You must be 21 years of age before the first day of competition. There is no age cap.
You must be/have been a California resident for at least 1 full year prior to competition.
You must use a wheelchair for 100% of your daily, public mobility needs.
Applications are now available for women 21+, who use wheelchairs 100% of their mobility needs to be contestants for Ms. Wheelchair California 2018!
Visit the Ms. Wheelchair California website for more information on how to apply!
Ms. Wheelchair California is:
someone who possesses stellar public speaking skills
a true advocate for the disability community with a resume that shows involvement in the community
someone with confidence and passion to fulfill the mission of The Ms. Wheelchair California Foundation
WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF MS. WHEELCHAIR CALIFORNIA?
Ms. Wheelchair California, a volunteer position, is a spokeswoman for people with all disabilities in the state of California. The titleholder will spend her reign promoting her platform to the able-bodied and disability community in an effort to break attitudinal and architectural barriers and perceptions of people with disabilities, as well as celebrate and bring attention to the many major achievements of the disability community.
She is required by contract to, but certainly not limited to, make one official appearance per month (including The Abilities Expo in Los Angeles and possibly San Jose), should there be a request for an appearance. Many, if not all of our past titleholders, seek out appearances that are related to their platforms, in addition to the required appearance by The Ms. Wheelchair California Foundation. Our past titleholders also have the choice to fulfill more than the required monthly appearance, as she will receive all requests via e-mail from the State Coordinator.
The reigning Ms. Wheelchair California is required to attend the entire duration of annual Ms. Wheelchair America Pageant held at a location to be announced. Ms. Wheelchair California is required to participate and initiate in fundraising opportunities to meet the financial goal of her entry fee and travel expenses needed for Ms. Wheelchair America. In addition to these duties, the reigning Ms. Wheelchair California must uphold the requirements of the contract (to be signed after she is crowned), fulfill and promote the mission of The Ms. Wheelchair California Foundation, seek out future contestants and be present at her exiting pageant.
Ultimately, being Ms. Wheelchair California is a job. However, it is also an honor. What Ms. Wheelchair California accomplishes through public speaking, appearances and interviews, is a necessity for the betterment of the representation of California’s disability community. She makes the disability community seen and heard.
To see who past titleholders are and what they did during their reign, please visit www.mswheelchaircaliforniafoundation.org.