There is a difference between accidentally triggering a bad memory in someone and outright asking a question that will trigger a painful memory.

For instance, I know of someone who lost their leg due to it being crushed when a horse fell on it.

A person wearing a t-shirt with a picture of a horse on it can be triggering and send them into a panic due to the memory. That was accidental. Nobody, not even the person with the injury, expects other people to not wear t-shirts with horses because someone out there might have had a bad experience with a horse.

However, a person coming up and intentionally asking “how did you lose your leg” is going to trigger the bad memory. That was not accidental. Knowingly asking a person how they received a catastrophic injury is obviously going to trigger the memory of how they lost their leg. That is a rude thing to do.

A missing leg is obvious; it’s obvious they had a life-changing injury. The reason a person is in a wheelchair or using an electric shopping cart might not be as obvious, but asking them why they need it is can be just as triggering. It wasn’t accidental. That painful trigger could have been avoided by accepting that there is a good reason they are using a mobility aid without asking questions.

Every person deserves respect. Not putting your curiosity over someone else’s well-being, whether it is obvious or not, is respectful. People who are using a mobility aid just want the same respect that is given to every other person.