I think it's important because a lot of people still don't know what it entails.
For example, you say "cancer" and everyone has an idea of what that is. As of the 2000s/2010s, awareness has been rising about mental health and what it actually means to have mental illness. But if you say "long covid", most people still don't know what that really means to a sufferer of it. With its relative commonness compared to other, rarer yet more well-known illnesses (like DID), I'd say it deserves more attention than it gets.
If we think of public disease messaging as having limited "bandwidth", it makes sense to message about the most common, newest, and least understood diseases, wouldn't you agree?
The more the public understands what having an illness means for its sufferer, the more understanding the public will be of that person's needs and limitations, and thus the fuller a life that person will be able to live as their limitations are accommodated.
I think learning the specific names and details is a waste of time. That is important information for the patient and their doctor, but not the general public.
It doesnt add any value over the alternative of people having an unspecified chronic disease and requesting X accommodation, especially as accommodations needed or desired vary wildly
To your point, people know the word "cancer" but have no clue what it entails or what accommodations a specific person needs or wants.
People can march around raising cancer awareness, but it is also a pointless performative act for the benefit of the performer.
If you have a sick person in your life and want to be compassionate, figure out what accommodation they actually want or need.
For example, you say "cancer" and everyone has an idea of what that is. As of the 2000s/2010s, awareness has been rising about mental health and what it actually means to have mental illness. But if you say "long covid", most people still don't know what that really means to a sufferer of it. With its relative commonness compared to other, rarer yet more well-known illnesses (like DID), I'd say it deserves more attention than it gets.
If we think of public disease messaging as having limited "bandwidth", it makes sense to message about the most common, newest, and least understood diseases, wouldn't you agree?
The more the public understands what having an illness means for its sufferer, the more understanding the public will be of that person's needs and limitations, and thus the fuller a life that person will be able to live as their limitations are accommodated.