Conversations with Gabrielle Hodges

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabrielle Hodges.

Hi Gabrielle, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Before my injury, I was a woman with independence, ambition, and a vision for the life I was building. I worked hard, moved through life on my own terms, and never imagined that everything I knew could change in a single moment.

After sustaining a C7 spinal cord injury in Aruba in 2019 from an ATV accident, my world shifted overnight. What once felt simple, moving freely, driving, working, handling everyday tasks, suddenly became barriers I had to learn to navigate. I went from living life without thinking twice about accessibility to experiencing firsthand how inaccessible the world can be for people with disabilities.

But what I thought was the end of my story became the beginning of my purpose. My injury forced me to see life through a different lens, and instead of allowing tragedy to define me, I chose to turn pain into purpose.

Today, as Ms. Wheelchair Georgia 2026, I use my voice to advocate for accessibility, transportation, and infrastructure for people living with disabilities, especially those in wheelchairs who deserve the same freedom to move through society independently.

My story is no longer just about what happened to me. It is about what I choose to do because of what happened to me. I am living proof that life may change unexpectedly, but purpose can be born from the very things meant to break you.

I was not given this journey by accident. I believe I survived so I could become the voice for those who deserve to be seen, heard, and included.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
• Living with a C7 spinal cord injury means depending on assistance for many daily activities that most people take for granted, including getting out of bed, bathing, dressing, and other personal care needs.

• Transportation remains one of my biggest barriers. As a power wheelchair user, I cannot simply call a traditional rideshare service like Uber⁠ or Lyft⁠ because standard vehicles do not accommodate my chair, limiting my independence and ability to move freely throughout my own city.

• Accessibility barriers in buildings and public spaces continue to be an ongoing struggle. Broken automatic doors, inaccessible entrances, non functioning elevators, and infrastructure that fails to consider people with disabilities create unnecessary obstacles every day.

• Financial limitations have become a challenge after injury. Navigating systems like Social Security Administration disability benefits while trying to rebuild financial independence can make it difficult to pursue the same earning opportunities I had before my injury.

• Travel is significantly more complicated. Something as simple as attending events, advocacy work, or professional opportunities often requires accessible transportation, extra planning, and caregiver support.

• There is also the emotional challenge of adapting to an entirely different way of life, learning how to redefine independence, confidence, and identity after experiencing a life altering injury.

• One of the biggest challenges is recognizing that disability is not always the limitation, society’s lack of accessibility and inclusion often creates the real barriers.

My greatest challenge has been learning how to navigate a world that was not designed with people like me in mind, while still choosing every day to show up with purpose and fight for change.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My name is Gabrielle Hodges, and I currently serve as Ms. Wheelchair America titleholder Ms. Wheelchair Georgia 2026. I am an advocate, public speaker, and changemaker dedicated to advancing accessibility, inclusion, and independence for people with disabilities, particularly within the city of Atlanta and beyond.

Following a life changing C7 spinal cord injury that left me navigating the world as a quadriplegic and full time wheelchair user, I made the decision to transform one of the most difficult experiences of my life into purpose driven advocacy. My work centers around identifying and addressing accessibility barriers that directly impact the disability community every day.

I specialize in disability advocacy, accessibility awareness, transportation equity, infrastructure inclusion, and creating conversations that challenge society to think differently about how people with disabilities move through the world. A major focus of my platform is advocating for wheelchair accessible transportation solutions, accessible infrastructure, and ensuring cities like Atlanta evolve in ways that serve all people, regardless of ability.

I’ve become known for my ability to take personal adversity and use it as a catalyst for impact. I openly share my lived experience to educate communities, influence policy conversations, and bring visibility to issues many people overlook until disability personally affects them.

What I am most proud of is refusing to allow my injury to define the limits of my future. There was once a time when I struggled with accepting being seen in a wheelchair, but today I stand confidently in my purpose knowing that my story has the power to create change for others. I am proud that I have turned pain into advocacy and transformed survival into service.

What sets me apart is authenticity. I do not advocate from theory. I advocate from lived experience. Every barrier I speak about is one I have personally encountered. My mission is bigger than me. I am committed to ensuring that future generations of people with disabilities live in a world designed with inclusion, accessibility, dignity, and independence at the forefront.

I believe my greatest work is proving that even after life changes unexpectedly, purpose can still be found and impact can still be made. My story is not about what I lost. It is about what I chose to build after everything changed.

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory was going Looking forward to going to school each day. I’ll see my friends every day..

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Mswheelchairgeorgia2026
• Facebook: Mswheelchairgeorgia2026
• LinkedIn: Gabrielle M Hodges
• Other: Mswheelchairgeorgia2026@gmail.com