Wheelchair Birthday Note at NJ Restaurant Sparks Outcry

A New Jersey diner, Antonia Sinbaldi, was served a birthday dessert at Blu on the Hudson in Weehawken with the phrase “Happy Wheel Chair Birthday” written in sauce, prompting outrage and a confrontation with staff. The restaurant said the note was a miscommunication used to identify where a dessert should be delivered, and offered an apology; Sinbaldi, who uses a motorized wheelchair and has relied on a ventilator since a cervical spine injury, called the response insufficient and urged others to learn from the incident, highlighting the impact of disability on everyday experiences.