Ms. Wheelchair Northern USA advocates for those with disabilities following life-changing accident
by Laura Straub
In just one year, Revere High School alumna Jocelyn Scott of Bath has gone from adjusting to life in a wheelchair to holding the title of Ms. Wheelchair Northern USA.
Last July, Scott, her parents and her brother were traveling in their small plane from Akron to Rhode Island, when a low fuel warning prompted an emergency landing in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
“All four of us survived,” said Scott. “My father, the pilot, had a traumatic brain injury and, miraculously, has made a full recovery. My mother and brother had minor injuries, so I am the only one with a lasting injury.”
A burst fracture on one of Scott’s lumbar vertebrae damaged surrounding nerves, resulting in a spinal cord injury and paralysis of her lower extremities.
“I have since regained some mobility in my legs and am hopeful that I will someday walk again,” she said.
It is that quick determination that likely set Scott, 21, apart in the Ms. Wheelchair competition.
“A lot of people spend time wallowing in the negative emotions, grief, shock, despair, depression,” she said. “I felt all of these emotions, but right away, I knew I didn’t want those emotions to take over my life. I worked really hard to get back to my life as much as I could, doing extra therapy so I could get back to college and begin participating in the activities I love to do.”
Scott, a senior at Ohio State University majoring in psychology with a minor in acting, first found out about the Ms. Wheelchair competition when Lowery Lockard, executive director of Ms. Wheelchair USA, reached out to her via Instagram.
“She explained that she thought I would be a great candidate for the program, and it would be awesome to have a local representative in the competition [which orgininated in Cuyahoga Falls 25 years ago],” Scott said.
Looking for an outlet to meet more women that use wheelchairs, as she had only interacted with men in wheelchairs during physical therapy, Scott took the competition as an opportunity to connect with women that could relate to her experience.
As an Ohio resident, Scott was eligible for both the Ms. Wheelchair Northern USA and Ms. Wheelchair Midwest USA titles, so she applied for both.
“A judging panel reviewed my application and chose me for the title based on my platform, advocacy and service,” Scott said. “I chose my platform as equal representation and opportunities in film, television and theater for all marginalized groups,” she said.
After winning the title, she was named a national finalist for the Ms. Wheelchair USA title.
Typically, all Ms. Wheelchair USA competitors travel to Cuyahoga Falls for 12 days of team building, bonding, workshops and, ultimately, the competition, in which competitors are interviewed and present their platforms. Due to COVID-19, the competition moved online this year.
“All 10 finalists that elected to keep their title for this upcoming year had an interview with Jeremy Parsons from PeopleTV prior to the show airing, and then we had three days of workshops with actors, producers and ADA lawyers to learn about the ADA law and representation of people with disabilities,” Scott said.
She also learned about the responsibilities she will hold for the next year as Ms. Wheelchair Northern USA.
“Since I am a local representative, and the reigning Ms. Wheelchair USA, Dani Rice, is from Washington state, I will be helping out at a lot of events for both Ms. Wheelchair USA and the Dane Foundation [the Cuyahoga Falls-based nonprofit that runs the competition] this year,” Scott said. “We are not really sure what that will look like due to COVID, but we are working on some virtual programming right now.
“I also have responsibilities to maintain my social media presence and promote my platform.”
Scott said that being recognized as a wheelchair user and meeting women in situations like hers were highlights of the competition, but it also gave her an important reminder.
“Prior to winning, everything I was doing was focused on walking again, and this was kind of a reminder to enjoy the moment I’m in, too,” she said.
Since the accident, Scott’s life has changed in obvious ways – she’s had to relearn how to do basic tasks like getting dressed and going to the bathroom from her wheelchair. But she’s also changed her outlook on life.
“Every bit of progress I make is a blessing, as is the fact that my family and I are alive and here,” she said. “I have learned to appreciate the present, my family and life in general so much more. I’ve also learned that being fiercely independent doesn’t mean I cannot ask for help sometimes.”
She’s become more aware of the societal challenges people with disabilities experience, too.
“My eyes have been opened to the discrimination and injustice that the disability community faces each day, whether it be ableist language, inaccessibility or the fact that society is set up to keep them in a cycle of poverty,” she said. “I spend a lot of time nowadays educating people about disability culture, and I hope to spark some change.”
Scott is on track to graduate from Ohio State this spring. “I plan on going to get my doctor of psychology after that, to eventually provide trauma counseling for people who have been in situations like mine,” she said. “I also hope to become the first performer to use a wheelchair at Walt Disney World.”
Feature image photo caption: Jocelyn Scott of Bath was in a plane crash that left her with an injured spinal cord and paralysis of her lower extremities. One year later, she has been crowned Ms. Wheelchair Northern USA. Photo by B. Oldham
