Kimberly Butler, an African American woman crowned Ms. Wheelchair Mississippi, will represent the state in the Ms. Wheelchair America competition this August while promoting her platform, “Universal Design for All.” The initiative pushes for greater accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities.
Butler has spent 30 years navigating life in a wheelchair. She won the state title earlier this year and will compete in Grand Rapids, Michigan, from Aug. 18 to Aug. 24.
Her mission extends beyond ramps and housing. She calls for people with disabilities to be included in programs, services, and policies from the very beginning.
“Sometimes we’re not included in those conversations, but it’s very important that we are, because after all, it’s our quality of life that’s at stake,” Butler told WLBT.
To show the need for change, Butler demonstrated the challenges she faces at the Downtown Hattiesburg Post Office. The main entrance has stairs, forcing her to take a long detour to a back ramp. Along the way, she struggled with cobblestone paths and still needed assistance to get inside.
“These are things that we can think about improving so that we can all have inclusive access to buildings that we use on a daily basis,” she said.
The national competition will also feature a People’s Choice Award, with voting open until Aug. 22. Smiling, Butler pointed to herself as the one to vote for. While she hopes for a win, she said her real goal is to use the platform to advance her mission.
“If I can win Miss Wheelchair America, I would love to go around the nation and discuss issues like this and meet new people and have new experiences so that I can help bring some of that information home to Mississippi to help us foster an equitable and happy quality of life for individuals like myself,” she said.
In Mississippi, Butler is already making an impact. She has partnered with Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker and the Forrest County Board of Supervisors to create an ADA Advisory Board. Next month, the group will hold an ADA simulation in downtown Hattiesburg to highlight accessibility challenges and suggest solutions.
