Little boy in wheelchair shopping with parent at Target moved by an unforgettable ad — 'This is why representation matters'

People with disabilities always wish for more inclusive settings in public places. We do practice inclusion in our communication and actions. However, a lot of improvement is needed in fields that are mainly designed for able-bodied people. A mom recently witnessed this growth at a Target store. She shared a poignant video on her TikTok page @ezbruhhspinz of her son in a wheelchair, delighted by a one-of-a-kind ad he spotted at Target. His reaction is exactly why representation matters. 

The mom was shopping with her son, who was in a wheelchair. The duo was browsing the kids’ clothing section. Suddenly, the boy spotted something, got excitedly speechless and started gesturing towards it. Confused, the mom wondered what he was trying to reach out to. She saw the boy pointing towards a particular setup of kids’ clothing. As little as he was, he couldn’t verbally express clearly what he saw or wanted. However, his mum took him to the section he was pointing towards. As he got closer, the boy started getting more and more eager to show his mum what he saw.

He hurriedly tried to move his wheelchair towards the section, but instead of hinting at the clothes, he showed his mum an ad. There was a display ad of a child posing in the clothing being sold in the section. These ads are set up in all sections of malls and we’re no strangers to them. However, we overlook them because they’re so common and barely stand out. However, this ad featured a girl in a wheelchair flaunting a stylish outfit and the boy was thrilled to see a poster featuring a person who looked like him. He pointed towards it and mumbled in an inaudible dialogue. His mother, however, caught what he was saying.

“There's a girl in the wheelchair, just like me,” she wrote in the text overlay. The boy had been so accustomed to seeing ads and so many other visuals of people standing and posing that it never resonated with him. Seeing the girl in a wheelchair helped him relate to the ad and feel included and accepted. The smile and excitement showed how proud he was to see someone like him featured. The mom added to his moment and encouraged him with a smile and assurance. For many, the scenario was heartwarming and eye-opening. @lululuivegotsomeapples rightly noted, “This is why diversity and inclusion matter. It’s not woke, it’s being human and having empathy.”

@eva.romme added, “I knew representation matters, but this is eye-opening. Thank you for sharing this amazing moment with us.” @mamamarine8 said, “Representation matters. Representation is important. Representation changes lives.” @nikkililly said, “Inclusivity matters because it gives the younger people the ability to believe their dreams are possible because they can see you doing just that.” @zoeybungard shared, “People think things like this are unimportant. They’re so wrong. Everyone deserves a ‘Just like me.’ He’s adorable!”

You can follow (@ezbruhhspinz) on TikTok for more content on parenting and inclusivity.