A video circulating on social media has placed Meghan Markle at the center of a debate about inclusion and respect for the independence of people with disabilities.
The footage, captured during the Invictus Games, shows the Duchess of Sussex appearing to move a participant’s wheelchair while she was engaged in conversation with someone else.
Meghan Markle and the Wheelchair Controversy
What might have been intended as a kind gesture has sparked concern among disability advocates, including British TV presenter Lucy Edwards.
In a now-viral TikTok video, Edwards highlighted the importance of asking permission before touching someone’s mobility aid.
“Maybe Meghan didn’t mean any offense and simply wanted to make sure no one was left out of the photo,” she noted.
However, she emphasized that actions like this can make disabled individuals feel invalidated, as their mobility devices are an extension of their body and a symbol of their independence.
In her video, which has amassed over 134,100 views, Edwards reflected on her own experiences.
“Many times, well-meaning people try to help me cross the street without asking first, and all it does is disorient me and interrupt my conversation with my husband,” she explained.
The discussion around this incident has gained traction on social media, where Meghan Markle often finds herself under scrutiny.
However, Edwards clarified that her intent was not to criticize the Duchess personally but to raise awareness about the need to respect the autonomy of people with disabilities.
“We all make mistakes,” Edwards concluded, “but what truly matters is learning from them and ensuring they don’t happen again.”
@lucyedwards Did Meghan Markle mean to grab this lady‘s wheelchair without her permission? Whether she did or didn’t this has opened up a very important discussion about autonomy within the disabled community. For years we have said Just Ask Don’t Grab. A fantastic. Hashtag started by @GuideDogAvaandAmy but why are we still seeing this happen? Maybe Meghan didn’t mean any offense she was most likely coming from a well meaning place not wanting to have anyone left out of the photo but it’s so important to ask someone before grabbing. Mobility aids really are an extension of our disabled bodies. If someone is to touch Miss Molly without my permission while we’re walking, it could endanger my life and causes us to lose concentration. If someone grabs my cane, I suddenly cannot feel the textures of the floor that I need to know to understand the environment around me. If you touch someone’s wheelchair without their permission they may not want to go in the direction you’re pushing them in and this is just disrespectful. The amount of times that I have been pulled across the road by a well meaning stranger I can’t count on both hands and often people don’t necessarily know what they’re doing is wrong because we’re not taught about disability rights in our education systems or our workplace, but it is wrong. Please understand and remember that we all have the right to live free independent lives. I’m sure so many of us have made this mistake, I haven’t personally, but I know I make so many mistakes every day. It’s how we learn from our mistakes and make sure they don’t happen again. What do you think? #MeghanMarkle #Invictus #JustAskDontGrab ♬ original sound – British blind girl 👁🦮👩🦯