Maria Cebreco: Differently-abled, open-minded and proud

After Maria Cebreco received the crown for "Ms. Wheelchair Michigan 2006," two young girls scurried to the stage and gazed into her eyes.
"I saw how they looked at my crown, my hair, my face and let's not forget that fab satin off-the-shoulder blue dress," Cebreco says. "I could see that they were looking at me, not at the wheelchair, not at the fact that I have a disability, but at the fairytale, the glam."
People stood still. The room went silent. Cebreco thought, "A time to change perceptions, to create awareness, to inspire." As "Ms. Wheelchair," Cebreco, who has muscular dystrophy, is a spokeswoman for awareness, acceptance and understanding of wheelchair-bound people. She will participate in a national competition in Little Rock, Ark. at the end of July.
But it doesn't stop there. Her appreciation of diversity extends to inclusion of all individuals, including the LGBT community. "I feel that the two groups [LGBTs and disabled] would benefit and learn from each other," she says. Cebreco, who has friends in the LGBT community, feels that "supporting them would also lead to greater communication and interaction between the two groups."
But even though Cebreco hasn't worked much in the community, she's assisted, as an ally, young gay people who felt inferior. "I have done this by talking to them and setting an example with my own life – a strong person that will not compromise my ideals or beliefs," she says.
Cebreco hopes to dedicate more time to LGBT affairs and wants to start a dialogue about the issues that affect both groups of people. "I honestly believe that both groups can be allies to each other and that we can all benefit from uniting," she says. "I can share my experiences and advocacy skills to individuals in the LGBT community that may have a disability but who may not know what services and opportunities are open to them."
When Cebreco moved from Cuba to New York, she didn't learn English until age 5 and grew up in a neighborhood that only spoke Spanish. But even though she's a minority, she's fighting a tougher battle: making people realize that she's only disabled, not dead.
While at lunch recently the waiter asked Cebreco's personal assistant what Cebreco wanted to order. Cebreco thought, "Excuse me, I'm right here." She's also upset that the gay community isn't as visible as they should be. "Many people in the LGBT community are still not comfortable displaying their partner's photos on their desk [at work] and many people with disabilities still can't even get through the door to get a desk, and I mean the doors to employment," she says.
As an avid movie-watcher, Cebreco's admiration for last season's Oscar frontrunners "Crash" and "Brokeback Mountain" grew from their political and social messages – something she's pushing with her new title. Saddened by the dilemma of the two gay men in "Brokeback Mountain," Cebreco says, "[It] showed that even though we have seen progress there is much to be done."
It's the stereotypes exposed in "Crash" that Cebreco would like to erase. "The fact that even after years of working toward greater awareness of the two groups, people still hold fast to stereotypes," she says. "Their stereotypes hinder our communities."
And while people on the frontlines inspire change for Cebreco – or, as she puts it, people who "don't care what it costs them, but care about getting it done" – the two young girls who saw her as more than a wheelchair-bound woman might say the same about her. Actually, with a brief look into Cebreco's eyes, they already did.