Ms. Wheelchair Kansas celebrates 20 years, crowns University of Kansas student as 2025 role model
Autumn Bertels, a University of Kansas student, smiles after being crowned Ms. Wheelchair Kansas 2025 at a March 16 ceremony in Lawrence. (Maya Smith for Kansas Reflector)
LAWRENCE — Autumn Bertels is an accomplished, wheelchair-mobile biology student at the University of Kansas who will graduate this May.
But after requesting accommodations for a chemistry lab due to lab tables being too tall, she was met with delays and excuses. She could only fully participate in one of 11 labs during the semester.
Now, Bertels is the 2025 Ms. Wheelchair Kansas titleholder, which will allow her to advocate for the wheelchair community and educate others throughout the state about accessibility in higher education.
'Everyone has the right to equal opportunity, quality and access of education, and there are so many ways that we can do this,' Bertels said. 'Everyone has a right to education, and you shouldn't have to be a disabled person to combat these challenges.'
Ms. Wheelchair Kansas has uplifted women like Bertels for 20 years with a contest to select the most well-rounded, confident and wheelchair-mobile contestant to serve as a statewide role model. The organization's mission is to provide the opportunity to compete in a pageant regardless of disability.
CEO and 2004 titleholder Carrie Greenwood says this was the ultimate goal in bringing the contest to Kansas.
'We got here one year and one title holder at a time,' Greenwood said. 'I had no idea that it would last this long and that it would really become my passion. Or that we would impact so many people in our state. It's worth it to empower all the ladies who are here.'
The contest has grown steadily each year. Thirty-eight women have competed for the adult title, with winners making more than 500 appearances in more than 65 cities across Kansas. They added the Little Miss title in 2015 and the Junior Miss title this year. Most recently, 2024 titleholder Tamara Blackwell became the first Kansan to win the national title.
'I have had the privilege to sit in rooms and be before people that I have never thought I would,' Blackwell said. 'I am so elated because that's been able to push Ms. Wheelchair Kansas in the spotlight, and I hope that it helps only shine a brighter light to show the beauty that lies within the community. That we are intelligent, that we are equipped, that we may be in chairs, we may be different, but there's nothing wrong with being different. And I just love that.'
Bertels said she wants to use her platform to cultivate better accessibility and education about disabilities at other college campuses in the state. She will also serve as a mentor for the two younger titleholders and compete at the national level in August.
'We live in a time where accommodations aren't readily available to those who need them,' she said. 'My Little Miss is also focusing on education as well, which is really great for both of us to work on.'
Isabel Einwich, Junior Miss 2025, was motivated to advocate for better awareness in education for those with disabilities. She says it took a broken elevator for her school administrators to realize they didn't have an emergency plan for students in wheelchairs.
'It shouldn't have to take a broken elevator to raise these questions. I hope to continue sharing my story and having opportunities to bring more attention to school issues surrounding disabilities through education,' Einwich said. 'I just hope we can get to a point where we hear much less of that phrase, 'Oh, we didn't think about that.' '
Everyone involved — whether contestants, parents or volunteers — agree that the community has driven the organization's growth and success. Greenwood believes these contestants are essential to the broader Kansas community.
'I ask everyone and anyone to get involved in this organization. It shows the value of diversity and working for a common purpose,' Greenwood said. 'When you put your heart into something it will always succeed. And our title holders, they are what's made this organization a success. They are the backbone of what we do, and they represent women and young girls who are wheelchair mobile so well.'
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