Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - Not disabled enough? Should she get her title back?

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Not disabled enough? Should she get her title back?

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

Quote:

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.

The move by the state pageant officials, led by coordinator Gina Hackel, is supported by the national board.

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."

Hackel said Lee should have been aware of the rules.

The crown now goes to first runner-up Michelle Kearney of Milwaukee, who will travel to New York in July for the national pageant.

In another article I found information that her capability for "walking" is limited to less than 50 feet because of her muscular dystrophy. I'm going to have to side with the teacher and say that this revocation was reactionary and uncalled for and I personally hope that she does very well in the national pageant. I have great respect for people that overcome limitations like this and I think it's a tragedy that even groups that are supposedly supporting them undermine their efforts.

Taking away her title was a bunch of BS. Disabled is disabled. Just because she can walk a little bit doesn't mean she's not disabled. They should be ashamed of herself. She should consider legal options.

Wow. That's really bizarre! Why did they do this?

I mean they were worried about the percieved risk of bad publicity due to awarding the title to a 'walker' - yet this is just so much worse!

Quote:

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.

I think only being able to walk 50 ft counts as mostly using a wheelchair :rolleyes: They should at least give the woman a share of the crown.

Quote:

"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."

that's it right there.... worried about some one being offended.

More PC bullshit that's being enforced by the minority at the cost and humiliation of the majority.

I agree this seems rediculous.

It's an interesting juxtaposition to look at the "$300 Lollipop Fine" and this thread.

In that thread, I thought common sense would dictate something different than jumping to such a harsh punishment but many disagreed.

Would those same folks who argued "The rules are the rules" also agree that the punishment was just here?

Personally, I think it is silly here too.

The woman HAS MD, just not as severe.

Yet the rules are the rules.

I guess I see the difference being that the Bus System is a taxpayer (public) entity and I expect more common sense while the Pageant is a private entity which can make any silly eligibility rules it sees fit to make.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lebell

Yet the rules are the rules.

Yes, the rules are the rules and the rules say that contestants "mostly be seen in the public using their wheelchairs or scooters," this decision was based on one photo, of her in her classroom, where she could use the abundant furniture for support, I've read the story in the candy on the bus thread and I don't personally think that they're related at all.

This woman can't walk more than 50 feet, which means that outside of the classroom or her home where she is likely to have ready assistance, she's on her scooter, going to the bathroom, the store, lunch, from her car to the school, requires her scooter, she is disabled.

I do hope you realize that I am leaning towards agreeing with you :)

I don't know what's more ridiculous, the fact that they've taken her title away, or the fact that there was a title in the first place.

-Lasereth

That's the most retarded thing I've ever heard..

For sure it's a drag to have the title taken away, but she should just brush it off. I find these titles segregate society even further, singling out the disabled.

It doesn't sound as though the rules were clear. She entered the contest under the rules and it sounds as though the rules were "modified" after the fact to suit a public image.

It's appalling... granted she doesn't need the chair 100% of the time, but it's clear that she couldn't live without it...

Give it back to her!

I'd enter the "Mr. Oxygen-Breathing CT" pageant, but I've been known to hold my breath for up to 3 minutes while underwater. I think they'd probably disqualify me if they saw a pic of me underwater.

UDPATE

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7355320/

Quote:

MILWAUKEE - A new Ms. Wheelchair Wisconsin has been crowned after pageant leaders stripped the original winner of the title when she appeared in a newspaper photograph standing up.

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The announcement of the new winner Tuesday came amid a storm of protest over pageant officials’ decision last week to take the crown away from Janeal Lee, a high school teacher and muscular dystrophy sufferer who uses a scooter as her main way to get around but says she can walk up to 50 feet on a good day and stand while teaching.

During the furor, the runner-up refused to accept the crown out of protest. Lee’s sister, who also has muscular dystrophy and was named Ms. Wheelchair Minnesota, dropped out of the competition in that state. And the coordinator for the organization’s Minnesota program stepped down from her job to “stand up for Janeal Lee.”

“I no longer feel comfortable supporting an organization that instead of working towards creating a positive change, chooses to perpetuate stereotypes and requests its participants to hide their abilities while in public,” said the sister, 26-year-old Sharon Spring of Rochester, Minn.

Seen standing in photo
Ms. Wheelchair Wisconsin officials stripped Lee of the crown after the 30-year-old was shown standing in her classroom in a photograph carried in a supplement to The Post-Crescent newspaper of Appleton.

The organization said candidates for the crown have to “mostly be seen in the public using their wheelchairs or scooters.”

The eventual winner was second runner-up Kim Jerman of Waukesha, one of five women who competed for the title during a January competition. She did not immediately return a call Tuesday from The Associated Press.

Pat O’Bryant, the national program’s executive director, confirmed Jerman had accepted the Wisconsin crown but refused additional comment.

“We are not getting into a he-said, she-said, situation. I think we’ve said enough,” she said. “I’m very sorry all of this is happening.”

The crown went to Jerman after first runner-up Michelle Kearney of West Allis refused to accept it.

“Who is to say who is more disabled and less disabled than another person?” Kearney told The Post-Crescent. “Had I accepted, it’s as if I had been saying I’m OK with the decision. I thought they educated and advocated about disabilities.”

Resignation in protest
The coordinator for the group’s Minnesota program, Jen Onsum, also quit her job in protest.

“I feel I must now stand up for Janeal Lee and against an organization that has discriminated against the very people they strive to advocate for,” Onsum said, according to a statement included in a link on the national program’s Web site.

Lee said she didn’t think the organization’s decision was fair but would use the dispute to teach others about the range of disabilities people can have.

“Clearly, it would be better if this didn’t have to happen to spark any interest or conversation about disabilities,” Lee said.

The winners of state Ms. Wheelchair contests go on to the national competition July 19-24 in Albany, N.Y. The program — which is not a beauty pageant — is designed to spotlight the accomplishments of women who use wheelchairs.

This is awesome, I'm especially impressed that the first runner-up had the respect to also refuse the crown and I love what she had to say.

If you'd like to see it the picture that started the whole mess is included in the article.

This story reminds me of the story of the basketball team from Spain competing in the Special Olympics. They won the gold medal after faking their mental retardation. They were found out a couple of months later. WTF were they doing to "fake" their conditions? One part of me shakes my head in disbelief and another part chuckles with guilt as to think of their possible antics

Kudos to Kearney, the runner-up, for refusing the title. That takes courage and sensibility and, most importantly, lets the original winner (Lee) know she's not an outcast to the disabled community, just to the psycho officials.

Society just took one more step deeper into the hole they have been digging.

I can't wait to see this nation in 50 years.

What a shame that someone so full of self pity about their being wheelchair can't accept that someone with limited use of their legs won.