Mental Health Awareness Month reminds us that not every struggle is visible, but every experience matters.

By Rahid Ali, Disabled Student Liberation Chair

Mental Health Awareness Month gives us a chance to pause and reflect on wellbeing across our university community. It also creates space to talk about something that is often overlooked: many students are living with challenges that are not immediately visible.

When people think about disability, they often picture something physical, such as a wheelchair or crutches. While these are important and valid, they do not represent the full reality. According to the World Health Organization, around 1.3 billion people globally live with a disability. In the UK, 16.8 million people, around 1 in 4 of the population, are disabled. Importantly, most disabilities are not immediately visible.

This means that across our campus, many students are managing conditions that others may not recognise. These can include chronic illnesses, neurological differences, autoimmune conditions, and mental health challenges. Because these experiences are not visible, they are often misunderstood or overlooked.

Mental health is part of the picture

Mental health plays a significant role within non-visible disability, particularly in a university environment. Academic pressure, financial stress, and personal responsibilities can all affect how students feel and cope.

According to Mind, 1 in 4 people in England experience a mental health problem each year. In a university context, this means that in every lecture, seminar, or study space, there are students who may be dealing with anxiety, depression, burnout, or other challenges.

What makes this more complex is that these experiences are not always visible. A student may attend classes, submit work, and appear to be managing, while internally struggling. This gap between appearance and reality can make it harder for others to recognise when support is needed. This disconnect between appearance and reality highlights why awareness must go beyond what we can see.

Mental health should not be treated as separate from disability, it is a central part of it.

Recognising mental health as part of the wider disability conversation helps create a more inclusive understanding of student wellbeing.

Looking beyond appearances

I may look well on the outside, yet beyond the surface a hidden condition governs my reality. Even taking a seat on a bus can become emotionally draining when you live with a non-visible disability. Being a young man who can seem very healthy to people, I often feel the weight of silent judgement and the unspoken criticism of why I am sitting while someone else is standing. I live with a long-term condition that is not visible but can be severely painful, and at times even small everyday actions require careful judgement. In those moments, the real fight is not only against physical pain or fatigue, but also the fear of being misunderstood.

As Disabled Student Liberation Chair, I also see how confusion around non-visible disabilities affects many students who may not feel understood or supported. Unfortunately, too often, people around us simply don’t have any awareness about what non-visible disability means or how it shapes daily experiences. Invisible conditions challenge society’s assumptions about what disability looks like, forcing many of us to balance genuine needs with the fear of how we are perceived.

Non-visible disabilities are conditions that may not be immediately obvious to others but can still have a significant impact on a person’s daily life. Such may be chronic pain conditions, autoimmune illnesses, neurological differences, learning disabilities, mental health challenges, sensory impairments, and long-term health conditions such as diabetes or chronic fatigue. Since these disabilities do not necessarily have a physical manifestation, individuals with such disabilities might experience misunderstanding or judgement, even though their experiences are legitimate and valid.

Creating a more inclusive campus

Awareness plays an important role in addressing this, but it needs to go beyond campaigns or awareness days. Real change happens through everyday actions and interactions.

At the University of Greenwich, there are already positive steps being taken to support student wellbeing. Support services and initiatives are helping to raise awareness and provide guidance. However, building a truly inclusive environment requires a shared effort across the entire university community.

This includes staff, students, and the wider campus culture. Inclusion is not only about physical access, but also about understanding experiences that are not immediately visible.

Simple actions can make a meaningful difference. Being mindful that not all disabilities are visible, avoiding assumptions about others’ abilities or needs, taking time to listen without judgement, and encouraging open and respectful conversations.

When awareness becomes part of everyday interactions, it helps create a culture where students feel understood and supported.

A shared responsibility

Mental Health Awareness Month is not only about recognising mental health conditions. It is also about encouraging a broader understanding of disability.

With 1 in 4 people in the UK living with a disability, and most of these being non-visible, it is clear that what we see does not tell the full story. Many students are managing experiences that are not obvious, but that does not make them any less real.

Non-visible disabilities are part of everyday student life, even if they are not always recognised. By strengthening awareness through social media, campus communications, events, and education, universities can ensure that students feel understood rather than overlooked. Inclusion is not only about physical access; it is about recognising different lived experiences and creating spaces where everyone feels respected. Awareness is not just a campaign; it is a responsibility we share as a student community.