding their disability
• ‘invisible disability’ implies that the disability is in that person’s head, and doesn’t really exist
• ‘less visible disability’ implies that the disability is partially visible, whereas in most cases it’s not visible at all

DPTAC believes it would be helpful to standardise terminology to non-visible disabilities.

Travelling by public transport

Everyone’s disability, whether visible, non-visible or a combination of both, will affect them in different ways. Some will be confident travellers and happy to seek support if required, whilst others will be more anxious and reticent. Unfortunately, some will find the thought of using public transport so overwhelming they cannot even step out of their front door.

Potential support needs for disabled people are wide and varied. For example, some people may:

• need reassurance from staff when services are delayed or disrupted
• need a seat and it doesn’t matter which one
• need to sit in a particular seat
• need to wait in quiet areas
• become overwhelmed in crowds and need staff reassurance and assistance
• need clear straightforward speech
• need support planning a trip, buying tickets and reserving seats
• need to be allowed to keep hold of their ticket rather than passing to staff for ticket inspection
• need help carrying any additional equipment and/or luggage or getting on and off the train
• need a ramp deployed
• need know where the toilets are and how they work

Everybody is different.

Historic emphasis on visible disability

In terms of supporting people to travel, whether that is by rail, bus, taxi, road or other, it’s probably fair to say that historically there has been greater attention paid to supporting people with visible disabilities to travel rather than those with non-visible disabilities. There has been an emphasis on:

• ramp deployment
• wheelchair spaces
• priority seats
• step-free access

However, there is now an increasing awareness that efforts also need to be focused on assisting travellers who have non-visible disabilities. There needs to be greater equity of support available. Increased support is needed for travellers with, for example:

• autism
• mental health difficulties
• dementia
• learning difficulties

The improvements made to support people with non-visible disabilities are also likely to support those with visible disabilities.

DPTAC is pleased that there is now an increased awareness about the difficulties people with non-visible disabilities face, and there is an increasing level of support for people with a wider range of disabilities who might find travel difficult. DPTAC strongly encourages this to continue.