The Miss Abilities organization is expanding to Roanoke and will take place on October 23.
After six successful years of giving those with disabilities the opportunity to compete in pageants, the Winchester-based Miss Abilities Organization is expanding. One of the new cities the pageant will be coming to this year is Roanoke.
Miss & Mister Abilities Southwest Virginia will take place via livestream on October 23. Residents of the region who live within 75 miles of Roanoke will vie for the chance to be crowned royalty. In order to qualify, contestants have to be over the age of four and meet the legal definition of an individual with a disability as prescribed by the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995.
The Miss Abilities Organization was established in 2015 by Jessica Edwards to give those with disabilities the opportunity to build confidence and become an active member of their community. She was inspired to do so when her oldest child, who has autism, expressed a desire to be in a pageant.
“They said they wanted to be the first Miss America with autism. I thought that was such an amazing goal. They are higher functioning. I thought there have been other contestants that have competed, so maybe my child can do it one day,” she remembers. “I then thought about young women with down syndrome or cerebral palsy or any other disabilities. I got really angry for a little while.”
Instead of sitting with her frustration, Edwards channeled it into a pageant that would be for those who were excluded from the mainstream pageant world. Going in, she wasn’t even sure that there would be interest from the community that she hoped to lift up, but was quickly surprised when 20 individuals competed the first year.
Edwards is no stranger to the pageant scene, having entered her first pageant at just six-months-old. Now, more than 30 years later, she is still competing. Last year, she was crowned Miss U.S. Plus World after representing Virginia in her first national pageant. She used her experience to hone all of the details of Miss & Mister Abilities.
“It’s been amazing. We’ve grown a little bit every year,” she says.
It wasn’t until 2018 that a category for young men was added.
Edwards stresses that the pageant isn’t just about shining on stage. Many of the participants are active in their communities and volunteer on a regular basis. “We work with them to build confidence so that they can go out and be a reigning title holder like anyone else, like Miss America,” she says.
Unlike most pageants, this one doesn’t award first, second and third place. Instead, one female contestant will be crowned queen and all of the other female contestants will be crowned princesses. Similarly, one male contestant will be crowned king and all of the other male contestants will be crowned princes.
Originally, Edwards hadn’t planned on expanding the organization. “But there are so many amazing young people that are interested in participating. I want to be able to give them this opportunity,” she explains.
Other areas the pageant has also expanded to include Northern Virginia and Fredericksburg. While she runs the Miss Abilities Organization out of Winchester, area coordinators handle all of the local operations. Miss & Mister Abilities Southwest Virginia is coordinated by Cynthia Groseclose.
The decision to hold this year’s pageant virtually was arrived at out of an abundance of caution due to the fact that many of the participants are medically vulnerable.
A week before the pageant, competitors will participate in an interview with the judges. The judges include those in the pageant industry, as well as individuals who are experienced in working with people with disabilities. While the interviews will not be viewable to the public, Edwards explains they help the competitors build their public speaking skills going into the actual event.
The public will get to see videos of competitors doing runway walks while wearing their favorite looks. Showcase videos will also be played that highlight various talents. “They get to show off what makes them amazing. One year, we had a girl show off her spelling skills. Another year, we had a young man do a standup comedy routine,” Edwards says.
So far, 15 individuals are registered to compete in this year’s pageant. Registration ends in a month-and-a-half.
“A lot of times when people think of pageants, they think of things that are superficial. What we’re trying to show is inner beauty. We’re focused on them as a person,” Edwards explains. “Our contestants are absolutely beautiful on the outside and inside. Just because they’re different, that doesn’t make them any less amazing.”
More information about the pageant can be found at missabilities.org.
About the Author:
Aila Boyd is an educator and journalist who resides in Roanoke. She holds an MFA in Writing from Lindenwood University.
