Carol Cyrus headshot   Save
Miss Wheelchair America Records
Description: Carol Sue Cyrus, Miss Wheelchair Ohio, smiles in the 1976-77 Miss Wheelchair America Pageant. The Miss Wheelchair America Pageant was founded in September, 1971, by an Ohio psychiatrist who wished to establish a spokesperson for disabled Americans. The first pageant was held in the spring of 1972 with only three contestants and quickly grew to encompass multiple states, cities, and U.S. territories. Despite being based on the Miss America Pageant, the Miss Wheelchair America Pageant is not a beauty pageant, but a celebration of the talent and courage of the handicapped, with the primary judging criteria being personal accomplishment. The winners responsibilities focus on raising awareness of the needs of the disabled through appearances and outreach, as well as by assisting with establishing and maintaining pageant committees in all states. In 1974, Miss Wheelchair America went from being a volunteer activity to a recognized non-profit corporation dedicated to helping its participants in their objectives to remove architectural, environmental and attitudinal barriers for the handicapped. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: MSS934_B02_F38_003
Subjects: Pageants--Ohio; Pageants--United States; Women with disabilities--Attitudes
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)