Invisible Doesn’t Mean It Isn’t There
Keith L. Swenk, teacher and student at Aquinas College

I have Multiple Sclerosis. Admitting it and saying it out loud still brings a churn to my stomach and shortness to my breath, even though I have lived with it for 9 years. For those that do not know, Multiple Sclerosis is “…an “autoimmune” disease, in which, for unknown reasons, the body’s immune system begins to attack normal body tissue. In the case of MS, the body attacks the cells that make myelin.” (MS Info page FAQ, 2003) Myelin is the shield around the nerves. If the damage to the myelin shield is deep enough the nerve itself is attacked, and the symptom becomes permanent.

I am fortunate, I have the recurring/remissive type of M.S. and have made changes in my lifestyle to combat the effects. For you West Wing watchers, the character of President Bartlett and I share this (although I have never found myself unable to move on the floor of an Air Force One bathroom and I have been fortunate never to have had to use a cane). For me the effects don’t usually last long, and to most are not noticeable. But they are there and this is where I encounter the bigotry and biases. People can’t see my “disability” so they assume that there is not one there. Medications and lifestyle changes have made me put on weight and even peers, supposed professionals, have commented, no, made fun of my extra pounds and symptoms. Depression is another symptom that occurs. It cannot be seen but be assured, it is there. Sometimes my speech slurs, to the point that one of my peers once wondered out loud at a staff meeting if I had been drinking. They were not kidding.

This peer knew of my affliction, but chose to ignore it forcing me to talk about my M.S., something that, while not embarrassed to discuss, I do not normally do so. Sometimes my writing is affected, sometimes my eyesight, sometimes I need to teach sitting down because of fatigue. All of these have brought into question by ability to teach, especially the sitting down. This was evident when a principal, at the suggestion of another teacher, threatened to take away all of the chairs in my classroom so that I could not sit down. Would you threaten to take away a pair of eyeglasses, a crutch, a wheelchair? I never know when, where, or how my M.S. is going to affect me. I don’t expect others to know either, but I do expect the compassion that should be given when these times occur. I have learned to laugh and joke about my M.S.. I find that easier than crying about it, laughing helps relieve the stress, and others are far worse off than I am in a number of ways. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t feel the pain when ridiculed because of it.

What leads me to write this journal entry is the fact that I am able to see both sides of disabilities. Most days are good days with no affects from my disease, some days are minor. Some days are not. I can say for certain though that in general my disability is invisible. This too is true for a majority of students with special education needs.

Just because we can’t see the need doesn’t mean that it is not there. This article is for the student who can write page after page of beautiful prose but can’t add 2 + 2. This article is for the student who can memorize Pi to the 20th place but can’t tell time. This article is for the student who can name all the states and their capitols but can’t remember to bring their lunch to school or to hand in homework or permission slips. This article is for the student who can tell you wonderful stories but cannot but them down on paper. This article is for all of the students that suffer invisible disabilities.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ensures that employers cannot discriminate against me because of my affliction. But what does that do for my peers who discriminate against me? And what of that students whose peers call them retard, or stupid, or worse, ignore them altogether? As educators we must be more willing to take the initial steps of protection for the students with visible and invisible disabilities that lies with us. We must take control of the situation, teach outside of the box, to make the accommodations that are necessary for a student’s success. We need to look below the surface, take the extra time, examine the symptoms and prepare interventions that will help every student succeed. This is not just a job for special education teachers anymore, as general education classroom teachers we need to prepare ourselves as the first line of defense for the student, especially the student with invisible needs.

I once had a professor, that I admire very much, relate a quote by Rick Lavoie, that I have paraphrased, stating “Fair does not mean that everyone gets the same thing, Fair means that everyone gets what they need to succeed”. I have branded this quote onto my brain, to use whenever a parent or peer questions why I let one student have a piece of hard candy while they are doing “seat work” and not another. Why I allow one student to have pillows at their desk and not provide them for the rest of the class. It is simple, most do not need these accommodations, but some do and I will not prohibit a student from learning to the best of their ability. Does this become problematic? Most certainly. Is it worth it” Again most certainly.

But it is what I became a teacher for, to pass on knowledge and compassion, to make the world a better place, a place where everyone is free to succeed. An old Chinese saying goes that “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one footstep”. As educators we should be that one footstep, help each child to take that first step, to ensure that whatever path has been chosen for them, or whatever path they choose to take can be taken with a certainty that if they do stumble and fall that they will be able to pick themselves up and continue their journey.

Sources:
Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, (2003). Ms info page faq. Retrieved Nov. 12, 2005, from
MSF Web site: http://www.msfacts.org/info/info_faq.html.

Lavoie, R. (n.d.). Fairness: to each according to his needs. Retrieved Nov. 13, 2005, from
http://www.ricklavoie.com/fairnessart.html.