CMU grad crowned Ms. Wheelchair USA 2018

Tomko to use platform advocating for inclusion

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

When a friend from college emailed Heather Tomko of Whitehall, telling her about the Ms. Wheelchair USA pageant, she never imagined she would win. But last Saturday, dressed in a sparkling gold evening gown, Ms. Tomko was crowned Ms. Wheelchair USA 2018 while her friends and family cheered in the audience.

In a word, she said the moment was “surreal.”

Each year, the Dane Foundation puts on the Ms. Wheelchair USA pageant in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, near Akron. The foundation works to improve the quality of life for individuals with physical and mental disabilities through programs, such as the Ms. Wheelchair USA pageant, and raise awareness for the disability community.

This year, 10 women in wheelchairs from all over the country competed for the national title. More than 18,000 people tuned into the Facebook live broadcast of the event.

Ms. Tomko, 29, graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with degrees in mechanical and biomedical engineering. She works as a research coordinator at the sity of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, where she also is pursuinga master’s degree.

She was born with spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic condition that makeseveryday tasks difficult. This experience “motivated me to get involved and make systemic change” forthe disability community, which is why she competed on a platform of inclusion and accessibility advocacy,she said.

Over the next year as Ms. Wheelchair USA 2018, she plans to continue advocating on behalf of her platform, “Increasing Inclusion for People With Disabilities Into Their Communities.”

“The pageantry and glamour