This study examines everyday understandings of the law, the construction of disability, and stigma management among individuals who experience episodic, non-evident impairment, or impairments  sometimes  referred  to  as  "invisible  disabilities". This study examines how adults who  have  ?invisible?  impairments  manage  (or  avoid)  disability  disclosure  in  order  to  negotiate  workplace accommodations. Given the varied frequency and severity of symptoms associated with their impairments, these individuals (and the institutions in which they work) may or may not  see  themselves  as  "disabled"  according  to  the  definition  the  Americans  with  Disabilities  Act  (ADA) provides. As  a  result,  these  individuals  often  find  themselves  in  a  state  of  liminality  or  "in  betweenness"- physiologically, socially, and legally. The study employs in-depth interviewing to collect data appropriate to address four research aims: 1) Provide an analysis of how people with non-evident,  episodic  impairment  conceptualize  "disability".  2)  Document  strategies  (both  overt and covert) these individuals use to acquire workplace accommodations. 3) Identify discursive frames used in disclosure decision-making. 4) Examine how perceptions of the law shape these decisions.
Starting from the theoretical framework of the social, rather than medical, model of disability, this study intellectually builds upon and adds to research on disability rights mobilization and sociological understandings of managing stigmatized identities. Findings will advance our understanding of the socially constructed nature of disability by examining disclosure decisions by those who may or may not choose to adopt this status, and by identifying the tactics people use to manage stigmatized identities and the power dynamics that underpin those negotiations. Research findings will have broader impacts for both those who study and those who experience this phenomenon. This study will generate theoretical findings relevant to not only people with disabilities, but also to other vulnerable populations who must disclose a stigmatized status in order to benefit from the law. Study results will also be disseminated to advocacy organizations and industry groups, providing concrete avenues for maintaining and increasing diversity in work places and public institutions.
