An amputee was called out for parking in a handicapped spot. Her powerful response instantly goes viral

Jessica Long, a celebrated swimmer with one gold, three silver, and two bronze medals from the 2016 Paralympic Games, uses two prosthetic legs. Despite her impressive achievements, she still faces everyday ableism. In a TikTok video, she recounts an incident where a woman wrongly assumed she didn't have a disability because she parked in a handicapped spot. Long's response urges the "handicap police" to refrain from questioning why someone is using a handicapped spot, as reported by Bored Panda.

"So, it just happened again," she says at the begining of the video. "I was parking my car—and I hope she sees this—this woman just has the nerve to look me up and down disgusted that I parked in the handicapped spot." Then, revealing her blue handicapped parking tag, Long reiterates, "I don't have legs. But she just kind of rolled down her window and proceeded to be like, 'You shouldn't park there.'" After proceeded to inform the woman that she is, indeed, an amputee with a verified pass,the woman apparently just drives off.

"I was never bullied as a kid, and I didn't know that I was going to be bullied as an adult because I park in handicapped," Long states. "I get it. I'm young and athletic but I'm also missing legs." Her video serves as a powerful reminder that disabilities aren't always visible and no one should make assumptions about another person's condition. Invisible disabilities are just as legitimate as those that are visible, and it's crucial for able-bodied individuals to expand their understanding to encompass all types of disabilities, even those that don't fit into their narrow definitions.

Born with a condition known as fibular hemimelia, Long is the second most decorated US Paralympian of all time. She uses her social media platforms to challenge conventional perceptions of disability. She said in an interview with BuzzFeed, "I get it, I don’t 'look' handicapped, but what does that even mean?! I’ve been through more surgeries than I can count. My whole life I’ve had to adapt. I rely on my handicap pass. Every day is different... Some days my legs don’t hurt as bad, but for the most part they cause me pain. So, when I park in a handicap spot, I actually need it. There’s some people who will abuse handicap parking, but mostly I believe people need it."

The Paralympian expressed her willingness to discuss her disability, but emphasized that she does not "understand blatant rudeness, especially based on assumption ... I always try to be kind and give people the benefit of the doubt first, and I hope more people will choose that as their first response," she said. "I absolutely love sharing my story and journey with the world. I hope to educate how amputees use their prosthetic legs." Follow Long on to learn more about her journey, future plans, and everyday life.

This article was originally published on April 26, 2021. It has since been updated.