Lia, I definitely agree with you about those societal misconceptions being at the core of the problem. People jump to the "chivalry" moniker when the assistance comes from -- or when they're soliciting it from -- either a boy or a man, usually young (or youngish), and typically when the guy doesn't appear to have any VISIBLE physical disabilities.

And the recipient of the chivalrous act is, nearly 100% of the time, a girl or a woman. That's the stereotype that society has forced us to collectively absorb.