Ms. Wheelchair (who has MS) stripped of title for standing up

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/04/01/ms.wheelchair.ap/index.html

Ms. Wheelchair stripped of title for standing up
Friday, April 1, 2005 Posted: 8:51 AM EST (1351 GMT)
APPLETON, Wisconsin (AP) -- Ms. Wheelchair Wisconsin has been stripped of her title because pageant officials say she can stand -- and point to a newspaper picture as proof.

Janeal Lee, who has muscular dystrophy and uses a scooter, was snapped by The Post-Crescent newspaper standing among her high school math students.

"I've been made to feel as if I can't represent the disabled citizens of Wisconsin because I'm not disabled enough," Lee said Thursday.

Lee, 30, of Appleton, had planned to go to the national pageant with her younger sister, who also has muscular dystrophy and won the competition in Minnesota.

Students at Kaukauna High School, where Lee teaches, raised $1,000 for her trip to the national pageant.<snip>

That's like getting upset for having your "Ms. Amputee" title taken away when it's discovered you have all your appendages.

If you have all of them, how can you be an amputee? :shrug:

If she can walk, how can she be considered "Ms. Wheelchair".

That's my point Tex. It's hypocritical for her to complain about losing an award designed for people confined to a wheelchair.

Part-time wheelchair use is an extremely common thing. Most people who do use wheelchairs, whether part-time or full-time, don't find them confining, they're more like a vehicle to get around in. I wonder if FDR would've been stripped of such a title because he was sometimes photographed standing.

I know a large number of wheelchair users who can walk, usually only a very short distance and often with a great deal of pain.

Here are the criteria:

We are currently searching for women to represent their states in the national competition. Contestants must meet the following criteria:

1. A U.S. citizen between the ages of 21 & 60
2. Utilize a wheelchair for daily mobility
3. Marital status is not a consideration

There's nothing in there about "can't ever walk." Many people who can walk at least a small amount do use wheelchairs for daily mobility and would not be able to get around without them. The idea of deciding that someone doesn't need a wheelchair (which is what taking away the award seems to be saying) because they can walk sometimes is sort of like deciding someone isn't paraplegic because they can move their toes a bit: Both seem to make sense on the surface until you actually know a fair bit about disability.

The organization's executive director, Pat O'Bryant, said Friday that rules also mandate that Ms. Wheelchair America should be someone who uses a wheelchair or scooter when in public.

"It's our policy," O'Bryant said. "It's our procedure, and we had to stick with that . . . A lot of thought went into this. It was not done without thought, without meeting our requirements. It was never personal."

Rules are rules

O'Bryant said that the committee in charge of picking a Ms. Wheelchair Wisconsin shouldn't have found Lee eligible, since any state's titleholder needs to be eligible to serve as Ms. Wheelchair America if she wins.

A Ms. Wheelchair America who stands up unaided, in a public setting, and sometimes walks around unassisted, doesn't fit the organization's needs as a public face to advocate the abilities of people who use wheelchairs, O'Bryant said.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/apr05/314783.asp

Terri intervened on her behalf! O8)