Iowa women are being sought for a contest which demands public-speaking skills, confidence — and a confining disability. Applications are now being accepted for the title of “Ms. Wheelchair Iowa 2001.”Judy Hoit, of Iowa City, is state coordinator for the program, which aims to make the needs and -abilities- of people in wheelchairs more widely known. Hoit held the state title herself in 1996. Participants who want to become the next Ms. Wheelchair Iowa need to be between the ages of 21 and 60 who’ve lived in Iowa at least six months and whose minds are not contained by their chairs. Hoit says this pageant is based more on a woman’s enthusiasm than her appearance.The deadline for entering is March 19th. The winner will be announced in April. Iowa’s winner will compete in the Ms. Wheelchair America Program in July in Denver, Colorado. The current titleholder, Jamie Barker of Urbandale, was named First Runner Up in the 2000 national contest. For more information, call (319) 351-8375 or send e-mail to “accnowjh@aol.com”.
