Julie Mcgovern is a college student. A few years ago, she was given a handicapped parking pass. She has a chronic illness that makes it hard for her to stand and walk for extended periods of time. Julie does not feel comfortable using the handicapped parking pass because her condition does not require the use of a wheelchair or crutches.
Julie says that it is difficult to leave with her chronic illness because she looks fine. One day, someone left a note on her car that said “Faker.” Julie talked about her frustrations on Facebook. She stated that the person who left a note on her car did not know anything about her. She also discussed the battles that she goes through daily because of her chronic illness. Additionally, Julie said that no one understands the battle she is going through unless they are going through something similar.
Julie suffers from a condition called postural orthostatic tachycardia. It causes the heart to beat rapidly and the blood pressure to increase when one stands up. It is considered an invisible disability. It is estimated that 26 million Americans are affected by a severe disability. Only seven million of these people are required to use a wheelchair, crunch, cane or walker.
In Julie’s Facebook post, she closes by saying that a handicap comes in many different forms. That is why it is not a good idea to judge someone by the way they look.