- Fifteen women with intellectual disabilities participated in the Miss Inspiration pageant.
- The event, organized by TURN, highlighted inclusivity and empowerment for the participants.
- Pageant winners will represent their communities for two years, engaging in local events.
OREM — Fifteen women with developmental and intellectual disabilities were given the chance to shine Tuesday night in the biannual Miss Inspiration pageant.
The event is put on by TURN, Utah's largest nonprofit provider of disability services.
In the pageant, each of the women is treated like a queen, dressed in pageant dresses and pampered by makeup and hair artists before the show. Lacey Loop, Miss Intermountain, was among the volunteers helping backstage.
"I think that it's just them getting to be their authentic self, which is what you want from everyone," Loop said. "I think it's important to those with special needs, those outside of what people define as normalcy, that they are important, that they can actually have all these same experiences that we have."
The effort that it takes to put on an event like that is greatly appreciated by moms like Laura Jackson. Her daughter, Lindsey Nava, is mostly nonverbal but is known for telling nearly everyone, even complete strangers, "I love you."
"It helps us to shine a light that they can be part of something big," Jackson said. "They've made this so special at their pace."
The interview portion of the pageant is held in a hall, decorated with displays that show off each contestant's personality. Judges talk with them and their family members one-on-one.
Pageant royalty will ultimately serve and represent their communities for two years, until a new Miss Inspiration is crowned in 2028.
TURN Community Services Executive Director Dave Hennessy said it's a chance for them to give back and serve alongside royalty from other area pageants.
"They are involved in parades, and they're involved in ribbon cuttings in the community," Hennessy said. "And they become friends with people that they would maybe never have an opportunity to become friends with."
