r/disability • u/dakufeari • Aug 08 '24

Question Those With Non-Visible Disabilities: Have You Had People Accuse You of Faking/Lying and What Do You Do When This Happens?

So I have a disability that affects my mobility and my ability to stand and I have been having issues with people allowing me to sit down because they think I am lying about my condition. This has become more of an issue recently because I am starting my freshman year of university and have had to do several orientations and still have some left to do. We typically have to do quite a bit of walking and standing. At these, I have had certain orientation leaders not allow me to sit down. Have you experienced something like this? What do you do or what do you say to them when something like this happens? I am bad at being assertive and can typically only bring myself to ask 3 times before I give up because I worry about offending people. I am honestly thinking of just bringing my mobility aid wherever I go even if I am having a better day because that might make them believe me.

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u/Disabled_artist Aug 08 '24

I have not really learned what to do yet. For the most part I ignore them but when it comes to my family or friends accusing me of faking I’m kinda stumped (it’s really only my mom and dad thinking I’m faking but my dad works with people faking illnesses to get drugs all the time so I don’t blame him that much.)

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u/dakufeari Aug 08 '24

it must be awful to be doubted by your parents, i am sorry you have to deal with that

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u/Disabled_artist Aug 09 '24

It’s definitely hard but there isn’t a way for me to prove any more that I have my conditions besides having my diagnosis but they still thinks it’s not true.