Welcome to another edition of Inclusion Unfolds.
In this edition we’re featuring Believe in the Invisible (BITI), a women led organisation reshaping conversations around invisible disabilities through stories, advocacy and awareness.
Invisible disabilities refer to conditions that may not be immediately apparent to others but can affect a person's physical, cognitive or mental functioning. They include conditions such as multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and certain chronic illnesses, as well as some mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions. Their effects can range from fatigue, chronic pain and numbness to difficulties with concentration, memory or mobility. The nature and severity of these effects vary from person to person.
For Ms. Anjali Vyas, co-founder of Believe in the Invisible, multiple sclerosis became part of her life following her diagnosis in 2014. She moved from Engineering to teaching and IELTS Training, and later became involved with the Multiple Sclerosis Society of India. Her participation in the NCPEDP Javed Abidi Fellowship Program in 2021 brought her closer to the barriers faced by people with disabilities, particularly in employment.
Through the fellowship, Anjali studied the difficulties people with invisible disabilities face at work. Explaining a condition to an employer, getting the right support and dealing with misconceptions can all affect a person's working life, along with challenges to even secure UDID cards.
Twenty stories in a week
In 2022, Anjali and 2 of her co-fellows launched a social media storytelling campaign called Believe in the Invisible, inviting people to share their experiences of living with invisible disabilities. Within a week, they received more than 20 stories.
The response led to a compendium of stories and Panel discussion with senior figures in the disability sector. The campaign eventually grew into a dedicated organisation, formally registered in 2024.
Since then, Believe in the Invisible has run several storytelling campaigns, including Caring Is Believing, Disability Pride in Progress, Disabled Love to name a few. Its social media community has grown to more than 3,000 people.
The campaigns cover different themes throughout the year, including employment, healthcare access, mental health etc. They give people an opportunity to speak about experiences that are often difficult to explain to others. A story about workplace discrimination, for instance, raises different questions from one about getting a diagnosis or accessing healthcare.
The other co-founder of Believe in the Invisible, Aarti Batra, lives with Thalassemia, a blood disorder and an invisible disability.
BITI’s work brings together personal experiences and a shared interest in making invisible disabilities better understood.
Experiencing the barriers
Believe in the Invisible also conducts corporate and workplace sensitisation sessions. These sessions use activities and simulations to help participants understand some of the difficulties people with invisible disabilities may encounter. They have held ‘Experience the Invisible’, an experience zone to participate in the activities at the International Purple Fest in 2024, 2025 and Purple Jallosh .
A simulation cannot replicate what it means to live with a chronic condition in all aspects. It can, however, encourage participants to think about tasks that might seem simple but can become difficult when a person's physical sensations or abilities change.
The workplace sensitisation sessions also address the role of employers and colleagues in creating inclusive workplaces. Recruitment, team management and decisions about reasonable accommodations all influence whether employees receive the support they need. The organization believes that this understanding needs to extend across an organisation, not just to a few designated employees.
From workplaces to policy
Believe in the Invisible's advocacy work also includes National conferences, policy discussions and engagement with National Institutes and government bodies, including Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and the Office of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities.
Anjali led a six-month pilot project with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities to develop an accessible IELTS curriculum for persons with disabilities. The project, first of its kind in the country, focused on making examination-related learning and training more accessible.
For candidates with disabilities, access to learning materials and assessments can determine whether they get a fair opportunity to demonstrate their abilities. Work on accessible curricula addresses these barriers at the level of educational systems, alongside the support learners with disabilities may need.
The work ahead
Health insurance is another area Believe in the Invisible intends to address. The organisation is working on a year-long initiative to examine insurance exclusions affecting people with chronic neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis, and explore possible solutions.
A short film on invisible disabilities is also in the pipeline, with a planned release in 2027. The film will offer another way to bring these experiences to a wider audience.
From its first social media campaign in 2022 to its work with employers and policymakers, Believe in the Invisible has continued to build a space for people to share their experiences. Its upcoming work on health insurance and the planned film will take these efforts into new areas.
To connect with Believe in Invisible, you can visit their website here or write to them on connect@believeintheinvisible.org
Follow their work by joining their WhatsApp channel
You can find them cross social media also, on LinkedIn; Instagram; X; and YouTube
Thanks for reading Inclusion Unfolds. Please share your feedback in the comments below, and do follow our social media for more such content.
Our LinkedIn | Our Instagram_ Sensaroo | Our Instagram_Multifly
0 comments