Nora Leith

According to a 2023 Parliamentary Report it is estimated, 70–80 percent of disabilities are invisible.

This body of work aims to make the ‘invisible’ visible.

A year ago, I was going through immense struggles and pain, with no physical proof, I felt myself going mad – “Am I really in this much pain?”. “Where is this pain coming from?”. After a couple of months of waiting, the pain, fatigue and lack of movement became unbearable, the only option was to ask for professional help. “But are they going to believe me?”. In October 2022 I received a clinic review from my neurologist stating “Unfortunately, she may never fully recover”. Taking medication every day, injections every two months, daily physiotherapy, with no end goal in sight, it was a new life I had to adapt to.

I realised that because I did not physically ‘look’ sick or in pain, the help and support I needed would be a lot harder to find. This all had a big impact on the way my work was influenced, starting the conversation that although we look ‘fine’ we do not feel it. At the start of 2023 I contacted charities, organisations and other individuals that had similar experiences to my own, and asked if they wanted to be subjects in my photographic project.

This created ‘Narratives Of Living With An Invisible Illness’. A project that involved travelling around the UK meeting other individuals living with ‘invisible’ and chronic illnesses. Gathering alternative insights created a collaborative photographic series which highlights the physical and mental effects of living with such conditions, and the impact it can have.

My intentions are to use photography as a tool to connect individuals. Giving my audience insight into a subject that needs to be spoken about more. And for those who the subject resonates with, to use my work as proof that you are not alone, and our voices are beginning to be heard.

Whole publication can be found through Issuu link.