Tweet

Pattie Duff of Grand View University was recently crowned Ms. Wheelchair Iowa of 2016. Duff has only been in a wheelchair for three years but has been fighting complications since she was 7 years old.

Just like every pageant, the Ms. Wheelchair Iowa pageant has requirements that each participant must meet before they can enter. In order to be a contender in the pageant, contestants must be at least 21, use a wheelchair 100 percent of their daily routine and live in Iowa for at least the past six months before entering.

Since its founding in 1996, The Ms. Wheelchair Iowa pageant has not been able to attract many contestants. This year, there were only two contestants and last year there were three.

“They are trying to get the word out to get more people to be involved with it,” Duff said.

The pageant is similar to other beauty pageants such as Miss America or Miss Universe.

“There is an interview with three judges and you make a speech,” Duff said. “You have to answer a question out of a hat and the judges confer and decide who won.”

Each contestant also has to have a platform that they advocate for. For Duff, that platform was foster parenting with disabilities.

“I had a foster daughter who got returned to her mom a couple of days ago and she is 3 months old,” Duff said.

The responsibilities for Ms. Wheelchair Iowa do not end after the pageant. Duff must travel around Iowa to different events advocating for those in wheelchairs. Duff explained that she gets to choose which events to participate in.

“This month I’m doing the Walk for Independence with Easter Seals,” Duff said. ͆”I work for Easter Seals anyway so I already knew about that one. I do different things like that to promote independence and also advocate for my platform.”

Next up for Duff is the Miss Wheelchair America pageant in Grand Rapids, Michigan in August.