Push Girls reality show portrays beautiful women in wheelchairs

By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

Have you ever seen a lingerie model with stiletto heels applying mascara in a wheelchair? Or how about a blond bombshell making eyes with a guy at a gas station while declaring, “I have 26-inch rims on the side of my ass. It’s hard not to get attention.”

And, yes, she has plenty of sex -- a question she’s frequently asked -- even though she lost the use of her legs in a car accident a decade ago.

Push Girls, a new reality show/documentary debuting tonight on the Sundance channel, breaks some major taboos when it comes to portraying people with disabilities. They’re not patients but strong women with real-world romantic struggles and professional ambitions. And they’re gorgeous with a great taste in clothes.

The four women on the show have been friends for years bonding over their shared life predicament: Learning to roll instead of walk, adjusting to constant stares no longer for their beauty but for their disability.

After watching the first episode on Hulu, I’m hooked. I care about these women and admire their ambition, physical stamina, and ability to navigate their world without too much trouble -- except for one who’s a quadriplegic and requires a full-time nurse. That doesn’t stop her, though, from trying to restart her modeling career.

Check out the show tonight at 10 p.m. and let me know what you think.