Lanham native Janice Jackson overcame a paralyzing spinal cord injury that left her wheelchair-bound 23 years ago to become the founder and executive director of the Baltimore-based nonprofit Women Embracing Abilities Now, an organization that has helped hundreds of women who suffered debilitating injuries adjust to new realities.

Kindergartners visit pregnancy center Crossland sophomore named student school board member ‘Crushed’ by economy, looking for help Businesses struggle with rising prices Working hard and going for the gold And now her inspirational story, once known only to family, friends and those whose lives she has touched, is going to reach a wider audience.

Jackson was selected in February as one of four women to represent Queen Latifah’s new line of make-up ‘‘The CoverGirl Queen Collection.” Jackson said the company was looking for women who had ‘‘overcome major challenges” and chose her from more than 4,800 entrants from across the country.

Her story will be profiled by the Lifetime television network on May 20, and she will be featured in an advertisement in the June issue of Ebony Magazine.

‘‘[CoverGirl] saw my accomplishments as the executive director of the program I started and they saw how my story shows people you can take a tragedy and turn it around into triumph and do great things,” she said.

A DuVal High School Class of 1978 graduate, Jackson at 24 was working as manager of a woman’s clothing store at Landover Mall in 1984. Driving home down George Palmer Highway, now Martin Luther King Jr. Highway, she saw a friend in another car. The two pulled over, got out of their vehicles and started chatting.

Moments later, Jackson said, an 18-year-old motorist dropped the cigarette he was smoking into his lap, lost control of his vehicle and barreled into her. Upon impact, she was catapulted into the air and landed on her head, irreparably damaging her spinal chord. She has been wheelchair-bound ever since.

Jackson graduated from the University of Baltimore with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in human services administration. She now teaches psychology there as an adjunct professor.

She founded the support group that would become WEAN in 1984 shortly after suffering her injury. She registered WEAN as a tax-exempt 501(c)3 nonprofit in 1995.

‘‘From a wheelchair, I decided to devote my life to other women with disabilities and help them realize that they are women and they are queens as well and they just have to believe that,” Jackson said.

As presently constituted, WEAN has 12 active mentors and ‘‘tons of volunteers” who staff the nonprofit. Private donations and various fundraisers throughout the year subsidize the organization, Jackson said.

Jackson said her nonprofit serves as a ‘‘bridge” for women who have suffered life-altering injuries to reenter society.

Jackson’s mother, Althea, said she is ‘‘very proud” of her daughter and all she has been able to accomplish.

CoverGirl spokeswoman Anitra Marsh said choosing Jackson was not a difficult decision.

Jackson, a Baltimore resident, said she is grateful to CoverGirl for the opportunity to raise awareness for women with disabilities.

Jackson said she is looking forward to the increased publicity that women with disabilities will receive as part of the CoverGirl campaign.

‘‘I’m sure once the magazine hits and once the show airs the exposure is going to be phenomenal and help me in my mission to put a face on women with disabilities,” she said.

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