Justine Van Den Borne, diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) at 35, faced discrimination after parking in a disabled bay at a Melbourne shopping center. A note left on her windshield questioned her need for the spot, prompting Van Den Borne to share the incident on Facebook. She clarified her right to use disabled facilities, expressing frustration with judgments on her good days and emphasizing that not all disabilities require a wheelchair.
Van Den Borne’s post, urging empathy for invisible disabilities, garnered significant attention, accumulating over 17,500 likes and numerous shares. Similar incidents are commonplace due to misconceptions about her age and the nature of MS, which affects her ability to walk and causes various symptoms. The CEO of Disability Rights UK, Liz Sayce, highlighted the prevailing suspicion toward disabilities not immediately visible, calling for an end to discrimination and prejudice against the 11 million disabled people in the UK.
