This horrified woman ventured to a new coffee shop with her disabled daughter, only to be faced with an ‘ableist’ worker.
Taylor Collier, of Burlington, North Carolina, USA, did not often change her child’s routine or go to new places in fear of people treating her daughter as a spectacle.
When talking about the situation Taylor said, “God didn’t tell you to do that, your internalised ableism did.
“There is nothing wrong with her, she was born with spina bifida, but that doesn’t mean something is wrong.”
During their time in the coffee shop, Taylor was pleasantly surprised by people’s interactions with her daughter, Jolie.
Despite living in an area that she describes as less understanding to those with a disability, no one did anything outlandish to make them unconfutable.
That all changed as soon as they left the coffee shop, a window cleaner began to pry into her child’s condition as Jolie uses a walker at only three years old as her condition affects her ability to walk. 4
The worker began to ask what was wrong with the child and offering Taylor money as ‘God told him to’.
Distressed and upset, Taylor attempted to deny his offer and rush her child into the car, but as he was relentless with his supposed mission from God, they took the money and used it to treat Jolie.
As a mother, she is just grateful that her child was too young to understand the situation that had just unfolded and wishes people would treat children with disabilities with the same respect you would anyone else.
She said: “I have a disabled daughter; we don’t go to many new places as it is always a spectacle. “This morning we went to a new coffee shop.
“People were looking because they saw she uses a walker to get around.
“It was a spectacle as it usually is, but it wasn’t bad.”
Taylor added: “She’s a cute little girl, she’s three people are going to want to come up and talk to her.
“There’s a guy outside and he’s washing the windows.
“He says if you don’t mind me asking what’s wrong with her?
“There is nothing wrong with her, she was born with spina bifida, but that doesn’t mean somethings wrong.”
The mom explained how she found people to not be as understanding where she lived and claimed that they look at disabled people like there’s something wrong with them.
She added: “He said, can I give her a Christmas gift, god told me to.
“He pulls out 20 bucks and tries to give it to me.
“I’m so glad she’s young enough to not understand what was happening.
“That didn’t do anything other than make him feel better.
“Sure, I’ll take your money, because you are an ignorant person.”