Invisible Barriers: What Leaders Need To Know About Chronic Health And Inclusion

Written By Sile Walsh

Liza Morton’s reflections in The Psychologist on living and working with a serious congenital heart condition shed light on the underexplored terrain of invisible disabilities in the workplace. Her experience of concealing her condition, fearing professional disadvantage or being labelled as needing “special treatment” offers a deeply personal insight into the cost of exclusion. This is not just a story of individual resilience, but one that highlights systemic failings in how organisations understand, support, and retain diverse talent.

Research consistently shows that when individuals with chronic conditions or disabilities are supported to bring their full selves to work, both well-being and performance improve (Shakespeare, 2013; WHO, 2021). Conversely, concealment—driven by fear of stigma or career limitation is linked to reduced psychological safety, increased stress, and lower levels of engagement (Clair, Beatty, & MacLean, 2005). Morton’s account echoes these findings, demonstrating how non-inclusive systems create hidden barriers to belonging and participation.

Leadership: A Call for Conscious Inclusion

Inclusive leadership demands a shift from treating diversity as a checklist to recognising and responding to the complex realities of people’s lives. Morton’s story challenges leaders to go beyond performative support and examine how organisational norms can reinforce exclusion even when unintended.

Effective inclusive leadership involves modelling psychological safety, acknowledging systemic bias, and actively creating space for difference including difference that is not immediately visible. Leaders who adopt a stance of curiosity, humility, and adaptability are more likely to create environments where people feel safe to share what they need to thrive.

This includes normalising conversations about health, access, and support, rather than waiting for individuals to disclose and self-advocate, often a significant burden in itself.

Practical Strategies in the Workplace

To move from insight to action, workplaces can take several key steps:

1. Design Inclusively by Default

Rather than relying on individual accommodations, build systems and processes that assume a range of needs. This could include:

  • Flexible work arrangements that are not conditional on disclosure

  • Quiet spaces, rest periods, and hybrid meeting formats

  • Communication that assumes diverse learning and processing styles

2. Educate and Challenge Assumptions

Training on disability and chronic illness needs to go beyond legal compliance. Organisations benefit from:

  • Workshops led by people with lived experience

  • Internal storytelling that features a variety of experiences

  • Leadership development that addresses ableism as a systemic issue

3. Build Trust through Policy and Practice

Policies need to align with culture. That means ensuring:

  • Confidentiality is respected

  • Return-to-work or phased work support is embedded, not exceptional

  • Health-related conversations are normalised at all levels, including leadership

4. Measure Inclusion, Not Just Participation

Track and reflect on who is thriving in the organisation, not just who is present. Consider:

  • Engagement and satisfaction by health status or caring responsibilities

  • Inclusion audits that examine unspoken norms and barriers

  • Leadership accountability for team well-being, not just outcomes

Inclusive Leadership Is a Performance Strategy

Liza Morton’s experience reminds us that inclusion is not a soft issue, it’s a strategic one. When people hide their needs to survive a workplace, they are not bringing their best to it. Leaders who proactively create space for difference are not only doing the right thing they are enabling performance, trust, and long-term organisational health.

By shifting the lens from “fixing the individual” to evolving the system, leaders can help build workplaces where no one has to choose between their health and their career.



References

Sile Walsh
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