Karla Casillas was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, a disease that forces her to be in a wheelchair all day, but which will not be an impediment to represent the state of Jalisco in Miss WheelChair Mexico, a contest that seeks to give visibility to beauty and achieve inclusion of women with disabilities.
The 34-year-old has lived since she was little in the Mexican city of Guadalajara (Jalisco), where she arrived from her native Culiacán (Sinaloa). From the first years of life, she remains in a wheelchair all day because the size of her legs and the fragility of her bones prevent her from standing for a long time.
Despite the obstacles, the young woman graduated in Psychology and owns a human resources agency, in addition to having modeled on several occasions. Staying in her chair does not prevent her from feeling flirtatious and wearing dresses that make her look attractive and that she combines with high heels.
Her experience led her to become a promoter of inclusion and respect for people with disabilities and in that way she ran into the Miss WheelChair Mexico contest.
Miss WheelChair is a contest that seeks to empower women with disabilities and break with stereotypes of beauty, Regina Valdez, director of the contest, told EFE that it will have its second edition in the Playa del Carmen resort in January 2021.
“Normally there is a type of beauty in conventional competitions, a measure, an age, a height and we are wanting to break with all these stereotypes, because a woman with a disability is doubly discriminated against, first because of her disability and then, according to her physical condition. it’s how society treats them,” she said.
