When Amelia Peckham was 19, she had a life-altering quadbike accident that left her fighting to regain her mobility. During one of her physiotherapy appointments in hospital, a visitor she had been chatting to casually told her: "Honestly, you are amazing for carrying on. I'd rather be dead."

She said: "To hear that was earth-shattering. It made me think, why am I bothering with all this if someone else would rather be dead?"

"I was so focused on trying to regain movement and feeling in my legs, I was totally focused on physio. I didn't want to be dead, I wanted to be alive, independent, and ensure that myself and everyone around me was given the best shot at returning to daily life independently."

This was the first of many "earth-shattering" comments Amelia would face as she left the hospital needing to use mobility aids, like 4.3 million other people in the UK as mobility issues is the most frequently reported type of disability. Unfortunately, many face a reality of being judged, feeling ashamed and sometimes even enduring abuse when using their aids in public.

Research by Amelia's company Cool Crutches & Walking Sticks revealed 93% of people feel judged in public for using walking aids, and three in five have experienced negative or abusive comments. A Bupa study revealed the psychological impact these moments have as disabled people faced heightened levels of anxiety and lower levels of self-esteem.

The survey showed Amelia wasn't the only one who had a stranger say they'd rather be dead than dealing with a disability. Other disabled people reported being accused of faking, or receiving abusive comments attacking their age, weight and various other aspects of themselves.

One participant revealed: "I've had my stick pushed from underneath me and been lightly pushed to see if the 'cripple' would fall". Another was told: "You're faking it for benefits. You're a write-off. Your family would be better off without you."

The survey found some women had even experienced sexually abusive comments related to their mobility aids, with comments like "at least you can't run away from me". One respondent shared: "I was told I haven't had sex with the right person and that he'd f*** it right out of me."

Amelia recalled having to quickly grow a thick skin when she first became disabled and was thrust into this new world of judgement and stigma. She said: "The world wasn't ready to see someone young, disabled, and visible, and it still isn't.

"When I left the hospital, disabled people were barely visible in the media, unless it was tied to tragedy. Walking aids were portrayed as something to hide or fear. And while that's slowly changing, there's still so much work to do."

Amelia hopes to encourage people to see mobility aids as a tool and symbol of independence rather than something to be ashamed of. She said: "One day, I hope walking aids will be viewed like glasses: something that helps you live better and look great while doing it.

"How someone reacts to your disability says everything about them, and nothing about you. I just hope more people realise that. Disabled or not."