Morton is expected to spend the next year traveling across the state to educate the public about individuals with a disability, spokesperson Samantha Moreno said.

“At the end of July she also will represented the state of Tennessee at the Ms. Wheelchair America pageant in Des Moines, Iowa,” Moreno said.

Morton said she is looking forward to educating the public about people with disabilities.

“The title is dream come true I am very excited about the upcoming year,” she said. “It’s my desire to help parents with children with disabilities that self esteem is very important.”

Morton, 32, was born with spina bidfida, a congenital disorder caused by incomplete closing of the embryonic neural tube.

She graduated from Central High School in 2001. She and her husband, James, have a son who attends Highland Park Elementary School.

Morton said she is an active volunteer at her son’s school and at Maury Regional Medical Center. She also graduated from the Partners in Policy making program — a training program for adults with disabilities and family members of person with disabilities.

The Ms. Wheelchair competition began in 1996. .to select the most accomplished and articulate spokesperson for people with disabilities across the state. Competitors take part in a yearly event which includes team-building exercises, educational workshops and several interviews by a panel of judges.

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