Ms. Wheelchair California 2009 : Ms. Wheelchair America 2010, 2nd Runner Up: April 2009

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Ms. Wheelchair California 2009 Crowned

Alyson Roth was crowned the 2009 Ms. Wheelchair California in Sacramento, CA on April 4, 2009. She succeeded Shannon Coe of Monterey, CA, who did a great job representing the disabled community. First Runner-Up was Jennifer Kumiyama of Anaheim, CA.

Shannon Coe (2008) and Alyson Roth (2009)

Ms. Roth's quest to be Ms. Wheelchair California came from the desire to change the face of disability and to be a spokeswoman and advocate for those who feel they do not have voice. Her life was dramatically changed almost 9 years ago when she became paralyzed and dependent on a wheelchair for mobility. Her vibrant and barrier-free life quickly switched to one of limitations and feelings of inadequacy. It is now her aspiration to push the boundaries of equality by educating the public, empowering others who face challenges, and to be a woman of tact and poise that represents not only California, but our nation and world. She looks forward to continuing her advocacy platform around the state by speaking to schools, businesses, organizations, and governments about the importance of inclusion and equality among those with disabilities.

California State Capital, Sacramento
(Front L-R): Susan Rotchy (2007), Jennifer Kumiyama (2009 1st Runner Up), Alyson Roth (2009), Shannon Coe (2008)
(Back L-R): Tony Asaro (Rivercats Baseball) and Michael Paravagna (ADA Coordinator)

Ms. Roth will go on to compete at the national level in August with hopes to become the next Ms. Wheelchair America.

Please email the Ms. Wheelchair California office at knowbarriers@yahoo.com to schedule a speaking engagement.

Schedule An Appearance

Ms. Wheelchair California is available for speaking engagements, master of ceremony events, parades, photo opportunities and other community events. All events will be considered, and if deemed appropriate and scheduling allows, the Ms. Wheelchair California Foundation will do its best to accommodate your request.

Please contact the Ms. Wheelchair California office www.mswheelchaircaliforniafoundation.org.

(* Please note that during my reign, my title was underneath the Ms. Wheelchair California pageant with Ruthee Goldkorn as the State Coordinator. Ms. Wheelchair America no longer recognizes her pageant as part of the National program, thus a new Foundation was begun for future title holders to continue spreading advocacy in a positive manner.)

Biography

Alyson Roth, Ms. Wheelchair California 2009, lived in Southern California when she was crowned. In 2000, Alyson was involved in a near-fatal car accident that left her with a spinal cord injury and paralyzed from the waist down. Alyson obtained her BS in Music Education at Samford University, and her MS in Elementary Reading and Literacy from Walden University. While at Samford University, she was successful in establishing a “Disability Awareness Week” where students learned about different disabilities and simulated them in order to understand the barriers that confronted students with disabilities. It brought a new awareness to the campus and became a catalyst for further accessibility within the community. After graduation, she taught music in the public and private school sector before joining Free Wheelchair Mission in 2007. Free Wheelchair Mission is a non-profit organization that distributes wheelchairs to over 80 countries around the world to the poorest people with disabilities.

Alyson continued her advocacy by speaking at both the National Association for Music Education’s National Convention (2004) with her session entitled “Barrier-free Music Education: Concepts of Inclusion” and the National Orff Schulwerk Association National Convention (2005) with her session entitled “Mainstreaming the Process”. These sessions taught other music educators how to turn able-bodied music lessons into lessons that included those children with disabilities in the mainstreamed classroom. She has also written several articles and been published in several magazines regarding disability awareness.

Yosemite National Park is now more wheelchair friendly and ADA compliant due to Alyson’s input while sitting on the Board of Directors. She has assisted Habitat for Humanity to help build a house for a disabled member of the Atlanta inner-city community. To bring more recognition to those with disabilities, Alyson presented the “Ability through Mobility” Award to four recipients around the country for their outstanding work within their community despite their disability. She has traveled to Nicaragua to work at an orphanage for children with disabilities and teach music at a school for the blind. Alyson has also traveled to Mexico to deliver wheelchairs to the country’s poorest people with disabilities and has had the opportunity to collaborate with the former president of Mexico, President Vicente Fox, about the importance of providing wheelchairs to the citizens of Mexico in addition to providing aide and healthcare to everyone.

In her free time, Alyson enjoys providing mentorship for newly injured patients, participating in several outdoor activities including waterskiing, surfing, and swimming. It is Alyson’s desire to educate the public on the truths of having a disability and empower those with a disability to be all they can be in a world full of possibilities.

Ms. Wheelchair California 2009 : Ms. Wheelchair America 2010, 2nd Runner Up

Sunday, April 5, 2009

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Saturday, April 4, 2009

Ms. Wheelchair California 2009 Crowned

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