Alan Rasof shares with you the story of Abbey Curran, the first woman to be crowned Miss Iowa and participate in Miss USA with a disability. She has channeled her high hopes and energies into developing a pageant that caters to young girls and women who have a disability, giving them the confidence they need to go forward.

1. A B B E Y C U R R A N :
A V O I C E O F C O N F I D E N C E
C R E A T E D B Y A L A N R A S O F

2. • Abbey Curran was
the first woman with a
disability to compete
and win in the Miss
Iowa beauty pageant
and later to compete
in the Miss USA
beauty pageant.

3. • After being diagnosed
with cerebral palsy from
birth, Abbey’s
determination to exceed a
wide range of
expectations throughout
her life is what has made
her a powerful voice for
young children with
disabilities today.

4. • As a child, Abbey
was told that it
wasn’t realistic for
her to compete in a
local beauty pageant
because of her
disability.

5. • As stated in an interview with CerebralPalsy.org, Abbey
claims that her frustration turned into determination:
“‘It made me mad when someone told me I couldn’t
do something. I entered that pageant, and I was in the
top 10,’” (Former Miss Iowa and Pageant Founder
Helps Little Girls Recognize Their beauty).
• From that day on, if Abbey was ever told she couldn’t
do something, it was her mission to prove them wrong.

6. • When Abbey competed
in the Miss Iowa
pageant in 2008, she
was told she would
never win.
• But she did.
• She made history as the
first woman ever with a
disability to compete in
the state competition,
and the first to win.

7. • When Abbey then
competed in the Miss
USA pageant her
confidence levels
skyrocketed.

8. • Though she did not win,
Abbey learned how
much of a confidence
boost participating in a
pageant can be for
young girls, especially
young girls with
disabilities who have
been discouraged a
multitude of times both
at school and at home.

9. • One day between
pageants Abbey had a
conversation with
another girl who also
had special needs.
• This girl told Abbey that
she wanted to compete
in a pageant, but her
parents told her she
couldn’t because people
would laugh at her.

10. • These words
devastated Abbey, so
in 2004 she created the
first “Miss You Can Do
It” pageant for young
girls with disabilities,
catered towards
making girls with
disabilities feel
confident and beautiful
just the way they are.

11. • Wheelchairs, walkers,
canes, and braces are
familiar sights at the
pageant, and help to
create a sense of
empowerment as well
as support for
contestants who have
special needs.

12. • In her interview, Abbey exclaims:
• “‘They get oodles of confidence;
they’re the prettiest little girls.
Everyone here likes them. They
learn when they come to this
pageant that they’re not alone.
People aged 5 to 105 love them.
They get to go home with
something huge...They meet
other girls they would not meet
otherwise,’” (Former Miss Iowa
and Pageant Founder Helps
Little Girls Recognize Their
beauty).

13. • It is a very powerful
thing when young girls
see other girls and
women who have
disabilities so that they
know they’re not alone -
that thousands of girls
around the world have
similar struggles to their
own.

14. • Abbey’s main goal for the Miss You Can Do It pageant is for
everyone “to view those with challenges as people who
have as much to offer as others,” (Former Miss Iowa and
Pageant Founder Helps Little Girls Recognize Their beauty).

15. • Abbey’s
confidence and
determination is
something for
young girls - with
or without
disabilities - to
emulate.

16. • She is a true leader
dedicated to making
the world a better
place by creating
equal opportunities for
these girls with a kind,
compassionate heart.

17. • For more information about the Miss
You Can Do It pageant, please check
out their website here.