Amputee 'feels hurt' after netizens doubt her account of discrimination on SIA flight

On a flight with Singapore Airlines (SIA) in January, Isabella Beale, a congenital amputee without a left forearm, said she was left "feeling humiliated". 

But now, Beale is dealing with a slew of online comments about the incident, which has left her feeling worse. 

Speaking to Today on Wednesday (March 15), the woman said she "felt hurt by some of the responses online to [her] story". 

The 23-year-old Australian was asked by SIA's cabin crew to move from her seat in an emergency exit row to meet regulatory requirements. 

SIA has since apologised to her for the "distress or embarrassment" caused, adding that its staff have been given further customer training after the complaint.

On Reddit, some netizens accused Beale of being "entitled" and "playing the victim".

Others seemed dismissive of Beale's experience by saying she was not discriminated against as the staff were only doing their jobs. 

There was also one who accused her of exaggeration to "gain sympathy and internet points". 

Another sided with the flight attendants and questioned why the crew would risk being rude to Beale. 

'I deserve to be treated with respect': Beale

"As a disabled woman I often feel like my voice is ignored or ridiculed," Beale told Today.

She emphasised that her complaint was not about whether she should've been allowed to stay in an emergency seat, addingi: "My complaint is that I deserved to have been treated with respect when the issue arose."

"I should not have been publicly humiliated and degraded. My disability shouldn't have been called 'a problem' by staff."

In an Instagram post on Tuesday, the young woman also said that "discrimination and vilification of people with disabilities is humiliating and unjust". 

"We deserve to be in public spaces. We deserve to travel. We deserve to have our humanity respected."

ALSO READ: Woman crawls down Jetstar plane aisle after staff allegedly asked her pay for wheelchair

melissateo@asiaone.com 

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