Beauty queen in fight for rights

A deaf finalist of Miss France 2007 is appealing to the anti-discrimination authority Halde over her exclusion from the World Beauty Queen competition.

Sophie Vouzelaud, who became Miss Limousin in 2007, claims her application was refused because of her disability.

That year, Rachel Legrain-Trapani, the national winner, withdrew in favour of her deaf dauphine, offering her the chance to compete in the world challenge.

At first, Mme Vouzelaud's application was accepted, but she was later told that it had in fact been turned down because only the winner of the national competition could participate.

Sophie Vouzelaud acts as an ambassador for HECA (Handicap et Emploi au Crédit Agricole), a association which fights for equal employment opportunities for disabled people.