The Program

Mission: To annually select one teenage female, who is wheelchair mobile, that will use her leadership and communication skills to empower and educate her peers about living a full life with a disability.

What is Junior Miss Wheelchair Kansas?

The Junior Miss Wheelchair Kansas program celebrates and recognizes teen females, ages 14-18, who are budding leaders and advocates that are wheelchair mobile. Junior Miss seeks teen titleholders who are active, articulate, dynamic, and who have an interest in educating other young adults and the community about living with a disability. They promote their own chosen platform, but also work as a team with our other titleholders to empower and educate Kansans. The Junior Miss titleholder is selected through scoring of an interview, on-stage speech, and an on-stage question. She exercises her leadership skills by attending various events, sharing about her disability and life experiences, serving as an example for other teens, and being a role model to our Little Miss titleholder.

Duties of Junior Miss Wheelchair Kansas

• Build and promote a platform (or message) that educates others about the potential of teens with disabilities.

• Travel within her city, and other cities, in an effort to empower youth with disabilities and educate her peers without disabilities. She will also interact with people of all ages and educate them about differences and abilities.

• Make a minimum of 15 appearances per year. Possible appearances could include schools, school clubs, hospitals, teen events, youth groups, parades, community gatherings, etc.

• Be a role model for other teens and children with disabilities.

• Demonstrate through words and attitude that having a disability does not limit one’s abilities or prevent school and/or community involvement.

• Be mentored by Ms. Wheelchair Kansas and attend at least 5 appearances together.

• Be a mentor to Little Miss Wheelchair Kansas and attend at least 5 appearances together.

• Fundraise in order to pay for mileage and other needed expenses.

• Help recruit future Junior Miss contestants.

• Attend the next year’s crowning ceremony and Ms. Wheelchair Kansas weekend.