The invisible disability: understanding and tackling cognitive disorders

Regional symposium in Dole: the AFTC mobilises to make the reality of people with invisible disabilities heard.
On Tuesday 14 October 2025, the Association des Familles de Traumatisés Crâniens (AFTC) de Bourgogne Franche-Comté is organising a regional conference at La Commanderie in Dole, from 9am to 4pm.
This event is a key opportunity to raise awareness and provide information, for professionals, families and the general public, on the issues surrounding disability, particularly invisible disability.

Invisible disabilities have very real consequences:
80% of disabilities cannot be seen. This is often a reality that needs to be borne in mind to encourage better understanding and inclusion of people with disabilities in our society.
While some impairments are immediately identifiable, others remain invisible to the naked eye. These include cognitive, behavioural and psycho-affective disorders, which have a lasting impact on memory, concentration, organisation, communication and emotional management.
Often unrecognised and still insufficiently taken into account, these invisible problems can lead to a loss of independence, disrupt social and professional relationships, and cause progressive isolation. The consequences are far-reaching, both for the people concerned and for their families, who have to cope on a daily basis with a disability that is difficult to recognise, and which has multiple and lasting repercussions.

A day structured around personal accounts and reflection:
The morning will be devoted to testimonials from people affected and their families, as well as presentations by professionals involved in supporting people with cognitive disorders.
A cocktail lunch will be served on site at the end of the morning to extend the discussions in a convivial setting.
The afternoon will continue with a round-table discussion, bringing together various speakers from the medical, social and voluntary sectors, on the theme: "Promoting the support, social and professional integration of people with invisible disabilities: what levers, what collaboration?
The aim is clear: to promote a better understanding of cognitive disorders and identify practical ways of improving support and recognition for this invisible disability.