Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Ms. Wheelchair America pageant will be in South Dakota this weekend

From the Rapid City, S.D. Journal. The mission of Ms. Wheelchair America is to provide an opportunity for women of achievement who happen to be wheelchair users to successfully educate and advocate for the more than 52 million Americans living with disabilities.

A diverse group of women from 27 states -- college students, volunteers, office workers, grandmothers -- will gather in Rapid City this week to compete for the national Ms. Wheelchair America title.

The 37th annual pageant will be at Rushmore Plaza Holiday Inn. In 2000, the national winner was Tracy Charlton-O'Conner, whose parents, Terry and Karen Charlton, live in Rapid City.

This year's winner will succeed the reigning Ms. Wheelchair America Michelle Colvard (pictured), who is the executive director of the City of Houston's Office for People with Disabilities.

You can see a video of Colvard being crowned here on the Wheelchair Pride blog.