On this page, we talk about microaggressions.

There is support available if the information on this page upsets you.

You can find out more on our page about support.

On this page:

• What microaggressions are
• How microaggressions can affect you
• What you can do

Microaggressions are a form of discrimination.

People can sometimes treat other people unfairly in a way that is easy to notice.

For example, they might:

• insult the other person
• hurt them.

But microaggressions are often hard to notice.

And they can seem like small things.

For example:

• jokes about your disability
• questions that make you feel uncomfortable.

Microaggressions can focus on your:

• disability
• race
• gender.

  Your gender is what you feel and understand about who you are as a person.

  You might think of yourself as a man or woman or something different.

  You can choose the words that are right for you.

They can also focus on your:

• age
• background
• sexuality.

  Your sexuality includes:

  • who you are attracted to
  • the sexual feelings and thoughts you have
  • the sexual activities you want to do.

Anyone can use microaggressions.

For example, a:

• friend
• family member
• support worker.

They can happen:

• in person
• online.

People who use microaggressions might not know that they are hurting you.

Or they might pretend that what they say or do should not hurt you.

We wrote some examples of microaggressions to help you understand what they are.

You can skip this section if it upsets you.

Someone might:

• treat you like a child
• pretend that you do not have a disability
• ask if you need help to do something that you can do by yourself.

Someone might say that your experience or your disability should not affect you the way it does.

For example, they might say that everyone experiences depression sometimes.

Sometimes microaggressions can seem like a nice thing that someone is saying about you.

Even though it makes you feel bad.

For example, someone might say that you:

• do something really well even though you have a disability
• are brave because you have a disability.

They might also say that you:

• do not look like a person with disability
• should not use the word ‘disability’ to describe yourself.

Someone might use certain words to talk about your disability that are not okay.

Someone might tell you that it is too hard to make something accessible for you.

The organisation you work for might not make sure that it is accessible.

For example, they might use ramps that are too steep.

Someone might speak to your support worker instead of you.

They might do this even though you are with them.

Microaggressions can cause:

• stress
• depression.

They can also cause:

• headaches
• trauma.

  Trauma is the way you feel about something bad that happened to you.

  For example, you might feel scared or stressed.

  Trauma can affect you for a long time.

If you experience microaggressions, it can:

• make it hard to sleep
• make you feel alone
• affect how you work.

You might feel that you do not belong:

• at work
• at school
• in the community.

Researchers are still learning how microaggressions can affect people.

You can find out more about this research on the National Centre for Biotechnology Information website.

There are things you can do when someone uses microaggressions.

You can ask the person to explain what they said.

And you can tell them how it hurt you.

This can help them understand what they have done.

You can tell someone else about what happened.

For example:

• your manager
• a family member
• a friend
• a mental health professional.

You can also ask someone else to talk to the person for you.

You can ask your workplace to give staff training about:

• microaggressions
• creating an inclusive workplace.

  When something is inclusive, everyone:

  • can take part
  • feels like they belong.

It is okay if you do not want to talk to the person using microaggressions.

For example, because you feel:

• angry
• that it would be too much work.

Sometimes saying nothing is the safest thing you can do.

It is important to remember that everyone can make mistakes.

And someone who has used a microaggression might not have done it on purpose.

Having conversations about microaggressions can be hard, but it can help to make:

• the community more inclusive
• everyone feel safer.