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Her daughter has to use a wheelchair to get around.
By Nia Tipton — Written on Feb 22, 2023
A woman didn't hesitate to call out her sister after learning that the wedding venue she picked wouldn't be accommodating for her disabled daughter.
Posting to the subreddit "r/AmItheA--hole" (AITA) — a forum where users try to figure out if they were wrong or not in an argument that has been bothering them — she explained that her eight-year-old daughter has to use a wheelchair to get around.
However, her sister's wedding venue has posed a problem since it isn't wheelchair friendly.
She called out her sister for not making her wedding accessible enough for her wheelchair-bound daughter.
In her Reddit post, the woman wrote that her daughter, Mia, has been disabled since she was born, and needs wheelchair assistance to get around.
When her sister, Cassidy, called to inform her about all of the details concerning her wedding to her fiancé, Max, and where it would be held, she was shocked to learn that her sister was planning on having her venue at a beach.
"She said the wedding was going to be at a beach near our city, and it will completely be held in the sand," she explained.
"I truly have never been more shocked and disappointed in my sister. You would think she would at least check in with me before she reserved the beach space because Mia obviously can’t come," she continued.
She tried to explain to Cassidy that the wedding venue being inaccessible for Mia would be extremely hurtful since "Mia loves her auntie," and she'll be heartbroken to have to miss the wedding due to it not being accessibility-friendly.
"It’s already so difficult raising a child with disabilities without a partner, but when even family is this inconsiderate and cruel, it’s truly the worst feeling."
Her sister wasn't being sympathetic, saying that if need be, the beach had an option for her to rent a wheelchair for Mia for $110 every day they needed it, but the woman argued that she shouldn't have to pay for it at all.
"The audacity to ask your guests to be paying just to make it to the event," she pointed out, adding that she could barely afford to make it for the wedding.
"Then she said how she will not change the location because she and Max met on this very beach and it has been their dream ever since to get married here after they also got engaged here."
When she suggested to her sister that she should pay for the rental wheelchair, she rebutted, saying that she and her fiancé already spent a lot of their money on the wedding itself.
"I’m thinking about just telling her that we won’t be attending her wedding and supporting a person who’s inconsiderate to her own family," she concluded.
Most Reddit users sided with the woman's sister and pointed out that she was in the wrong for threatening not to attend.
"Your daughter is not excluded. They checked for a wheelchair option," one user wrote.
"Your life may revolve around your disabled daughter, but you can't seriously expect your sister's [life] to. She's got her own life to live."
Another user added, "Sorry, but they want to get married on this beach and this day is about them. They checked to make sure there was a beach-accessible wheelchair that could be rented, so Mia can come."
"As her parent, it's your job to make that happen if you want her to attend."
A third user chimed in, "Your sister discussed it with you prior to sending official invites. She is not obligated to plan her wedding around your child. Also, she is not obligated to pay for accommodations."
"You have the right to decline the wedding invite, but you don’t really have the right to vilify your sister."
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Keep up with her on Instagram and Twitter.