Everything You Want in a Girl on Wheels

Here she comes…Miss Wheelchair America. She can’t walk, but she certainly stands tall in the face of scrutiny that the Miss America pageant is often criticized for. There’s no doubt that the Miss Wheelchair America pageant has great merit. The Miss Wheelchair America pageant represents a parallel playing field for “beauty queens” who just happen to use a wheelchair and possess a variety of non-traditional skills and talents. The winners are bound to empower many beautiful girls who happen to use wheelchairs as well. In my eyes, this is what gives this pageant great value over other “beauty” pageants.

However, my question is, does Miss Wheelchair America and the message associated with her really look good from all angles? One positive angle of the pageant is in line with its objectives. It raises social awareness and understanding about different disabilities. Another great attribute of this event is that it challenges some incomplete perceptions that people have towards those with disabilities. Despite the big picture issues that those of us in wheelchairs are sometimes faced with, the fact is that many day-to-day activities require additional effort and attention as well - for instance personal appearance. The icing on the cake is that the Miss Wheelchair pageant might also help to broaden society’s conception of the elements that comprise beauty.

However, the pageant is not without its bad angles either. One big smear on the Miss Wheelchair America pageant is its segregation from the Miss America pageant. This segregation gives wheelchair users the message that they don’t measure up to able-bodied people, and this detracts greatly from the positive objectives of the Miss Wheelchair pageant. In one sense, the separation of these pageants also emphasizes unimportant differences. If the pageants were integrated, emphasis would lie on equality of all participants, regardless of their physical differences.

Nevertheless, I believe in the positive aspects of the pageant and of course, the current Miss Wheelchair America, Kristen Connors herself. These outshine any negative elements by far. Miss Wheelchair state pageants are currently being held across America. The final pageant will take place on July 31, 2006, in Little Rock, Alaska. For more information about the Miss Wheelchair America pageant please visit - http://www.mswheelchairamerica.org/.

The Miss Wheelchair America Pageant is definitely one high-heeled step in a positively progressive direction. As we step and roll into the future together, it feels good to know that our various abilities, along with our wheels, are becoming more and more evident in society. Plus, it’s even better to think that both wheels and heels are going to be representative of the America of the future.

On that note,

Keep on rolling in the city.