{"id":2632,"date":"2024-02-01T10:23:56","date_gmt":"2024-02-01T10:23:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/justice-speaks.org\/?p=2632"},"modified":"2025-11-26T18:45:21","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T18:45:21","slug":"service-dogs-for-invisible-disabilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/justice-speaks.org\/service-dogs-for-invisible-disabilities\/","title":{"rendered":"Service Dogs for Invisible Disabilities"},"content":{"rendered":"

Service dogs first emerged as a method to assist visually impaired people. However, over time, their role has expanded from being simple guide dogs for people who are blind, and they are now trained to help people with hearing impediments and physical limitations, as well as those with invisible disabilities like PTSD and autism. So, unless someone has an obvious disability, it’s hard to know what the service dog is doing to help. However, this does not mean they don’t need the dog.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is an Invisible Disability?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Disabilities cannot always be seen. Unfortunately, when people think about the term, they often imagine a person in a wheelchair or with a walking cane. Yet, most conditions that we don’t think of as disabilities, such as asthma and mental health conditions, are actually in that category. It is estimated that out<\/span> of the over 42 million Americans with a severe disability, 96% of those disabilities are invisible<\/span><\/a>. This means they do not use any obvious assistive devices, so disability cannot be determined solely by whether or not a person uses them.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) considers a disability to be any physical or mental impairment that limits one or more major life activities. Disability can also be described as living with a challenge that makes it difficult to perform certain daily life functions. Therefore, invisible disability refers to forms of disabilities that don’t manifest in ways that are immediately noticeable to others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The<\/span> Invisible Disabilities Association (IDA) succinctly defines invisible disability<\/span><\/a> as a physical, mental, or neurological condition that is not noticeable from the outside but can limit or challenge a person’s movements, senses, or activities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Common Characteristics of Non-Visible Disabilities\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Invisible, silent, or non-visible disabilities have several characteristics that make them challenging to identify. Thousands of illnesses, disorders, injuries, or impairments can make day-to-day life much harder. Some common indicators of hidden disabilities include:<\/span><\/p>\n