Others Standing Up for Ousted Wheelchair Titlist

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Others Standing Up for Ousted Wheelchair Titlist

From The Los Angeles Times March 6, 2005

MILWAUKEE — A new Ms. Wheelchair Wisconsin was crowned Tuesday after

pageant leaders stripped the original winner of the title after she

appeared in a newspaper photograph standing.

The announcement of the new winner came amid a storm of protest over

pageant officials' decision last week to take the crown away from

Janeal Lee, 30, a high school teacher and muscular dystrophy sufferer

who uses a scooter as her primary way to get around but says she can

walk 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 toward creating a positive change, chooses to perpetuate

stereotypes and requests its participants to hide their abilities

while in public, " said Lee's sister, Sharon Spring, 26, of Rochester,

Minn.

Pageant officials stripped Lee of the crown after she was shown

standing in her classroom in a photograph in a supplement to the

Appleton Post-Crescent newspaper. The organization said candidates

had to " mostly be seen in the public using their wheelchairs or

scooters. "

The eventual winner was second runner-up Kim Jerman of Waukesha. She

did not return a call from Associated Press.

The crown went to Jerman after first runner-up 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.