My child has a hidden disability, what's your excuse?

My daughters and I can often be found food shopping or walking through the local market towns browsing the shops for a little treat. We love getting out and exploring, but sometimes my four year old gets tired and wants to be carried, so we have a buggy for just in case. Sometimes my six year old gets tired and wants to be carried too. Not a problem, we have a buggy major for her, but I can't push two buggies, and my eldest is now too big for a double buggy so my youngest travels on the foot rest of the buggy major, or they share the seat of they are feeling kind enough. For me this is not an issue. I'm happy to do this so my back doesn't hurt from piggy backing one and pushing another...


We are also entitled to a blue badge (currently disputing our lack of replacement but hey ho) and we always use it if the car park is a distance from the shops or if we intend to do lots of walking whilst out.


I am happy that my child is entitled to these services, so we use them as she needs them, which isn't always but its more often than not required.


So when I meet someone on the street who tuts at me for allowing my nearly seven year old to sit in a buggy, our who shouts abuse at me when I park in a disabled bay and exit my car with a perfectly healthy looking family, I always ask one question... What do you think you know about this situation?


Recently I exited a disabled toilet with my two girls to be confronted by a disgruntled elderly lady. "There are toilets in there and baby changing in there. Genuinely disabled people would like to use these facilities" the lady said as she barged her way past my girls nearly knocking my daughter over.
"excuse me" was my reply
"you have no manors, why should I?" I was aghast at the lady who was quite obviously a miserable person today.
"we rightly used that toilet as my daughter has cerebral palsy so needs the rails to steady herself when sitting"
"no she doesn't she looks fine"
I was nervous but said what I thought anyway "you looked pleasant, but looks can be deceiving" grabbing my girls I walked away before I lost my temper.


I always encourage others to be the bigger person, but do you know what... People need educating!
 Not all disabled people fit into societies stereotypes, my child isn't in a wheelchair for example... Why do people need to be so rude when all they need to do is ask a question "did you know that was a disabled facility?" would have suffice and I would have politely explained the situation to the lady.


At what point did we become so disbelieving in this country? If we cant see it it is obviously not there... Well that simply isn't the case for many disabled people or those with additional needs.


So what is your excuse? Ignorance is not bliss in this case, it is simply rude, upsetting, and quite frankly downright disgusting. To think ill of a situation without fully understanding the facts is just not acceptable anymore. The sooner society understands that the better!