Victoria’s Secret may be keeping a troubling secret after all, as a California woman living with ALS, known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, was treated with little regard at a store. The fitting room meant for people with disabilities had reportedly been turned into a storage space.
In a video posted on TikTok, the woman, who uses a wheelchair, was seen wearing a T-shirt that read “I am ALS.” Explaining what went down at the store, she wrote, “They told my mom the handicap dressing room was unavailable for me.” She detailed how they were first directed to a regular fitting room, which turned out to be too small, contradicting what they had been told.
“It might be about 20 minutes or so,” someone could be heard saying, insisting they could not clear out the room as the camera panned across a crowded space. “Let’s see if she can fit in here,” another worker casually said as the woman was wheeled into a different room. This one was no longer filled with people but cluttered with items, making it resemble a storage area rather than an accessible fitting room.
“I don’t know if they have stuff in there as long as there’s no merchandise,” a Victoria’s Secret representative could be heard saying, appearing more concerned about inventory than accessibility. The woman, identified as Erin Taylor, captioned the video: “I felt like a spectacle and an annoyance,” describing how the treatment made her feel.
The video quickly gained traction online, with viewers sharing strong reactions. “This actively made my stomach flip upside down for you,” one person wrote. Another questioned the store’s priorities, saying, “Wait…not them more worried about merchandise..they think y’all were gonna steal?” Another user added, “It was 100% a rude and mean manager who made that call. I used to work in retail, and this was the norm.”
Others called for escalation, writing, “You need to contact corporate immediately, this is unacceptable!” One commenter stated firmly, “Blocking an accessible fitting room is an ADA violation. Period.” One netizen wrote, “I would so complain about this.. they know better to have that room as a storage.. so unprofessional,” while another called out the nerve, adding,
“The audacity to bring up merchandise being in the room…meant for not merchandise.”
The tone used by store staff didn’t go unnoticed either. “The dismissive/annoyed tones are sending me,” someone commented. Another expressed outrage at the contradiction,
“All of this while promoting their adaptive clothing too!! I’m so upset about this. Anyone should be able to shop and try on whatever they want without barriers! I’m so sorry you were made a spectacle. That’s unacceptable.”
One user suggested matching the energy with pettiness, advising, “This is where the petty kicks in; make them clean it out, ask for lots of help, then don’t buy anything, all with a big smile on your face 😁😁😎.” Legal action was also suggested. “Get a lawyer and sue them for being not ADA compliant. These big stores have the money to pay out. You have the proof,” this comment read.
Meanwhile, wheelchair users continue to face accessibility challenges elsewhere. As previously reported by The Nerd Stash, a woman and her wheelchair-using boyfriend encountered widespread accessibility issues across New York City, with many locations inaccessible due to stairs.
However, one shop, Liberty Bagels, stood out by going above and beyond to ensure her boyfriend had the best possible experience.
