Ms Wheelchair America Pageant

posted on Jun 19 by Lauren in the Disability News category

As one of the oldest pageant programs in the country, the Ms Wheelchair America pageant was organized in 1972 by a physician named Dr. Philip K Wood in Columbus, Ohio that specialized in the treatment of the disabled. Ms Wheelchair America served as a forum for the promotion of the achievements and needs people with mobility impairments. The pageant is not a beauty contest, rather a competition based on advocacy, achievement, communication, and presentation to select the most the accomplished and articulate spokeswoman for person’s with disabilities. Ms. Wheelchair America must be able to communicate both the needs and accomplishments of her constituency to the general public, the business community, and the legislature.

The Ms. Wheelchair America provides an opportunity of achievement for women who happen to be wheelchair users to successfully educate and advocate for the more than 52 million American’s living with disabilities. The pageant is open to women that are U.S. citizens between the age of 21 and 60 that use a wheelchair for 100% of their daily mobility. The competition begins at one of the 28 participating states. The winner of each state pageant advances to the national competition held in Grand Rapids, Michigan in August of 2010.

Once crowned, Ms. Wheelchair America travels around the country promoting awareness of the need to eliminate physical and discriminatory attitudes, inform the public of achievements of millions of disabled people across the nation, and assist with the establishment of programs that assist the disabled community in all 50 states. In addition, she will visit advocacy groups, make public appearances and conduct radio, print advertisements, and TV interviews. She will commit to be a personal example of the title holder as she serves to further the mission of Ms. Wheelchair America.

Many of the participating states also hold a Junior Miss Wheelchair America pageant that is open to girls between the ages of 14 to 20. Based on the same principal of personal achievement and advocacy within the disabled community rather than aesthetic beauty, the Junior Miss Wheelchair America is held in conjunction with the Ms. Wheelchair America national contest.  The Junior Miss Wheelchair America is expected to be a spokesperson for the disabled, to lead by example, and to show how the American’s With Disabilities Act benefits all Americans, not just the disabled.

By focusing and rewarding personal accomplishment rather than aesthetics, the core message of the Ms Wheelchair America pageant comes through. Through education and personal example this pageant continues to open minds and hearts to the disabled equality movement.