Kirsty Hill, a 33-year-old woman from Maesteg who is deaf and blind, has responded to a social media troll who told her she is the reason abortions exist after she shared an educational video about her rare genetic condition. Kirsty said her “heart sank” when she read the comment and that she is tired of people assuming her disability means her life must be “terrible and unfulfilled”.
Challenging assumptions about disability
Kirsty, who has Fraser syndrome, was born with webbed hands and feet, a facial difference, breathing difficulties and several chronic illnesses. She said she felt disappointed that people still assume her disability automatically means her life is terrible and unfulfilled, and wanted to challenge such a low opinion of her life.
“Yes, I have bad days, but it seems irrelevant to bring up the abortion debate to a 33-year-old woman who has existed in her disabled body her entire life and made that life meaningful,” she said. Kirsty created a video replying to the comment, explaining that although she is fully pro-choice and supports women’s right to bodily autonomy, it frustrates her when the abortion debate is weaponised against disabled people.
Life beyond disability
Kirsty has undergone more than 60 surgeries throughout her life and holds a PhD in psychology. She said there is far more to her than her disability and is determined to challenge the idea that disabled people's lives are worth less. “The comment made me angry and disappointed that lives like mine are still seen as less even in 2026,” she said.
She said people have become more comfortable posting hate comments online, especially towards disabled people, and that assumptions are made about her quality of life from one look at her face. Kirsty also lives with endometriosis and Ménière's disease, a chronic inner ear disorder affecting balance and hearing.
Impact on families and online abuse
Another troll told Kirsty that her parents' lives had “ended” after her birth. She said this was harmful not only to her but also to her family. “Disability is one of the few groups that anyone can join at any time; it only takes one accident, one illness, one injury, one diagnosis like dementia or cancer,” she said.
Kirsty believes social media platforms could do more to protect disabled people from abuse, but said change also needs to start with society. She noted that most hate comments come from faceless profiles, and that when she calls them out, they are deleted quickly. She hopes the person who left the comment will rethink their assumptions about disability.
