A bridal store in Bristol, England has gone viral after a Twitter user posted a photo of their unique window display online.
The window display was unique was because it featured a mannequin in a wedding dress sitting in a wheelchair.
The new wedding shop in town has a wheelchair using mannequin and it shouldn’t be exciting but it’s the first time I’ve ever seen disability portrayed in a shop window. pic.twitter.com/N5sco2fLJf
— Beth Wilson (@doodlebeth) January 9, 2019
Beth Wilson, the user who tweeted the photo, complimented the display, writing:
“The new wedding shop in town has a wheelchair using mannequin and it shouldn’t be exciting but it’s the first time I’ve ever seen disability portrayed in a shop window.”
And about the way the wheelchair was displayed, added:
“It’s great that they decorated the chair rather than hiding it away. Mobility aids are often portrayed as negative things that people want to hide when actually mobility aids like wheelchairs give us freedom.”
The owners of the store, The White Collection in Portishead, told Sky News that they didn’t think much about it when they installed the display.
"We didn't really think much about it."
A window display at a Bristol bridal boutique has been praised for displaying a mannequin seated in a wheelchair.
The owners of the store say they didn't expect it to go viral – more on this story here: https://t.co/bh1J8liUci pic.twitter.com/oePhb6mqJ2
— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 11, 2019
The owners said that the positive response was great, but that it was “sad people have done a double-take” because it highlights how rare the display is.
“It would be nice one day for people to double-take just because they like the dress.”
The fact is, a store using a wheelchair in a display is a newsworthy thing. I’ve certainly never seen it done before, and I’m always on the lookout for positive representation of underrepresented groups.
But the fact that one store has done it proves it can be done (not like we needed proof, though, since common sense would suggest it can be done), and hopefully others will follow suit. The way the wheelchair was incorporated and decorated, as it might be on a wedding day, is a lovely touch.
Inclusiveness in things like shop displays or marketing campaigns may seem like a small thing to those who’ve always been included, but to those who haven’t been, it can be incredibly affirming to see someone who looks like you depicted positively, even if it’s just to advertise someone’s products. And hey, all this attention can’t be bad for The White Collection’s business, right?