Meet Kelly Barrett, the Pennsylvanian vying for Miss Wheelchair America 2026
Miss Wheelchair Pennsylvania and Harborcreek Township resident Kelly Barrett sets her sights on the national crown.
Kelly Barrett, a Harborcreek Township resident, is taking the stage at Miss Wheelchair America 2026. The competition started on August 18 and will run until August 24. According to the website, “During this week-long event, state titleholders from across America will join to participate in leadership training, advocacy workshops, mentoring events and judging sessions.” Barrett is currently the reigning state titleholder, having been crowned Miss Wheelchair Pennsylvania this year. Here’s what you need to know about Barrett and her platform as well as the annual competition.
Kelly Barrett’s Pennsylvania-rooted platform
Each contestant at Miss Wheelchair America 2026 must share a specific platform that’s meaningful to them. For Barrett, that’s advocating for community and home-based services for people with disabilities.
Speaking with the Erie Times-News, the 36-year-old explained the area “where Pennsylvania is struggling right now,” saying, “Previously the governor had allocated an increase in his budget for people who use person-directed services through a service. The majority of consumers use a tepid care in Pennsylvania for people who use agencies and he did not allocate a budget increase to agencies or directive care. I’m trying to even the playing field on the funding because caregivers do an important job.”
Barrett was born with cerebral palsy quadriplegia, and she said that she wouldn’t be able to live by herself if not for the assistance of her caregivers. It was this firsthand experience of witnessing how little they are paid for how hard they work that prompted her to develop her competition platform and advocacy work further.
Barrett also candidly opened up about how she hopes competing in Miss Wheelchair America 2026 will help change people’s perceptions of those with disabilities. “People often assume that I don’t have a quality education, but I have a Master’s degree and a bachelor’s,” she told Erie Times-News. “They think that I don’t work, but I pay my own bills. I even use a van that OVR (Office of Vocational Rehabilitation) helped me with modifications. Everything that is happening in my life is something that I’ve made happen.”
How Kelly Barrett became Miss Wheelchair Pennsylvania
Becoming Miss Wheelchair Pennsylvania is just one of Kelly Barrett’s many accomplishments. Although it wasn’t something she was initially interested in pursuing, Christine Vasui, the former Miss Wheelchair Pennsylvania 2024, talked her into entering the competition. During her conversation with the Erie Times-News, Barrett explained that she suffers from social anxiety and wouldn’t feel naturally inclined to go outside of her comfort zone to participate in this type of activity.
As Barrett tells it, she worked alongside Vasui, who “was bugging me for a while to get involved.” Barrett entered Miss Wheelchair Pennsylvania 2025 with few expectations for how it would go, or if she would even enjoy it. “But I signed up this past year and went to [the] competition only to come back home a winner,” she said. So, it looks like the pageant life really is for her after all!
What is the Miss Wheelchair America 2026 competition like?
Miss Wheelchair America 2026 is being held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Kelly Barrett arrived for the August 18 commencement and will spend the remainder of the week attending expos, participating in panel interviews, and discussing her chosen platform. She’ll also be meeting with other contestants to learn more about their respective causes.
Before she set out for Michigan, Barrett imparted some words of wisdom for fellow members of the disabled community. “You really have to love yourself and be proud of who you are,” she said. “Our disability is part of our lives, but it doesn’t define who we are. It’s an important part of our lives, but I think everyone with a disability can find a special gift that they can give to the world. Keep rolling forward and doing what you do because you are capable of doing amazing things.”
If you’d like to support Barrett from back home in Pa., you can cast your vote for her for the People’s Choice Award by clicking this link. The competition itself, along with the official crowning ceremony, will be livestreamed via Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital’s Facebook page, which you can view here.
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