Sit down and stay put!

April 1, 2005 10:15 AM

Ms. Wheelchair Wisconsin stripped of title for standing up. Candidates for the crown have to "mostly be seen in the public using their wheelchairs or scooters," said Judy Hoit, Ms. Wheelchair America's treasurer. "Otherwise you've got women who are in their wheelchairs all the time and they get offended if they see someone standing up. We can't have title holders out there walking when they're seen in the public." Reminds me of the joke of the kid who won the "Most Humble" award at his school, was given a badge, and then had it taken away from him when he put it on.
posted by billysumday (25 comments total)

Unbelievable.
posted by dfowler at 10:21 AM on April 1, 2005

is there anything creepier than someone in a wheelchair using their legs to help scootch the thing along?
posted by tsarfan at 10:34 AM on April 1, 2005

More information on pageant and rules. The rules seem pretty loose to me. People must be: 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. Last year's Ms. Wheelchair in Wisconsin does some fairly serious disability activism type stuff with ADA compliance issues.
posted by jessamyn at 10:36 AM on April 1, 2005

This post is disabling without a picture. I only read there was proof yet the article never showed or linked the pic.
posted by thomcatspike at 10:49 AM on April 1, 2005

How would a picture have proved all the relevant facts? Are you sure you didn't just want to check out whether wheelchair pageant winners aren't mingers?
posted by biffa at 10:54 AM on April 1, 2005

I don't know what a minger is, but I think that, yes, I probably wanted to check if Ms. Wheelchair Wisconsin wasn't one.
posted by PhatLobley at 10:57 AM on April 1, 2005

tsarfan, yep, when old ladies have their dogs lick their toes.

What if these were the first steps she'd been able to take in 20 years? They'd still take away her title? You've gotta be disabled for life to win and keep the title?

I'd think they would be psyched she's able to stand. She has to use the chair most of the time, that should be plenty enough.

And if the picture is so "damning" then why isn't it viewable anywhere?
posted by fenriq at 11:00 AM on April 1, 2005

In the wheelchair pageant, they still use the term "runner up". Classic.
posted by dr_dank at 11:14 AM on April 1, 2005

winners aren't mingers
What? The reason for the stripping is because she could stand walk. Was she standing on her own, helped up or on crutches?
Plus who says they have proof but never shows it…Oi! forgot we live in a political world. Plus why would CNN publish a story with the smoking gun? Don’t you love pictures? As I see it this story sells w/o any proven facts attached it other than words. A better understanding would ruin the sell value here.
posted by thomcatspike at 11:29 AM on April 1, 2005

w/o with the smoking gun
posted by thomcatspike at 11:29 AM on April 1, 2005

Yes, but is she hot?
posted by fixedgear at 11:30 AM on April 1, 2005

It's about time someone stood up for the disabled.
posted by scratch at 11:39 AM on April 1, 2005

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

Geez, I'm pretty sure that I can find some photos around here somewhere of FDR [gasp] standing and even [ *gasp*] "walking". Does this mean he was not really disabled?
posted by anastasiav at 11:49 AM on April 1, 2005

Her sister also has muscular dystrophy and is Ms. Wheelchair Minnesota.
posted by jessamyn at 11:51 AM on April 1, 2005

Yes, but is she hot?

Some of you people (you know who you are) need to get beyond the chair(s) and think about the souls of the people in them. Having said that, here's what some of the winners look like.
posted by LeLiLo at 12:16 PM on April 1, 2005

scratch, that was brilliant.
posted by Four Flavors at 12:27 PM on April 1, 2005

At least she wasn't just using the wheelchair for respect, like some people I could name.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 12:37 PM on April 1, 2005

Geez, I'm pretty sure that I can find some photos around here somewhere of FDR [gasp] standing and even [ *gasp*] "walking".

That's about all you'll see, anastasiav. There are over 140,000 photos of FDR, and only a handful include a wheelchair. A fascinating book called FDR’s Splendid Deception, discussing all this, says that in his presidential library there are two wheelchair photos out of 35,000 total.

More on the subject; also author Hugh Gallagher's obituary [page down] from last summer.
posted by LeLiLo at 12:38 PM on April 1, 2005

Thanks, Four Flavors, I needed that. (But I thought it was kinda, you know, obvious.)
posted by scratch at 12:38 PM on April 1, 2005

posted by MonkeySaltedNuts at 12:38 PM on April 1, 2005

scratch, I thought it was brilliant too and not easily obvious. I just didn't think to comment and let you know.
posted by fenriq at 12:41 PM on April 1, 2005

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

Isn't the Janeal Lee the car from The Dukes of Hazzard?
posted by raster at 1:23 PM on April 1, 2005

Will the real Miss Wheelchair please stand up?
posted by orthogonality at 1:34 PM on April 1, 2005

Ortho's going to hell...who's goin' with him?
posted by effugas at 1:59 AM on April 2, 2005

I was impressed to learn that the runner up refused the title when Ms Wheelchair Winsconsin had the title stripped.
posted by terrapin at 1:07 PM on April 6, 2005