Mother pens letter to woman who said daughter doesn’t look disabled

‘The fact that our child’s disability is not visible is both a blessing and a curse’

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A mother has penned a letter on Facebook after a woman questioned her use of a disabled parking space for her daughter.

Hannah Blatch's four-year-old daughter Lily has autism, severe OCD, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and postural tachycardia syndrome.

The 24-year-old wrote that they had been out shopping, along with her two-year-old son Max, in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, when she returned to her car, which she had parked in a designated disabled space.

A woman nearby caught sight of her and reportedly decided to openly question why she had used the disabled parking spot in the first place.

She said her daughter did not appear to seem disabled from her appearance.

Ms Blatch wanted to explain why it’s important to not judge others based solely on appearance, which is why she chose to write a letter addressed to the woman on Facebook.

“To the lady who told me I wasn’t allowed to be in a disabled space, I am fortunate enough to be a healthy, happy 24-year-old mummy to two very individual and beautiful children,” she wrote.

“My son is an energetic, cheeky, intelligent two-year-old and my daughter is the kindest, most gentle, endearing little girl who is about to turn five. Age is just a number though - she may be nearly five, she may be tall but that doesn’t mean you can compare her to others.’

As the mother of a child with disabilities, Ms Blatch said she was fraught with anxieties every single day.

“Lying in bed, fearful of the future has become the norm for me,” she said. “Being a special needs mum is a challenge. It’s a commitment to a life that you didn’t choose, that you wouldn’t choose for your children.

“You would give them the ability to use the toilet by themselves, to put their own socks on in the morning or to ride a scooter down the road without pain.

“You see, these are the things that are taken for granted. The mundane, yet simple day-to-day routine for a five-year old.”

Watching her daughter struggling to cope in social situations was “heartbreaking”, she said, especially as she feels she is unable to take away the pain that her daughter feels on a daily basis.

“You see, you need to realise - a disabled space is not a privilege,” she wrote.

“Us special needs mums would park our cars miles away from the shops, walk until our legs are sore if it meant our children did not need disabled badges, if it meant our children could be better, less in pain, less confused by the world around them.”

Blatch believes that it’s important to raise awareness and educate others about disabilities.

“The fact that our child’s disability is not visible is both a blessing and a curse,” she said. "But in your mind - remind yourself - our children’s disabilities are just as hidden as their ignorance - and for that we shouldn’t judge them either."