Woman with cerebral palsy becomes lingerie model to prove those with disabilities can be sexy too
May 9, 2016 by admin
Filed under Latest Lingerie News
A woman with cerebral palsy has become a lingerie model in a bid to show how those with disabilities can be sexy too.
Leanne Stephen has opened up about how it can be hard to get people to notice you when you’re in a wheelchair.
And she wanted to change that by taking part in the racy lingerie photoshoots.
The 27-year-old, from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, became a model by accident when, after looking for someone with a disability she could photograph, ended up being snapped herself.
Now Leanne says she hopes by sharing shots of her in her wheelchair wearing racy lingerie and latex she will inspire others.
She said: “It’s so hard to get into modelling when you have a disability so at first I started doing shoots without my wheelchair.
“People don’t notice you as much when you’re in a wheelchair, and even though modelling is something I never thought I’d go into it’s really changed things for me.
“I’ve always hated the way I look and had never considered myself good looking, beautiful or sexy but my disability meant I never gave it a thought.
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“I wanted to do lingerie modelling to show that disabilities can be sexy and beautiful too, but latex modelling is something I kind of fell into it and loved it from the off.”
Leanne works as a receptionist day to day.
But she said she would love to pursue a career in modelling full time.
For now though she combines posing for regular lingerie and fashion photo shoots shot by freelance photographers with her day job.
She was born with cerebral palsy 11 weeks early and the condition affects her legs, meaning she can’t walk unaided.
She’s always used a wheelchair although she can occasionally use crutches to get around.
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Leanne started modelling six years ago after searching for other people with disabilities to photograph and said she “fell into” the profession by chance.
Despite sharing photographs of herself lying and sitting down, she claims her most popular images are always the ones of her in her wheelchair and said these get an “amazing reaction”.
Leanne said: “Growing up I always got nasty comments because I was in a wheelchair and even now I still get the odd comments but I just don’t let it bother me, it just goes straight over my head.
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“I never had any disabled role models to look up to so modelling was never an option for me.
“I was nervous to share my pictures on Facebook at first but I’ve had such an amazing response so far and just want to help inspire people.
“Hopefully with these shoots it will show people that this is who I am and that just because I have a disability it doesn’t mean I should be overlooked.”
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Leanne, who goes by the modelling name Cherri Pi, shares all of her photographs on her Facebook page, which has more than 3,500 likes.
The page has allowed her to show people what a model with disabilities can do and has received a great number of messages telling her she’s an inspiration.
