Why saying 'You don't look sick' is not a compliment (Enable: The Disability Podcast)

Have you ever heard someone say "you don't look sick" or "you don't look like you have a disability?" It may be well-intentioned as a compliment, but it's not helpful language. In this episode of "Enable: The Disability Podcast," co-hosts Geoff "DeafGeoff" Herbert and Kurt Hower discuss how so-called "invisible disabilities" are treated by others, how to be respectful and helpful, the spoon theory, and the unseen struggles of people with arthritis, autoimmune disorders, chronic illness, hearing loss, and other different abilities. "People with autoimmune diseases, often they're in pain 24/7," Kurt said. "Psoriasis is one of those things people they tend to cover it up with their clothing. So it's not necessarily something that you can see. But what goes along with that is pain and inflammation. So we just need to be more aware that there are people out there that have disabilities that are dealing with chronic illness, and we just need to be more mindful of that." Referenced in this episode - watch our previous interviews with: "Blind & Bored" content creator Hannah Weymouth https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x0q2M0BZ5Y MS and chronic illness advocate Nicole Pedra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtonRypZdzA “Enable: The Disability Podcast,” which highlights amazing people with disabilities and different abilities, releases new episodes weekly on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. Follow facebook.com/enablepodcast or @enablepodcast on Instagram and TikTok for more. Note: Views expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of Advance Local. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices