Early in 2026, at a Victoria’s Secret store, what should have been a normal afternoon shopping turned into a 20-minute wait for employees to clean out their accessible fitting room that left a young woman feeling “…invisible and annoyed”. The incident was recorded by her mother and shared in a viral TikTok video, @unsteadyandready, sparking a broader conversation about accessibility in public spaces, such as dressing rooms and bathrooms.

Erin Taylor, a disabled 23-year-old wheelchair user living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), went to Victoria’s Secret with her mother to shop and requested to use an accessible fitting room. This type of fitting room is specifically designed for wheelchair users and is required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Instead of being welcomed in, she was told to wait 20 minutes while staff cleared out the space, which was being used as a storage closet. After Erin waited for several minutes, she was let into the room, which was still cluttered with boxes, mannequins, and even a Christmas tree. A staff person could be heard in the background saying “See if she fits. Ok, as long as there is no merchandise in there.” Turns out, Erin’s comfort as a customer was less important than taking the extra few steps to store merchandise and other materials in the backroom, and the only materials they felt compelled to clear were for loss prevention.

Commenters online quickly pointed out the legal implications and urged Taylor to report the incident to headquarters and consider consulting with an ADA attorney. Others also insisted that the store knew better and did not uphold basic standards of accessibility. This left many people feeling upset and even commenting on Victoria’s Secret’s social media, wanting them to address the incident.

Former Victoria’s Secret employees also chimed in, noting that this was unacceptable and that the store should have prioritized accessibility and inclusivity. One even highlighted the hypocrisy of Victoria’s Secret’s actions, given that the brand now has adaptive styles designed specifically for women with disabilities, featuring accessible and stylish intimates. Being part of an industry movement towards more inclusive fashion is one thing. Proving it by ensuring your stores treat Federal laws regarding accessibility with the same level of urgency as they do corporate policies on loss management is another. In this instance, this Victoria’s Secret store failed the test.

Taylor’s story has echoed far beyond the fitting room. This brought light to a broader truth: accessibility is not just a product/prop; it is about how you treat your customers when they walk through the door, regardless of their disability.

Many retailers have made progress by launching adaptive clothing collections, designing products for a wide range of bodies and abilities, and featuring diverse models. But as this incident shows, their space design matters just as much as the clothing on the racks. When a store’s physical space makes someone with a disability feel uncomfortable, unwanted, or like an imposition, it undermines the inclusive message the brand is trying to present to the public and sends a message that the message is for a corporate image, but the product is not.

This is not just another viral moment about poor customer service or misplaced Christmas decor. It is not merely about a cluttered fitting room. It is about respect, nobility, and what it truly means to be accessible. Retail stores are legally required to provide accessible fitting rooms and keep them cleared for shoppers who rely on them. When those spaces are blocked or unavailable, it is not an inconvenience; it might be an ADA violation. Erin Taylor’s experience struck a chord not because it was not shocking in its sight. Instead, it was appalling in its commonness, and that is the point. Over forty years after the enactment of the ADA, accessibility issues like these are still all too regular. As Victoria’s Secret and other brands look to present images to the public about how forward they are, then resolving them should be as well.