Melbourne model and social media influencer Rhiannon Stark feels harassed by ‘old people’ for using disability parking spots when she ‘doesn’t look disabled.’
Stark suffers from fibromyalgia, a condition that causes widespread muscle pain and tenderness throughout the body.
Despite having a legal disability parking permit, the Daily Mail Australia reported that Stark said people accuse her of breaking the law.
“I am legally disabled and as much as old people would like to square up with me about it, I’m legally disabled,” Stark said in video on her account @Daddyrhi.
“See this [permit], this is really hard to get.”
“I park in my disabled parking, and put up my thing [permit] – tell me why this old f***er comes up to me and thinks that it is their business to go ‘you don’t look disabled’.”
“I’m about to make you legally disabled in a minute, I will tell you that much.”
Stark blasted those for not acknowledging ‘invisible’ disabilities.
“Do you want me to cut off my f****ing legs so that I look disabled enough for you?” she said.
“What the f****. Like, ‘oh let me get out of the car and be bent over and limping just so I fit your idea of disabled’ . Shut the f*** up.”
Daily Mail Australia noted that Stark’s video racked up more than 128,000 likes, with many recounting similar experiences.
“I have a sticker on the back of my car that says ‘invisible disabilities are still disabilities’. It happens constantly,” one person wrote.
“Feels. I have a life threatening medical condition and their like ‘oh you look perfectly fine’,” another person added.
“I have a certificate three in disability and it shocks me how many people get discriminated against because they don’t fit the stereotype!” a third wrote.
Stark, who has more than 49,000 followers combined on Instagram and TikTok, tries to raise awareness about ‘unseen’ disabilities over her social media pages.
