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“Miss You Can Do It” portrays ability in an empowering way

by Rachel

Learn more about 'Miss You Can Do It' on HBOPink feather boas, glittery carpet, hair stylists, tiaras, premiere parties, photo shoots, pageant girls and film producers …

These things didn’t pop up in office conversation before I knew about the HBO pageant and documentary Miss You Can Do It, but I’m so glad they did!

Miss You Can Do It profiles several Easter Seals girls with disabilities and their families. This is no Toddlers & Tiaras — it’s heartfelt, it’s real and it portrays ability in an empowering way.

Founded by Abbey Curran, a former Miss Iowa and the first woman with a disability to compete in the Miss USA Pageant®, and former Easter Seals kid, Miss You Can Do It is an inspiration for girls everywhere.

Filmmaker Ron Davis documented the pageant, which takes place one weekend each year. These young girls, along with family and friends, get to be glamorous and celebrate their abilities. No one leaves the pageant empty-handed, with each girl receiving a special award. The film also celebrates the “hero parents” and families, who talk about the joys and challenges of raising a child with special needs.

It was great to hear that HBO, Easter Seals and Comcast would be hosting a Hollywood-style premiere screening on June 18th in Chicago for more than 100 girls and young women, both typically-developing and those living with disabilities. The attendees are going to love the “Glam Girl” activities the premiere party has in store for them — it will be everything the girls need to feel like rockstars, from hair styling and a nail salon right down to volunteers posing as paparazzi, taking photos of the girls walking the pink carpet.

I’m so excited to volunteer at this event and hang out with the girls! We’ll follow up in another post about the party, complete with photos of our Miss You Can Do It celebrities. And mark your calendars for June 24th when Miss You Can Do It airs on HBO!


 

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  1. Jim Says:

    June 20th, 2013 at 12:20 pm

    Rachel–Thanks for sharing. Can’t wait to see the photos. Really love the theme that You Can Do It. Also, looking foward to the show on the 24th. thanks again!