Krista Allison of Berea crowned Ms. Wheelchair Ohio 2022
Krista, 40, says she’s excited to use her new role to keep doing the work she’s already been doing and explore more of her home state while she’s at it.
BEREA, Ohio — Congratulaions are in order for the newly-crowned Ms. Wheelchair Ohio 2022!
Krista Allison, 40, of Berea shared her good news with us as the Win of the Week of It’s All Good (News!), after winning the title on March 12 in a day-long event at the Mount Vernon Grand Hotel.
Krista lives with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), which is a disease that causes nerve damage mostly in the arms and legs according to The Mayo Clinic. She told us she decide to get involved with Ms. Wheelchair Ohio because she’s passionate about improving community accessibility for people with challenges both similar to and different from her own.
In an exclusive interview with 3News, Krista shared that even if she hadn’t won the competition, she’d continue her advocacy work to help bring awareness to the issues people face when trying to get around in wheelchairs.
“Honestly the whole reason I went for the title was instead of me calling someone and saying, ‘My name’s Krista Allison, I’m from Berea,’ now I have a title to go along with it and I feel that demands more of a call or an interview to come in and speak to them, and tell them about my platform, which is community accessibility,” she said.
The Ms. Wheelchair Ohio organization took notice of that passion, and anticipated the coming year will be a busy, successful one the group’s newest face.
“Krista is a voice for many when she expresses her exhaustion caused by the uncertainty of making plans in her community, questioning whether there will be parking access, entrance ramps, and easily maneuverable doors for wheelchair users,” a representative from Ms. Wheelchair Ohio told 3News in a statement.
“She has brought modifiable accessibility concerns to the attention of local leaders in her area and will continue to strive to liberate people with disabilities by advocating for changes to physical barriers throughout Ohio.”
In addition to sharing her platform, Krista will serve as a leader, role model, and spokesperson for the disability community in the state. She will travel Ohio to educate the public and contribute to a more inclusive society. Krista’s reign will cultivate when she travels to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to compete for the title of Ms. Wheelchair America this August.
At the Ms. Wheelchair Ohio competition, Krista took part in educational workshops, two private interview sessions with three judges, a public speech presentation, and gave compelling answers to two on-stage questions before being selected as the titleholder.
Krista’s fellow candidate, Natalie Rush of Columbus, was selected to serve as an ambassador of the Ms. Wheelchair Ohio organization.
To schedule an appearance or presentation by Krista in her capacity as Ms. Wheelchair Ohio 2022, people can send an email to [email protected].
Read More: Krista Allison of Berea crowned Ms. Wheelchair Ohio 2022