Titles don't necessarily = privileges

Think that fancy titles still carry privileges? Not when it comes to Ms. Wheelchairs and disabled access to airports. Angie Wilkerson, Ms. Wheelchair Virginia 2005, told of a recent experience in an interesting article on TimesDispatch.com In the Philadelphia airport, she wasn't allowed to use her own motorized wheelchair to board the plane and had to use a special wheelchair. "The lady wasn't paying attention and dumped me out," Wilkerson related. "I managed to grab a wall and scream for help, catching myself." Her muscles "felt like I had been in a car wreck from all the stress and all the transferring. There's a lot of stress just not knowing what you're going to face." The same article also relates the hitches faced by Kristen Connors of Providence, R.I., who is Ms. Wheelchair America 2006. To board a plane in Richmond, she had to be carried up airplane steps by two airline employees. "The gentlemen who carried me were nice," she said, "but it was freezing and cold outside."
This article isn't just about Ms. Wheelchair contestants, however, and includes other good info.