2024 Miss Wheelchair Louisiana talks reign, heads to Michigan to compete for national title [Video]

ABBEVILLE, La. (KLFY)– Abbeville native Justina Plowden said her life drastically changed when she lost her ability to walk after being in a car accident in October 2011; she said there were moments where she wanted to give up on life, that was until she discovered the Miss Wheelchair Pageant.

“When I came across Miss Wheelchair was back in 2014”, Plowden said. “It was an advocacy event. It gave me a chance to actually speak about some of the things that I experienced being that my injury was so new and fresh.”

From there, Plowden said she created the non-profit organization, We Matter, which focuses on getting policies changed to ensure that caregivers and members of the disability community get all the necessary resources they need to live a fulfilling quality of life.

“Transportation is a very very serious issue”, Plowden said. “I’m gonna continue meeting with all policy makers to make sure that these things are being taken care …