Wright State senior Jessica Kelbley will be competing in the Ms. Wheelchair America competition July 15 through 21. The competition is based on the candidates’ ability to advocate and represent the nearly 54 million Americans living with disabilities, according to the program’s official website.
The event will be hosted in Houston, Texas at the Hyatt Regency.
Kelbley was born with spinal muscular atrophy. This neuromuscular disease prevents her body from being able to gain muscle. Kelbley, 21, is studying organizational leadership at WSU and plans to use that knowledge to become a wedding planner.
The competition was first introduced to Kelbley when a friend decided to sign her up. Unsure of her confidence, Kelbley said she was was ultimately convinced to participate by the immense support from family and friends.
“My mom never said I couldn’t do anything, just how we are able to do it,” Kebley said.
The annual event will include various workshops and sessions that Kelbley will attend. She will compete in a formal pageant and present a speech on a topic that deals with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA prohibits discrimination against disabled people from employment, transportation, public accommodation, communications and governmental activities, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
The winner of the competition will have a number of duties. The crowned contestant will be obligated to: advocate for disability awareness, promote the achievements made by people with disabilities and assist with the establishment of various programs. However, the duty that Kelbley said she looks forward to the most is traveling and making public appearances.
Kelbley said her ambition for the competition is fueled by the different people she meets. When asked what she would say to someone who personally struggles with their disability, Kelbley said that all they need to do is just smile, and that being positive and smiling has helped her to overcome struggles that she has had to face. Dealing with work, school, roommate problems and stereotypes are just a few of the struggles Kelbley said she has dealt with.
Kebley said she wants to disprove the stereotype that handicapped people are generally bitter because of their disability. She also said she would like people to know that every disability is different, and each one comes with its own limitations.
Kelbley said that being crowned Ms. Wheelchair would mean a lot to her, and that winning would prove to her that she has what it takes to successfully advocate for men and women with disabilities. It would also be the second time a Ms. Wheelchair was crowned from Ohio.
