Pushing Forward with Alycia | A Disability Podcast

What happens when you finally meet someone who understands how your body works? For Alycia Anderson and Karen Tamley, a LinkedIn introduction became the beginning of a powerful disability sisterhood. Both women were born with sacral agenesis, a rare congenital disability affecting the lower spine. They grew up using wheelchairs during a time when disabled children were routinely underestimated, accessibility was rare, and doctors placed devastating limitations on their futures. Then they met and immediately began comparing notes: “Wait, your body does that? Mine does too.” In Episode 151 of Pushing Forward with Alycia, Karen Tamley, President and CEO of Access Living, joins Alycia for an honest conversation about rare disability, peer support, leadership, aging, Disability Pride, and the urgent fight to protect disability rights. Finding Someone Who Understands Karen did not meet another person with sacral agenesis until her twenties. Before social media, finding others with the same disability was incredibly difficult. Meeting Alycia gave both women a rare opportunity to talk openly about their bodies, mobility, health, childhoods, and aging without having to explain every detail first. Karen describes that connection as a security blanket and safety net. Their friendship reflects the importance of peer support within the independent living movement. Disabled people hold knowledge that cannot always be found in medical offices or textbooks, and that lived experience can help others navigate healthcare, access, identity, and everyday life. Growing Up Before Accessibility Alycia and Karen remember life before the Americans with Disabilities Act. They recall inaccessible buses, oversized wheelchairs, buildings with stairs, restaurants without accessible bathrooms, and being carried into spaces. Karen shares that her mother carried her up four stairs every morning to reach a summer job in an inaccessible building. She also remembers putting flip flops on her hands so she could crawl across public restroom floors. Alycia had done the same thing. Their stories reveal how exclusion becomes normalized when disabled people are not protected by enforceable civil rights. Community Living Is a Disability Right Karen explains the importance of the 1999 Olmstead decision, which affirmed that unnecessary institutionalization and segregation can be discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The decision helped establish that disabled people have the right to receive services and live within their communities. Through Access Living and partner organizations, disabled people are supported as they transition from nursing facilities and institutions into their own homes. Karen warns that Medicaid reductions, weakened enforcement, and renewed conversations about institutionalization threaten decades of progress. Disabled people are asking for the right to live in their own homes, make decisions about their lives, and participate fully in their communities. Advocacy Belongs to Everyone Karen reminds listeners that advocacy is not limited to policy experts. People can make a difference by learning from trusted disability led organizations, sharing accurate information, contacting elected officials, submitting public comments, telling personal stories, amplifying disabled advocates, and connecting with a local Center for Independent Living. Her message is clear: Do not assume your voice will not be heard. Speak up anyway. Leadership Begins in the Deep End Karen credits her parents and mentors with encouraging her to take risks. Her mother often said they were going to throw Karen into the deep end of the pool and let her figure out how to swim. That mindset followed her throughout her career. Mentors including Judy Heumann, Ed Roberts, Wade Blank, and Marca Bristo recognized Karen’s potential and placed her in leadership roles before she always felt ready. Karen later served as Commissioner of the Chicago Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, was appointed to the U.S. Access Board, and became President and CEO of Access Living. Her journey demonstrates the power of leaders who believe in someone before that person fully believes in themselves. Disability Pride and Aging For Karen, Disability Pride means community, visibility, self worth, and being okay with who we are. It does not mean loving every part of disability every day. Pride can exist alongside pain, fear, frustration, internalized ableism, and uncertainty. Alycia and Karen also discuss the realities of aging with a rare disability, including concerns about mobility, transfers, travel, health, and future independence. Both women were given frightening medical predictions as children. Decades later, they are still here, leading, traveling, advocating, creating community, and celebrating every year they were told they might never have. Aging with disability can be uncertain. It is also a privilege. You Deserve to Be in the Space Karen’s Pushing Forward moment is a challenge to step outside your comfort zone. Attend the event. Accept the opportunity. Enter the room, even when you do not know anyone. Leadership does not eliminate fear or imposter syndrome. You deserve to be there. You deserve to be in that space. Two Women, One Rare Disability, and a Movement to Protect 🧬 Rare disability connection: Discovering someone else who lives with sacral agenesis 🤝 Disability sisterhood: The emotional and practical value of finding someone who understands ♿ Peer support: Why lived experience is a core part of independent living 🚌 Life before the ADA: Growing up without accessible buses, bathrooms, buildings, and mobility equipment 🚻 Normalized inaccessibility: Crawling, being carried, and adapting to spaces that excluded disabled people ⚖️ Disability civil rights: Protecting the laws and legal decisions that support integration and access 🏠 Community living: The right of disabled people to live outside institutions 💰 Medicaid and support services: How funding decisions affect independence and personal choice 📣 Everyday advocacy: Public comments, storytelling, education, organizing, and contacting representatives 👩‍💼 Disabled women in leadership: Karen’s path from advocacy roles to executive leadership 🔥 Mentorship: Being encouraged to enter roles before feeling completely ready 🎉 Disability Pride: Visibility, community, self worth, and accepting the full reality of disability 🧓 Aging with disability: Facing uncertainty while celebrating the privilege of growing older 💡 Imposter syndrome: Claiming your place even when confidence has not caught up yet From Rare Disability Sisterhood to Disability Rights Action TIMESTAMPS Words That Demand Visibility, Action, and Pride “There’s an inherent value in people with disabilities connecting with individuals with disabilities and sharing those lived experiences.” Karen Tamley “We have seen life before we had any rights.” Karen Tamley “Institutionalization and segregation is a form of discrimination.” Karen Tamley CONNECT WITH KAREN TAMLEY Stay Informed. Get Involved. Protect Disability Rights. Karen Tamley is President and CEO of Access Living, a Chicago based Center for Independent Living led by and for people with disabilities. ♿ ⁠Learn more about Karen Tamley⁠ 🏠 ⁠Visit Access Living⁠ 📣 ⁠Subscribe to the Access Living Advocacy Newsletter⁠ 💗 ⁠Support Access Living’s work⁠ 🤝 ⁠Get involved with Access Living⁠ 📍 ⁠Find a Center for Independent Living near you⁠ Connect with Alycia 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠https://alyciaanderson.com/⁠⁠ 🎙️ Podcast: ⁠⁠https://alyciaanderson.com/podcast⁠⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyciaanderson/⁠⁠ 📸 Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/alyciaanderson/⁠⁠ About Pushing Forward with Alycia Pushing Forward with Alycia gives disability a voice through conversations about accessibility, inclusion, ambition, resilience, leadership, advocacy, and creating a more inclusive world for all people. Subscribe, like, share, and send this episode to someone who needs the reminder that there is no finish line when it comes to possibility, purpose, and pushing forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“If you do nothing, you will get nothing.” Former IndyCar champion Sam Schmidt joins host Alycia Anderson for a powerful conversation about spinal cord injury recovery, quadriplegia, adaptive technology, disability advocacy, neurorehabilitation, resilience, and life after paralysis. After a 180-mile-per-hour crash changed his life in an instant, Sam transformed an unimaginable diagnosis into a mission rooted in recovery, innovation, and purpose. “If you don’t try, you won’t know.” Sam shares how he went from winning his first IndyCar race in 1999 to surviving a devastating high-level spinal cord injury and waking up dependent on a ventilator. When doctors predicted a short life in a nursing home, his family refused to accept that prognosis. Their relentless advocacy connected Sam with intensive spinal cord injury rehabilitation that helped him breathe independently, rebuild his health, and begin creating a future with no finish line. Two important themes emerge from Sam’s story: never accept one person’s prognosis as the final answer, and learn how to advocate for the rehabilitation, equipment, and healthcare support you need. Sam and Alycia explore the realities of insurance advocacy, accessible healthcare, caregiver support, mental health, aging with disability, and long-term spinal cord injury rehabilitation. Sam explains how he negotiated for the equipment, therapy, and resources that supported his independence while challenging a healthcare system that too often limits recovery before it has truly begun. “Racing is my passion. DRIVEN Neuro is my purpose.” The conversation also explores Sam’s memoir, No Finish Line: A Racer’s Journey of Passion, Perseverance, and Purpose, his championship-winning racing career, and the growth of DRIVEN Neuro, a nonprofit expanding access to activity-based neurorecovery, adaptive fitness, neurological rehabilitation, wellness programs, and disability community support for people living with spinal cord injuries and other neurological conditions. Sam’s story is more than a comeback. It is a call to action about self-advocacy, perseverance, accessible innovation, teamwork, and finding purpose after a life-changing injury. As Sam reminds us, progress may look different for every person, but possibility begins when we choose to take action. Racing, Recovery, Advocacy, and Purpose: The Big Takeaways from Sam Schmidt 🏁 Growing up in a family built around racing and competition 🏆 Achieving a lifelong dream with an IndyCar victory ♿ Adjusting to life after a high-level spinal cord injury 🫁 Fighting to recover independent breathing after ventilator dependence ❤️ The power of family advocacy after a life-changing diagnosis 🏥 Challenging medical assumptions and seeking additional opinions 📣 Learning to advocate for more time, care, equipment, and rehabilitation 💵 Understanding the economics behind insurance decisions 🧠 Supporting mental health alongside physical neurorecovery 💪 Why activity-based rehabilitation can remain important long after discharge 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Recognizing how spinal cord injury affects the entire family 🤝 Relying on caregivers, colleagues, clinicians, and community 🏎️ Moving from professional driver to championship-winning team owner 📖 Finding meaning in Sam’s memoir, No Finish Line 🔥 Understanding the difference between passion and purpose 🧑‍🦽 Aging with quadriplegia and protecting long-term health 🚗 Using adaptive and semi-autonomous technology to drive again ⚙️ Creating customized solutions that help disabled people return to what they love 🌱 Expanding affordable access to neurorecovery and adaptive wellness ✨ Making the most of life without waiting for perfect circumstances Unforgettable Quotes from Sam Schmidt “It’s whatever it takes to get you out of bed. That’s what you’ve got to do.” ~ Sam Schmidt “I’ve accomplished so much more the last 26 years being paralyzed than the previous 35 because I learned to rely on other people.” ~ Sam Schmidt Where to Listen: Sam Schmidt’s Most Powerful Moments 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:25 Meet Sam Schmidt 02:04 Racing Roots and Dreams 03:37 IndyCar Victory in Vegas 05:33 Crash and Diagnosis 07:16 Finding the Right Rehab 09:42 Advocacy and Insurance Hacks 15:34 Family Resilience Lessons 17:37 Disability Pride Invite 18:12 Work Ethic and Recovery 20:01 Aging With Disability 22:37 No Finish Line Book 24:07 Driven Neuro Mission 27:56 Purpose Over Passion 32:25 How to Get Involved 34:20 Future Tech and Mobility 35:12 Driving and Adventure Again 36:43 Make Schmidt Happen 37:31 Final Thanks and Wrap Connect with Sam Schmidt Sam’s official website shares more about his racing career, memoir, speaking, adaptive technology, and work with DRIVEN Neuro. DRIVEN Neuro serves people living with spinal cord injuries and other neurological conditions through neurorecovery, adaptive wellness, research, resources, and community support. 🌐 Sam Schmidt’s Website: https://www.samschmidt.com/ 📖 Buy No Finish Line: A Racer’s Journey of Passion, Perseverance, and Purpose: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/No-Finish-Line/Sam-Schmidt/9798895151617 🧠 Learn More About DRIVEN Neuro: https://drivenneuro.org/ 💛 Support DRIVEN Neuro: https://drivenneuro.org/ Connect with Alycia 🌐 Website: https://alyciaanderson.com/ 🎙️ Podcast: https://alyciaanderson.com/podcast 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyciaanderson/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyciaanderson/ About Pushing Forward with Alycia Pushing Forward with Alycia gives disability a voice through conversations about accessibility, inclusion, ambition, resilience, leadership, advocacy, and creating a more inclusive world for all people. Subscribe, like, share, and send this episode to someone who needs the reminder that there is no finish line when it comes to possibility, purpose, and pushing forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Alycia Anderson welcomes Jessica Lopez, a disability rights advocate, keynote speaker, marketing strategist, and digital accessibility consultant working at the intersection of inclusive marketing, brand strategy, disability inclusion, accessible technology, and corporate accessibility. A recent Arizona State University graduate and Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholar, Jessica brings lived experience, business insight, and bold advocacy to conversations about accessible education, disability pride, inclusive hiring, digital accessibility, SEO, workplace inclusion, and why building accessibility from the start creates stronger brands, better customer experiences, and measurable business impact.  Jessica shares her lived experience as a woman born without hands and feet, a hearing aid user, and someone who later developed a chronic illness that changed the course of her education. From growing up in performing arts school, riding horses through adaptive recreation, and learning confidence on stage, to navigating inaccessible education systems and eventually graduating after gaining access to online learning, Jessica’s story is a powerful reminder that disabled people are not limited by their bodies, but by systems that fail to adapt. In this episode, Alycia and Jessica explore disability pride, accessible education, corporate inclusion, digital accessibility, inclusive marketing, career confidence, the ROI of accessibility, and what happens when companies stop assuming and start asking disabled people what they need. Confidence, Access, Advocacy, and “Why Not Me?”: The Big Takeaways from Jessica Lopez ♿ Disability identity, pride, and being born without hands and feet 🎤 Performing arts, confidence, and learning to take up space 🐎 Adaptive horseback riding as freedom, movement, and possibility 🦻 Navigating hearing loss, hearing aids, and visible disability 🏫 Inclusive education, school accommodations, and the power of the right support 💻 Online learning as accessibility, not convenience ⚖️ Systemic barriers in education and why access changes life trajectories 🌎 Travel, fellowships, and expanding what disabled ambition can look like 💼 Disability rights advocacy as a career path 🏢 Corporate accessibility, inclusive hiring, and leadership representation📲 Digital accessibility, accessible websites, alt text, SEO, and ROI 📣 Inclusive marketing and why disability must be built into brand strategy 👗 Accessible fashion, style, independence, and showing up polished 💛 Confidence for young disabled women chasing big dreams ✨ “Why not me?” as a mindset for opportunities, scholarships, speaking, and leadership 📈 Accessibility as a business advantage, not an extra cost 🤝 The power of asking disabled people directly what works for them Unforgettable Quotes from Jessica Lopez “My body was not the reason why I wasn’t able to do the things that I was hoping to do. It was really a result of a systemic barrier.” ~ Jessica Lopez “I don’t feel like I’m missing anything. All of my limbs are the way they are.” ~ Jessica Lopez “Accessibility is a bunch of small practices and small little things, and they add up to a massive turnaround on a big scale.” ~ Jessica Lopez Where to Listen: Jessica Lopez’s Most Powerful Moments 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:25 Meet Jessica Lopez 02:55 Horses And Freedom 06:44 Born Different Early Life 07:43 Performing Arts Confidence 13:00 Aides And Accommodations 14:16 Prosthetics And Identity 16:35 Chronic Illness School Barriers 19:53 Disability Pride Keynote Invite 21:34 Advocacy Career Path 23:31 How Corporations Can Partner 26:35 Accessibility ROI In Marketing 29:25 Style And Stage Presence 31:19 Advice Why Not Me 35:16 Accessibility In 2026 37:23 Pushing Forward Moment 38:27 Closing Thanks And Subscribe Connect with Jessica Lopez 🌐 Website: https://jessical.me 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/realjessl 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realjessl 𝕏  Twitter/X: https://x.com/RealJessL 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RealJessL  Connect with Alycia 🌐 Website: https://alyciaanderson.com/ 🎙️ Podcast: https://alyciaanderson.com/podcast 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyciaanderson/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyciaanderson/ About Pushing Forward with Alycia Pushing Forward with Alycia gives disability a voice through conversations about accessibility, inclusion, ambition, resilience, leadership, and creating a more inclusive world for all people. Subscribe, like, and share to help push the conversation forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Alycia welcomes Jay and Pamela, stars of TLC’s GLAAD nominated series Jay & Pamela, returning June 30 for season two, and discusses their dual disability relationship as full time wheelchair users with osteogenesis imperfecta type III. They reflect on Pamela’s quote about reaching dreams alongside the one you love, describe personal and relationship growth from being on TV, and explain how they set boundaries around sharing intimate topics like access, sex, marriage, and fears. Jay addresses misconceptions about two wheelchair users as partners and the dehumanization of disabled people, while both emphasize disability representation in fashion, travel, and everyday life, including a New York runway. Jay shares his work in music production, voice acting, modeling, and neurodivergence through autism and ADHD. They outline OI’s impacts and share Disability Pride mantras about self worth and not letting the world define you. Love, Access, Fashion, and Pride: The Big Takeaways from Jay & Pamela ⭐ Disability representation on reality TV ❤️ Disabled love, marriage, and partnership ♿ Dual disability relationships and shared lived experience 🎬 TLC’s role in expanding disability visibility 🌈 Disability Pride and unapologetic self acceptance 💬 Breaking assumptions about intimacy, dating, and disabled relationships 🏡 Independent living, accessibility, and building a life together 👗 Adaptive fashion, modeling, and body confidence 📺 Vulnerability, boundaries, and sharing real life on camera 🦴 Understanding osteogenesis imperfecta and rare disability experiences 🚗 Accessible transportation and the need for inclusive mobility options 🏢 Universal design, accessible housing, and beauty beyond ADA minimums ✨ Dreaming bigger than the world expects 🧠 Neurodivergence, confidence, and navigating life authentically 💛 Self worth beyond achievement or external validation Unforgettable Quotes from TLC’s Jay & Pamela  “Your value is not by the things that you do. You have value just because you are you.” ~ Jay Thomas Manuel “Don’t let the world identify you.”  ~ Pamela Chavez Manuel Where to Listen: Jay & Pamela’s Most Powerful Moments  00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:37 Meet Jay and Pamela 02:12 Dreams and Love Quote 04:31 Season Two Growth 06:53 Vulnerability and Impact 08:44 Sharing Boundaries 11:17 Dual Disability Bias 17:23 New York Runway Moment 20:09 Body Confidence Breakthroughs 21:39 Jay Creative Mission 23:24 Asking for Help 25:47 Overthinking And Neurodivergence 26:49 Explaining Osteogenesis Imperfecta 28:39 Surgeries Hearing And Health Risks 30:09 Season Two Highlights And Pride 32:12 Hopes For Unity And Accessibility 35:48 Future Dreams Modeling Acting Brands 40:40 Big Asks Vans And Accessible Housing 42:17 Disability Pride Mantras 46:51 Final Thanks And Where To Watch  Connect with Jay & Pamela  Jay & Pamela on TLC.com | Jay & Pamela Season 2 Official Trailer | Jay on Instagram | Pamela on Instagram | TLC on Instagram Connect with Alycia 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠https://alyciaanderson.com/⁠⁠ 🎙️ Podcast: ⁠⁠https://alyciaanderson.com/podcast⁠⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyciaanderson/⁠⁠ 📸 Instagram:⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/alyciaanderson/⁠⁠ Pushing Forward with Alycia gives disability a voice through conversations about accessibility, inclusion, ambition, resilience, leadership, and creating a more inclusive world for all people. Subscribe, like, and share to help push the conversation forward. About Pushing Forward with Alycia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alycia Anderson welcomes back Nashville photographer, disability advocate, and Let Them Stare creator Angelea Yoder to discuss her advocacy, her VACTERL Association diagnosis, and the liberation of moving from hiding invisible medical differences to sharing them publicly, including a Good Morning America segment that shifted her fears into feelings of acceptance. Angelea explains VACTERL and how it has impacted her life through multiple anomalies and more than 20 surgeries, and Alycia shares they have the same VACTERL-related experiences. They focus on Angelea’s first Let Them Stare phase, the photography-based children’s book Look at Me: Look What I Can Do, now on Kickstarter to raise $40,000 for self-publishing and printing, with tiers for preorders and donating books to schools and hospitals. They also discuss consent and privacy for disabled kids on social media, and Angelea previews future plans including an adult coffee-table book, a disability-focused modeling agency, and a community hub. The episode’s mantra is simple and powerful: “Let them stare.”  The Big Ideas Behind the Brave Moments  📸 Disability representation through real photography and storytelling 👀 Let Them Stare as a movement for visibility and pride 🧒 Helping disabled kids feel seen, celebrated, and less alone 💬 Moving from hidden medical differences to public advocacy 🧬 Understanding VACTERL Association and invisible disability ❤️ Finding liberation through vulnerability and shared lived experience 📚 Creating children’s books that reflect real disabled kids 🛡️ Consent, privacy, and dignity in disability storytelling 🏥 Navigating medical complexity, childhood surgeries, and self advocacy 🌎 Changing how the world sees disability, difference, and possibility 👗 Expanding disability representation in fashion, media, and modeling ✨ Building community around visibility, belonging, and the mantra “Let them stare” The Quotes We’re Carrying Forward  “I want to start doing something that can help people and change the world.” ~ Angelea Yoder “Even if it changes one child’s perspective of, ‘Oh, I’m not alone anymore,’ then this whole thing was worth it.” ~ Angelea Yoder “I would love to see disfigurement and disabilities in so many more media campaigns and PR campaigns.” ~ Angelea Yoder “Let them stare.” ~ Angelea Yoder From Hidden to Seen, One Moment at a Time  00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:25 Meet Angelea Yoder 02:39 From Radio to Purpose 04:44 Hidden to Heard 06:34 Understanding VACTERL 09:52 Shared Diagnosis Bond 13:19 Kids Book Let Them Stare 16:48 Kickstarter Funding Goals 17:35 Kids Privacy Online 22:09 How to Support and Tiers 23:54 Whats Next for Project 26:56 Final Links and Farewell 28:16 Pushing Forward Mantra  Connect with Angelea Yoder Keep up with Angelea Yoder, photographer, storyteller, disability advocate, and creator of LET THEM STARE, as she works to change the way the world sees disability, visible and invisible differences, and childhood representation. Her upcoming children’s photo book, Look At Me, Look What I Can Do!, celebrates the strength, joy, and ability of every child. Back the Book on Kickstarter: Look At Me, Look What I Can Do! Children’s Book Website:letthemstare.org LinkedIn:Angelea Yoder Instagram:@angeleaphoto Facebook:Angelea Photo Connect with Alycia 🌐 Website: ⁠https://alyciaanderson.com/⁠ 🎙️ Podcast: ⁠https://alyciaanderson.com/podcast⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyciaanderson/⁠ 📸 Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/alyciaanderson/⁠ Pushing Forward with Alycia gives disability a voice through conversations about accessibility, inclusion, ambition, resilience, leadership, and creating a more inclusive world for all people. Subscribe, like, and share to help push the conversation forward. About Pushing Forward with Alycia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Alycia Anderson welcomes Meaghan Walls, CEO of the Center for Disability Inclusion and president/CEO of Assistology, to discuss how hospitality and events still leave disabled people out and why the upcoming World Cup in Kansas City makes accessibility and disability inclusion urgent across infrastructure, transportation, hotels, and short-term rentals. They explore shortcomings like limited and segregated accessible seating, inaccessible restrooms, and ticketing systems that create major barriers, and Meaghan shares a venue that renovated after losing CDI’s summit due to restroom inaccessibility. Meaghan explains CDI’s beyond-compliance approach, covering AV, counters, wayfinding, information and communication access, and operational practices, and cites disability travel and entertainment spending. She describes the DineAble white paper research on restaurant experiences and dignity, then connects inclusion to hiring by challenging exclusionary job descriptions. They close by promoting the hybrid CDI Disability Inclusion Summit on September 24 and Meaghan’s guiding question: “Who does this not work for?” Big Ideas for Better Welcome  🌍 Global events must be accessible from the start 🏨 Hospitality should mean welcome for everyone ♿ Accessibility is more than ADA compliance 🎟️ Disabled guests deserve choice, dignity, and equal access to fun 🚻 Restrooms, seating, ticketing, and wayfinding can make or break the experience 💡 Access is a business opportunity, not a burden 🍽️ Restaurant design impacts dignity, independence, and belonging 💬 The question every business should ask: “Who does this not work for?” 👥 Inclusive hospitality includes both customers and employees 🧠 Mindset, policy, and operations matter just as much as physical design 📣 Disability inclusion creates better experiences for all visitors 🤝 Sustainable inclusion requires collaboration, community, and lived experience Quotes from Meaghan - Small Lines, Big Access Energy  “There’s been such a long history of perception that creating access is a financial burden versus an opportunity.” ~ Meaghan Walls “Every first-time visitor to a space is disabled by the limits of the information that they’re provided when they get there.” ~ Meaghan Walls “If your employees can’t access the systems, the environments, the processes, or the technology, you’re also missing out on a huge talent pool.” ~ Meaghan Walls Jump Into the Moments That Matter  00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:25 Meet Meaghan Walls 02:31 World Cup Accessibility Urgency 05:53 Seating Choice And Dignity 11:23 Beyond ADA Compliance 16:24 Tech Barriers And Spending Power 18:56 DineAble Restaurant Stories 24:06 Hospitality Hiring Inclusion 28:44 CDI And Summit Details 33:52 Pushing Forward Moment 34:48 Final Thanks And Sign Off  Connect with Meaghan Walls Keep learning from Meaghan Walls and explore her work in accessibility, universal design, and disability inclusion: Assistology Visit assistologyomaha.com to learn more about Meaghan’s accessibility consulting work focused on inclusive environments, assistive technology, and removing barriers to participation. Center for Disability Inclusion Explore centerfordisabilityinclusion.org to discover CDI’s resources, business solutions, events, and the upcoming Disability Inclusion Summit. Connect with Meaghan on LinkedIn Follow and connect with Meaghan Walls on LinkedIn for more insights on disability inclusion, accessibility, hospitality, and inclusive design.Connect with Meaghan Walls Connect with Alycia 🌐 Website: https://alyciaanderson.com/ 🎙️ Podcast: https://alyciaanderson.com/podcast 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyciaanderson/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyciaanderson/ Pushing Forward with Alycia gives disability a voice through conversations about accessibility, inclusion, ambition, resilience, leadership, and creating a more inclusive world for all people. Subscribe, like, and share to help push the conversation forward. About Pushing Forward with Alycia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Pushing Forward with Alycia, host Alycia Anderson welcomes guest Jessica Buchanan, a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, podcast host, and kidnapping survivor, to discuss resilience, mental health, and purpose after trauma. Buchanan recounts how a teacher from Ohio came to work in Somalia in mine risk education for the Danish Demining Group, ignored her intuition after feeling pressured to travel, and was kidnapped at gunpoint with a Danish colleague, held hostage outdoors for 93 days, threatened with being sold to Al-Shabaab, starved, isolated, and fearful of losing her mind. She describes the January 25, 2012 rescue by SEAL Team Six ordered by President Obama and the call Obama made to her father. Buchanan shares her PTSD recovery, therapy and medication, her concept of “surviving survival,” how writing and speaking evolved from her first book Impossible Odds to How to Survive Survival, and her mission to help others turn pain into purpose. Moment by Moment Through Survival  00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:25 Meet Jessica Buchanan 03:13 From Ohio to Somalia 05:47 The Kidnapping 09:18 93 Days Captive 12:55 SEAL Team Rescue 17:09 Accessibility Check Break 20:15 Aftermath and PTSD 24:15 Reclaiming Her Story 30:39 Building a Platform 34:46 Mission and Legacy 36:25 Pushing Forward Mantra  Quotes from Jessica “Listen to my intuition, trust my intuition, and stop deferring to other people to make decisions about my safety and my life.” ~ Jessica Buchanan “The rescue was only part of it. There’s a second survival phase that comes in the aftermath of your trauma experience.” ~ Jessica Buchanan “There can be more than one hero in a story.” ~ Jessica Buchanan The Heartbeats of This Conversation  💛 Trusting your intuition even when the world pressures you to ignore it 🌵 Surviving the unimaginable one minute at a time 🧠 Protecting your mental health when your body and mind are under extreme stress 🛟 Understanding that rescue is not the end of the survival story 🌱 Healing from trauma through time, therapy, writing, and support 👑 Reclaiming your role as the hero of your own story 📖 Turning lived experience into purpose, memoir, and thought leadership 🤍 Learning that pain does not have to be wasted 🗣️ Telling the truth of your story without shrinking to make others comfortable 🔥 Moving from damsel in distress to empowered survivor 🕊️ Choosing hope when nothing makes sense 👣 Taking the next step forward when life changes everything 💪 Owning your courage after years of survival and recovery 🌍 Using your story to serve others who are navigating their own hard seasons ✨ Living by the mantra: “I don’t understand, but I choose to trust” Connect with Jessica Buchanan Jessica’s Instagram | Jessica’s YouTube PlayList | Jessica’s Website Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alycia Anderson shares an update after a recent medical scare and is interviewed by her sister Corinna from the Slay & Pray podcast. After years without major interventions but with extensive internal reconstruction from her disability, Alycia developed severe abdominal pain and vomiting after eating a large carrot and went to the ER, where a CT scan showed an intestinal obstruction. She was admitted for four days with an NG tube to decompress her stomach, hoping to avoid risky surgery due to prior abdominal operations and scar tissue; her bowels eventually resumed function and the tube was removed. The conversation covers fear, family trauma, accepting support from Marty, Regina, and niece Ella, vulnerability about “invisible” disability issues, postponing work as an entrepreneur, and committing to slower living, dietary changes, and prioritizing health and family. From ER Scare to Healing Victory: The Moments That Made This Story Unforgettable  00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:27 Medical Scare Update 01:08 Meet The Sister Host 02:26 Health History Context 06:00 Carrot Triggered Pain 07:50 ER Diagnosis Obstruction 10:01 Family Panic Support 14:21 Hospital Tube Ordeal 15:27 Motivation Goals Board 17:19 Vulnerability With Ella 21:12 Hospital Humor Breakthrough 22:23 Let People Show Up 24:00 Marty The Rock 25:12 Colorado Sepsis Warning 26:31 Business Forced Pause 27:35 Community Love Online 29:23 Vulnerability And Stigma 31:17 Tube Out Victory 33:28 Recovery Reset Mindset 34:51 Slow Down And Prioritize 37:01 Pushing Forward Farewell  Best Quotes “The invisible stuff that goes on is the harder part of my disability.”  ~ Alycia Anderson “That does not make me think any other way about you. Never, not one time.”  ~ Corinna  The Real Life Lessons Hidden Inside a Five Day Hospital Stay  🏥 When life stops you in your tracks 🦽 The invisible side of disability 🧡 Letting people in when you want to shut down 👯‍♀️ Sisterhood as medicine 👩‍👧 Teaching the next generation through vulnerability 💪 The body’s quiet resilience 🧠 Medical trauma that resurfaces 😂 Finding humor in the hard stuff 🌊 Slowing down is part of pushing forward ❤️ Family as a support system 📱 The power of community showing up 🗣️ Talking about the things we are taught to hide 🙏 Gratitude after fear 🌹 Choosing joy while you can 🎙️ A different kind of advocacy Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alycia Anderson welcomes her mentor and former Chico State professor, Dr. Rebecca Lytle, who has spent 35 years building programs, publishing research, securing grants, and expanding adaptive physical activity and education locally and globally. Alycia shares how Dr. Lytle helped her overcome insecurity as a disabled student and how their early meeting led Alycia into adaptive PE. Dr. Lytle explains her drive for equity and access, shaped by growing up before Title IX, and describes organic program development at Chico State, including adult disability programs, youth programs, and an autism clinic. They discuss adaptive PE as foundational to confidence and independence, offer strategies for inclusive general PE through varied game formats, reflect on ongoing challenges in inclusion and DEI, and highlight international work in India and the UAE. Dr. Lytle’s closing “pushing forward” mantra is to be open to opportunities, take them, and create them. Lessons for Leaders & Doers 🦋 Mentorship that changes your life before you even realize it 🏫 Adaptive PE as a pathway to confidence, access, movement, and belonging 📚 The history of disability inclusion and how far we have come ⚖️ Equity, access, and the unfinished work still ahead 🌍 Global disability inclusion and what we can learn from programs around the world 💬 The power of dialogue between educators and disabled students 🤝 Creating opportunity instead of waiting for it to appear 🧠 Understanding that inclusion is not one size fits all 🏃‍♀️ Movement as joy, freedom, play, and human connection 👩‍🏫 Great teachers seeing possibility before students can see it in themselves 🌱 Progress happens when we stay open, keep planning, and keep building 🪽 Finding your wings through support, belief, and opportunity Quotes from Rebecca  ”Be open to opportunities. Take them and create them.” ~ Dr. Rebecca Lytle  ”Life is gonna go on. We're gonna keep doing what we do. We're gonna keep working on things and keep trying to make the world a better place.” ~ Dr. Rebecca Lytle Core Messages Explored 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:25 Meet Dr Rebecca Lytle 03:00 How They First Met 04:06 Why She Chose This Path 06:40 Building Programs at Chico 08:31 Global Work Snowball 11:06 Why Adaptive PE Matters 13:13 Inclusion Tips for Educators 15:14 Sponsor Break Own It 15:44 Creating Joyful Movement 17:45 Advocacy and Dialogue 21:02 Where Inclusion Stands 24:02 Work in the UAE Today 29:11 Sponsor Break Accessibility 29:48 Mentorship Full Circle 31:33 Pushing Forward Mantra 32:06 Final Thanks and Goodbye Connect with Dr. Rebecca Lytle Rebecca’s LinkedIn | Rebecca’s Instagram Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2026, Alycia and Marty host Shawn Jordison (“The Accessibility Guy”) to discuss why digital accessibility is not just compliance but innovation and human impact. Shawn shares his path from an 18-year-old student worker creating braille and alternate media at a community college to leading accessibility roles across California’s 116 community colleges, then launching his YouTube channel and accessibility business. He describes living with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and recounts a pivotal experience helping a student with a learning disability use text-to-speech to succeed in college. They address common organizational barriers—time, money, overwhelm, and inaccessible tools—and recommend starting with accessible authoring tools, using built-in features like headings and alt text, testing with NVDA, and inventorying content before tackling legacy work. Shawn also explores AI’s growing role in access and ends with “be an accessibility champion” and “accessibility equals usability,” alongside plugs for Own It Mastery Collective and The Accessibility Check. The Takeaways That Make Inclusion Usable 🌍 Global Accessibility Awareness Day and why it matters 💻 Digital accessibility as a daily part of modern life 🧠 Accessibility is innovation, not just compliance 🧑‍🦽 Disability inclusion in technology, work, education, and everyday access 📄 Making websites, PDFs, documents, and digital tools usable for everyone 🎧 Assistive technology, screen readers, captions, alt text, and voice tools 🚪 Removing barriers before people are excluded 💡 Accessibility equals usability 🤝 Human impact over checkbox compliance 🏢 Why organizations need to invest time, money, and leadership into accessibility 🛠️ Starting small instead of getting overwhelmed by inaccessible legacy content 📋 Building an accessibility inventory and creating a realistic path forward 🤖 AI as a powerful emerging tool for access and independence ⚖️ Balancing accessibility, cybersecurity, privacy, and policy 📚 Education, employment, and the life changing power of accessible learning tools ❤️ Personal disability stories and the connection between lived experience and advocacy 🏆 Becoming an accessibility champion in your workplace and community 🌱 Progress over perfection in accessibility work 🔥 Making accessibility practical, approachable, and less intimidating Pull Quotes Worth Turning the Volume Up For  “Do not compare yourself to anyone else, because comparison’s the thief of joy.” “Organizations really need to shift the mindset of, ‘This costs too much or it takes too much time,’ and instead bake it in the process.”   “ I tend to ride the wave versus trying to protect myself from it.”  Episode Roadmap: Your Accessible Guide Through the Conversation  00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:25 GAAD And Accessibility 03:17 Meet Shawn Jordison 03:37 Becoming Accessibility Guy 07:04 Disability And CMT 10:27 Accessibility Impact Story 13:42 Business Case For Access 15:16 Mindset And Accountability 20:26 Top Digital Access Tips 21:47 Pick Authoring Tools 22:13 Headings And Structure 23:16 Alt Text That Matters 24:22 POUR And WCAG Basics 25:53 Start With New Content 27:15 Time Money And Fear 28:20 Build An Inventory 29:33 Free Tools To Begin 31:23 AI For Accessibility 38:46 Privacy And Policy Tradeoffs 42:01 Accessibility Champion Mindset 44:42 Accessibility Check Wrap Up  Free Tools to Make Access Less Scary  ⁠⁠⁠NVDA Screen Reader⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ NVDA is a free screen reader for Windows. Shawn recommended it as a way to start understanding how people who are blind or low vision may experience digital content. WAVE Web ⁠Accessibility Evaluation Tool WAVE helps evaluate web pages for accessibility issues directly in your browser. It is available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, and can be useful for testing public pages, password protected pages, intranet content, and dynamic pages. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠axe DevTools Browser Extension axe DevTools is a browser based accessibility testing extension that helps developers, testers, and designers find accessibility issues early in the web development process. W3C Web Accessibility Principles⁠ The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative explains the foundational accessibility principles behind WCAG, including perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust, also known as POUR. Colorado HB21 1110 Accessibility Law⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Shawn referenced Colorado’s accessibility framework as a helpful example for organizations. Colorado HB21 1110 strengthens protections related to disability access and government information technology. Connect with Shawn “The Accessibility Guy” Jordison Shawn on LinkedIn | The Accessibility Guy YouTube Channel | The Accessibility Guy Website | Schedule 15 min. With Shawn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alycia Anderson welcomes Elizabeth Ansell, founder of #NotJustFatigue, a nonprofit advancing awareness, research, and policy for ME/CFS, and discusses how Elizabeth has driven advocacy and federal policy work while bedbound. Elizabeth shares becoming ill at 26 while working in New York City, years of misdiagnoses, and being dismissed as psychosomatic. She explains teaching herself medicine before being diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, defined by post-exertional malaise and many possible symptoms. She describes launching her organization after learning the disease’s history and stigma. They cover misconceptions tied to the “chronic fatigue” name, the need for education and funding, policy wins including ME/CFS language in the Long COVID Recovery Initiative, and an NIH reporting requirement tied to a 2024 research roadmap. She then explains ways to get involved for May 12 ME/CFS Day using “millions missing,” sharing stories, and donating. From Challenge to Change 🛏️ What If Your Biggest Impact Happens From Bed? 🌧️ A Journey of Challenges and Advocacy 🔄 We Can’t Change the Past, But We Can Change the Future 🧠 Tackling Misconceptions and Living Within Limits 📊 It’s Not Rare, 90% Aren’t Diagnosed 📣 Pushing for Change with ME/CFS Advocacy 🤝 Joining the Movement 🚀 Pushing Forward Quotes from Elizabeth “ It's very sad that we can't change the past with this disease. But right now in the present, we can work for a better future.” ~ Elizabeth Ansell “I think just keep going, stay determined. For things to change, now is the time that I think it’s happening.” ~ Elizabeth Ansell Run of Show 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:25 Meet Elizabeth Ansell 02:19 Getting Sick and Misdiagnosed 04:02 What ME/CFS Means 05:12 Life in Bedbound Severity 07:37 Why Fatigue Misleads 09:13 Crashes and Energy Limits 10:42 Stigma and Invisible Illness 12:16 Advocacy From Her Bed 15:23 Millions Missing Community 18:33 Grief and New Purpose 21:09 May 12th Get Involved 23:11 Advice for New Patients 24:34 Support Not Just Fatigue 25:43 Pushing Forward Moment 26:47 Final Thanks and Outro Connect with Elizabeth Ansell Elizabeth’s Website | Elizabeth’s TikTok Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alycia Anderson welcomes Mindy Henderson, who is a speaker, author, VP of Disability Outreach and Empowerment at the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and editor-in-chief of Quest Media, to discuss disability advocacy, especially accessible air travel. Mindy explains why adding wheelchair spots on airplanes is complex due to regulation, safety testing, and staff training. They reflect on their shared experiences spending 20 years in tech while trying to “hide” disability. Mindy also describes how job loss pushed her into writing The Truth About Things That Suck and building a speaking platform centered on honest storytelling. Insights You Can Use 📣 Advocacy Efforts and Challenges ✨ When You Lean Into Who You Are, the Magic Happens 🔄 Like It or Leave It: The Authenticity Pivot 💭 Reflecting on Personal Journeys 🪞 Be the You That Is the You ✍️ The Journey to Writing 🌧️ Adversity Is Universal, And Sometimes Things Just Suck 🚀 Empowerment and Future Directions 😬 Do It Scared: Say Yes, Then Figure It Out Quotes from Mindy “Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways we create progress in our world.” ~ Mindy Henderson “I think that there’s a lot the world needs right now. It just needs good people out there who are afraid, but they're not letting it stop them.” ~ Mindy Henderson  ”Adversity is a universal truth. It's something that we all experience in one way or another. Sometimes things just suck, and that’s okay.” ~ Mindy Henderson Play-by-Play Guide 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:25 Meet Mindy Henderson 02:19 Advocacy Priorities Today 04:21 Why Air Travel Is Hard 07:07 New DOT Training Rules 13:52 From Tech to Advocacy 18:07 Finding Your Authentic Voice 23:52 Truth About Things That Suck 26:35 Where to Get the Book 29:08 Do It Scared Finale Connect with Mindy Henderson Mindy’s Website | Mindy’s LinkedIn | Mindy’s Instagram | Mindy’s Facebook Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alycia Anderson welcomes Tony Award-winning actress and disability advocate Ali Stroker, reflecting on their first meeting at a mobility expo where they bonded over making wheelchairs more fashion forward. Ali shares her story of becoming disabled at age two after a car accident that caused a C7–T2 incomplete spinal cord injury, and explains how theater—discovered at age seven—helped her reclaim the “gaze” and build identity, confidence, and purpose. They discuss not waiting for permission, pushing through inaccessibility and others’ fear, and the impact of Ali’s Broadway milestones, including her debut in Spring Awakening and her Tony-winning role as Ado Annie in Oklahoma. Ali talks about writing middle-grade and children’s books for representation, prioritizing health and aging, and why motherhood and marriage are her greatest accomplishments. She closes with a favorite Marianne Williamson quote about embracing one’s power. Broadway Beats from Ali Stroker  🎭 Turning visibility into power through performance ♿ Navigating the gaze and reclaiming identity 🌟 Representation and why it changes everything 🚫 Why waiting for permission holds you back 💡 Creating your own path when none exists 🏆 Breaking barriers on Broadway and beyond 🔥 Confidence, competition, and inner drive 📚 Writing stories to give others what you needed ❤️ Motherhood, love, and redefining success 🧠 Mental health, resilience, and self-prioritization 💪 Evolving your relationship with your body and health 🌊 Building community and not doing life alone Quotes from Ali Stroker “Do not wait for permission. It's not coming the way that you think you need it. You don't need it. You just have to go do it.” - Ali Stroker “Finding theater helped me with that gaze, because I realized that I could actually command and ask for people to look at me on my terms.“ - Ali Stroker The Ali Stroker Playbill  00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:25 Meet Ali Stroker 01:15 Burberry Seat Memory 05:18 Growing Up Disabled 06:37 Theater Found Her Voice 11:12 No Permission Needed 13:16 Broadway Breakthrough 15:16 Oklahoma And The Tony 19:34 Competitive Drive 21:55 Becoming An Author 22:38 Writing for Representation 23:56 Coauthoring the Books 25:04 Ali and the Sea Stars 26:05 Just Write the Book 26:24 Fitness and Staying Active 28:31 Aging and Disability Health 33:29 Sacred Morning Self Care 34:39 Motherhood and Marriage 40:02 Favorite Marianne Quote 44:30 Final Thanks and Wrap  Connect with Ali Stroker Website: alistroker.com Books: The Chance to Fly | Ali and the Sea Stars | Cut Loose! Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Pushing Forward with Alycia, Alycia Anderson welcomes writer and teacher Molly Gaudry, founder of Lit Pub and author of We Take Me Apart and Fit Into Me: A Novel: A Memoir, to discuss storytelling, identity, and memory. Molly shares being born in Korea, adopted, and growing up in northeast Ohio, where early language acquisition and school support shaped her love of reading and writing. Molly recounts a 2011 concussion that led to months of double vision and sensory overload. She eventually addressed it through vision therapy and an exploratory study at the University of Utah that taught coping strategies rather than a cure. She reflects on how the injury reshaped her boundaries, pace, and happiness. From Challenge to Change 📖 A Journey Through Words 🌧️ Navigating Adversity 🎓 From Academic Probation to Graduate-Level Proof 🌱 Resilience and Growth 🧠 The Sensory Overload Explanation 📝 A Literary Exploration 💭 Reflecting on Vulnerability 🤝 A Community of Stories ⚡ From “Always Hustle” to “Is That Healthy?” 🧭 Finding Your Way Back After Life Changes Quotes from Molly “I think there’s a takeaway of  how hard it was to face the idea of letting go, and then what it was like to fight for it. ~ Molly Gaudry “It feels like there is no other choice but to hustle and to say yes to everything, so that you're doing more than the next person. But I wouldn't say that's healthy, mentally or physically.” ~ Molly Gaudry Playlist of Segments 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:25 Meet Molly Gaudry 02:22 Early Story Roots 05:08 Teachers and Support 06:38 Mentors and Grad School 09:18 Passing the Lit Pub Torch 09:59 Fit Into Me Overview 10:37 Concussion and Double Vision 13:19 Vision Therapy Breakthrough 14:47 Sensory Strategies and Study 17:46 Identity After Injury 20:47 Hustle Culture Rethink 22:13 Book Themes and Where to Buy 24:57 Fiction vs Nonfiction Healing 26:20 Closing Thanks and Wrap Connect with Molly Gaudry Molly’s Website | Molly’s Instagram Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alycia Anderson welcomes Peri Finkelstein: Emmy-winning marketing consultant, keynote speaker, recent TEDx speaker, marathon participant, and founder/CEO of the Team Peri Foundation. Peri explains how assistive communication evolved from Proloquo4Text to 11 Labs AI voice technology, helping her be understood on podcasts and stages despite bias and past bullying. She shares growing up with nemaline rod myopathy, navigating surgeries, pain, fatigue, and a nontraditional childhood, and credits her mom as her primary support and collaborator. Peri describes how her May 2025 TEDx talk sparked a new commitment to vulnerable storytelling through Substack and a memoir. She also details the foundation’s scholarship and Peri Project, which provides caregiver kits in pediatric ICUs and plans hospital expansion through 2026. She closes with motivation to embrace differences, find what you love, and create your own path. The Entrepreneurial Throughline 🎤 From Communication Device to TEDx Stage 💪 Growing Up with Muscular Dystrophy 🌟 Disability Doesn’t Define What You’re Capable Of 🤝 The Strength of Support Systems 🚶‍♀️ Stepping Out of Line: A Movement for Change 🏆 Achieving Milestones and Making a Difference 💬 “My Story Was Bigger Than Just Me” 🧠 Navigating Invisible Challenges 🚫 Dismantling Ableism & Ending Caregiver Burnout ✨ A Message of Empowerment and Authenticity 🗝️ Your Differences Are Your Secret Weapon 📏 Stop Shrinking Yourself Quotes from Peri “ Your differences are your secret weapon.” ~ Peri Finkelstein “ You have to find something that you love enough to make all of the noise fade into the background.” ~ Peri Finkelstein Timecoded Table of Contents 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:25 Meet Peri Finkelstein 01:59 AI Voice Technology 07:39 Growing Up Disabled 12:10 Support Systems 15:53 Finding Her Voice 20:45 Step Out of Line 23:35 Million Dollar Impact 26:23 Marathon Mindset 30:06 Building a Nonprofit 33:12 Peri Project Mission 35:36 Behind the Scenes 38:47 Pushing Forward Message 41:23 Closing Thanks Connect with Peri Finkelstein Peri’s Website | Peri’s LinkedIn | Peri’s Instagram | Peri’s YouTube | Peri’s TikTok | Peri’s X | Peri’s Facebook | Peri’s Substack | Team Peri’s Instagram | Team Peri’s LinkedIn Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alycia Anderson welcomes Lawrence Carter-Long, Director of Engagement at ReelAbilities International, onto Pushing Forward with Alycia to discuss how disability narratives in media shape public understanding, possibility, and policy. Lawrence shares his background growing up with cerebral palsy, being a 1970s “poster child,” and how that early exposure taught him the power of media and communication. He explains ReelAbilities as a disability-forward film festival and year-round platform where “film is the front door” to community, conversation, and cultural change, emphasizing accessibility through open captions and audio description. They discuss moving beyond “tragic or heroic” tropes by elevating authentic stories and changing who writes, produces, directs, and greenlights projects, citing work like Best Summer Ever and Out of My Mind. Lawrence also describes the festival dates, sample programs, affiliate festivals, and his mantra: “go through the doors that open.” Rewriting the Narrative: Core Themes from Episode 136  🎬 Storytelling shapes perception and possibility  ⚠️ Disability in media is still widely misrepresented  🌍 Culture drives change more powerfully than policy alone  🎥 ReelAbilities is influencing the film industry and expanding authentic representation  🧠 Lived experience (cerebral palsy) informs expertise and advocacy  🔄 Shifting from “tragic or heroic” to real, nuanced human stories  👀 Visibility creates belief—you can’t be what you don’t see  🤝 Community, conversation, and belonging fuel lasting impact  🎭 Who tells the story matters as much as the story itself  🚪 Leaning into identity can unlock purpose, passion, and unexpected opportunity Quotes from Lawrence “Stories shape public understanding. What we see becomes what we believe is possible.” ~ Lawrence Carter-Long “Disability in media has been framed as either tragic or heroic, but most people live in the messy middle.” ~ Lawrence Carter-Long “It’s not just who you see on screen, it’s who’s writing, directing, and deciding which stories get told.” ~ Lawrence Carter-Long Lights, Camera, Inclusion: 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:25 Meet Lawrence Carter-Long 02:06 Poster Child Origins 04:34 ReelAbilities Mission 08:20 Beyond Tragic or Heroic 11:57 Best Summer Ever Story 13:42 Audience Impact and Access 17:17 Who Gets to Tell Stories 20:37 Stories Shape Policy 25:42 How Policymakers See Disability 30:41 Festival Highlights and Tickets 35:40 Go Through Open Doors Connect with Lawrence Carter-LongReelAbilities International | Lawrence on LinkedIn | ReelAbilities Instagram | ReelAbilities YouTube Channel | ReelAbilities on TikTok | ReelAbilities X | ReelAbilities on Facebook Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alycia Anderson introduces an episode of Pushing Forward with Alycia focused on “glass children,” siblings of disabled kids who often advocate naturally while sometimes feeling invisible, and interviews Meghan Connolly Haupt, founder of Inclusive Saratoga. Meghan shares how her 13-year-old daughter’s question sparked Meghan to use her 30-year social impact marketing background to help businesses and communities improve disability inclusion. They discuss how “separate but equal” still limits shared experiences, how loneliness and separation affect disabled people daily, and why barriers are often cultural as much as physical. Meghan explains an empathy-plus-creativity approach, offers low-cost accessibility fixes, and outlines the business case and closes with “relentless forward progress.” The Heart of this Episode 💖 A Heartfelt Journey ➕ The Simple Equation for Disability Inclusion 💼 Business Case for Inclusivity ✨ The Power of Small Actions 🚫 Perfection Is Killing Progress 🔮 Accessibility Will Be So Normal It’ll Shock People 🎭 Hidden Guilt of Being the One Who Gets to Go 🧠 Glass Children: A Hidden Strength 🚧 The Real Barrier Isn’t the Ramp, It’s Culture 🚀 Relentless Forward Progress Quotes from Meghan “ It's about just being together and giving everybody the same experience.” ~ Meghan Connolly Haupt “The biggest indicators of success in life are creativity and empathy.” ~ Meghan Connolly Haupt Navigating the Conversation 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:31 Meet Meghan and Glass Children 02:12 Why Can't We Ski Together 04:47 Separation and Loneliness 07:07 Barriers and Inclusion Equation 09:34 Business Case for Accessibility 14:17 Small Fixes Big Impact 16:01 Seatbelt Story Culture Shift 20:54 Inclusion Friendship and Glass Kids 29:33 Culture Over Curb Cuts 32:15 Connect with Inclusive Saratoga 34:05 Relentless Forward Progress 34:50 Closing Thanks and Sign Off Connect with Meghan Connolly Haupt Meghan’s LinkedIn | Meghan’s Instagram | Meghan’s YouTube | Meghan’s Facebook | ⁠Meghan’s Website⁠ Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Pushing Forward with Alycia, Alycia Anderson speaks to parents, teachers, and caregivers about how to talk to kids about disability and why we shouldn’t shut down their curiosity. She shared a joyful interaction with a six-year-old at her niece’s recital who was excited about her wheelchair, asked questions, and even said she’d always wanted one. She contrasts that with a store experience where a mom’s fearful comment instantly made her child retreat, illustrating how adult cues teach ableism, exclusion, and lowered expectations. She encourages using honest, safe language, modeling comfort, focusing on capabilities, and inviting respectful conversation so kids grow into inclusive adults who build workplaces, schools, and communities where everyone belongs. What Shaped the Dialogue 👶 Kids Aren’t Born Uncomfortable Around Disability 🤔 Understanding Children's Natural Curiosity 😨 The Other Side of Curiosity: When Fear Is Instilled 🚧 How Kids Learn Disability Exclusion 🗣️ Guiding Kids Through Healthy Dialogue 🔄 A Mindset Flip 📖 Shifting the Narrative Quotes from Alycia  ”When children grow up understanding that disability is just another part of the human experience, they will grow into adults that understand how important it is to include everybody.” ~Alycia Anderson  ”We need to use honest, real, safe language that allows children to navigate.” ~Alycia Anderson Playlist of Segments 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:29 Why Kids Ask 02:48 Recital Wheelchair Story 06:20 Curiosity Versus Ableism 08:12 Store Fear Moment 09:38 How Adults Shape Beliefs 12:51 Practical Tips for Parents 14:20 Bigger Vision for Inclusion 15:24 Final Takeaways 16:32 Outro and Thanks Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alycia Anderson celebrates Women’s History Month on Pushing Forward with Alycia by welcoming her sisters, twin Regina and Corinna, to discuss women’s empowerment, history-making moments, and lessons from their lives. In rapid-fire prompts, they share defining words, women they’d invite to dinner, what women should stop apologizing for, and their empowerment anthems. Regina recounts the life-changing emergency C-section birth of her daughter Ella, while Corinna shares a pivotal choice to call her future husband. Alycia reflects on leaving her corporate job, their father’s influence, and grief around losing their parents. They close with hopes to be remembered for kindness, love of family, and inspiring others. Lessons for Leaders & Doers 👋 Introduction to My Sisters' World 👩‍👩‍👧 Powerful Women in Our Lives 🪑 The Truth About Taking a Back Seat to Power 💬 The Unspoken Strengths and Apologies of Women 🚫 Stop Saying Sorry, Here’s Why 🎶 Anthems of Empowerment 📜 Defining Our Historic Moments 🌳 Reflections on Family Legacy ⬆️ The Courage to Level Up 🎲 Risks That Define Us 🏊‍♀️ Bravery Feels Like Synchronized Swimming 🌅 Hope for Future Generations Quotes from Regina & Corinna “I’ve done a lot of taking the backseat. And the more I started shifting that mindset  and that behavior, the stronger I've become.” ~ Regina “There’s nothing more important than kindness in treating people the way you want to be treated.” ~ Regina “ I love that you just underestimated me. I'm gonna blow you out of the water." ~ Corinna “ You find a confidence in yourself you maybe didn't know that you had, when you fake it.” ~ Corinna Cue Points for Skimming 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:25 Women's History Month 01:32 Meet The Sisters 04:44 Rapid Fire Round 05:12 Women At Dinner 10:16 Stop Saying Sorry 13:41 Empowerment Anthems 16:44 Personal History Moments 17:19 Regina's Birth Story 19:35 Corinna's Love Story 21:18 Alycia’s Marty Tribute 21:52 Partners Raise The Bar 22:27 Moms Who Shaped Them 24:43 Papa’s Push And Pull 29:18 Grief And His Legacy 33:18 Risks That Changed Everything 34:16 Slay And Pray Spotlight 36:44 Breaking Into Construction 39:36 Bravery And Synchronized Swimming 41:29 What We Hope To Stand For 43:31 Sisterhood Sendoff Connect with Regina & Corinna Slay & Pray Podcast | Slay & Pray YouTube Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pushing Forward with Alycia introduces Lynsey Chediak, a disabled woman and rare disease advocate whose lived experience has shaped work spanning government, global health policy, and biotech. Lynsey shares growing up with arthrogryposis alongside an unaffected twin sister, realizing her difference at school, while also navigating chronic pain, limited medical answers, and systems not built for patients. Additionally, she speaks about how insurance barriers before the Affordable Care Act impacted access. Lynsey discusses rare disease priorities, which includes faster diagnosis, better treatment access, and policy change. Her role at BioMarin involves work to remove prior authorization in California and urging listeners to meet their local representatives. She also recounts ignoring neck pain that resulted in surgery, underscoring self-advocacy, and closes with her mantra that people are stronger than what doctors and medical charts suggest. Mindset Shifts & A-ha’s ⚡ An Instant Connection 🩺 Doctors List the Problems, But Don’t Forget the Pros 🌱 Growing Up Differently 🧍 You Only Know the Body You’re Born In 🚧 Challenging Healthcare Norms 🎭 Now I Blend, and It’s Emotionally Complicated 🧬 Cancer vs. Rare Disease: The One-Gene Difference 📣 Raising Awareness and Advocacy ⏱️ Ending Prior Authorization Delays for Rare Disease Patients 💪 A Message of Strength and Hope 📊 Stronger Than the Medical Chart 🤝 Get Involved Quotes from Lynsey  ”If you see hoof prints in the ground  and you think it could be a horse or a zebra,  assume it's a horse." ~ Lynsey Chediak   “Everyone is so much stronger than their medical chart, than a flippant doctor's response about what they may think they see.” ~ Lynsey Chediak Skip-To Map 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:25 Meet Lynsey Chediak 02:35 Growing Up a Patient 05:25 Twin Identity Moments 09:51 Femur Surgery Breakthrough 12:05 Insurance and Preexisting Care 16:10 Blending and Hidden Disability 18:42 Rare Disease Advocacy 101 21:30 Policy Work and Prior Auth 24:40 How to Support Locally 26:26 Broken Neck Wake Up Call 28:55 Doctors Listening Struggles 31:44 Pushing Forward Mantra 32:50 Final Thanks and Outro Connect with Lynsey ChediakLynsey’s Website | Lynsey’s LinkedIn Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when you decide you’re done living the same year twice? In this powerful Women’s History Month episode of Pushing Forward with Alycia, Kristina Watts⁠ shares the raw, disciplined, identity-shifting journey that changed everything. This isn’t just a story about weight loss. It’s about betting on yourself before anyone else understands. It’s about quieting the noise. It’s about standing at mile five of your life and realizing, I belong here. Kristina is a wife, mom of three, multipreneur, and founder of a multiple seven-figure life insurance agency. But three years ago, she was 274 pounds, rebuilding financially after losing a business, and facing the hardest opponent of all: Herself. From using GLP-1 medication amid criticism… To losing 130 pounds… To running her first marathon at the Every Woman’s Marathon… To completing Andy Frisella’s 75 Hard and then extending it to 365 days… This episode is about discipline, identity, leadership, and declaring your own “I Did It” year. 🚨 Why This Episode Is Blowing Up 🔒 The airplane seatbelt moment that forced radical honesty 💉 Using GLP-1 before it was mainstream and quieting the criticism 🏃‍♀️ “Oh. I belong.” The marathon corral mindset shift 🥶 The brutal rules of 75 Hard (and why she did it for an entire year) 🔥 Hosting a 40-person New Year’s Eve party… and still finishing her final outdoor workout 💰 Rebuilding financially and scaling to a 7-figure business 🧠 The real work: rewiring identity, not just losing weight 👑 Becoming a lighthouse leader instead of a spotlight leader 🎯 This Episode Is For You If: You feel stuck in “drift” on autopilot through your own life You’ve outgrown an old identity but haven’t stepped into the new one You want discipline without losing your power You’re building something big but secretly wonder if you belong You’re ready to stop negotiating with your potential 💥 The Hard Truth Kristina didn’t transform because it was convenient. She speed-walked through airports to finish workouts on travel days. She drank water at midnight. She worked out outside in freezing weather. She removed herself from her own party to finish strong. Because as she says: “If you want to, you will.” And perhaps the most powerful realization of all: “I had to quiet the noise of everyone else so I could finally hear myself.” The physical transformation was visible. The mental rewiring? That’s the real victory. 👑 Women’s History Month Lightning Round We close with rapid-fire reflections on: Sarah Blakely and bold entrepreneurship Freedom as the word for women who have become Strength over softness Unlearning the belief that women should stay quiet Presence as an underrated superpower Leadership evolution And why red lipstick signals authority 🔥 Mic Drop Moments “Nobody would have known if I quit. But I would have.” — Kristina Watts “Anything is possible, but what’s holding most people back is their belief in themselves.” — Kristina Watts “It’s time to own my story and impact as many women and men as possible.” — Kristina Watts 🗺 Topic Map & Timecodes 00:00 Welcome to Pushing Forward 00:25 Meet Kristina Watts 03:37 The 130-Pound Transformation 08:10 Letting Go of Identity 11:11 Marathon Mindset Shift 15:24 What Is 75 Hard? 17:52 Extending It to 365 Days 20:23 The Hardest Holiday Moments 21:59 Declaring an “I Did It” Year 25:36 Building a 7-Figure Agency 27:39 Becoming “Her” 31:02 Women’s History Month Lightning Round 🚀 Your Turn What would your “I Did It” year look like? Not someday. Not when it’s convenient. Now. Share this episode with someone who’s ready to stop living the same year twice. 🔗 Connect with Kristina Watts Website | Instagram (@the.kristina.watts) | Facebook This is Pushing Forward with Alycia where we remind you that belonging isn’t given. It’s claimed. And that’s how we roll. 🎙🔥 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pushing Forward with Alycia welcomes award-winning singer, songwriter, actor, writer, and Georgetown Law graduate James Ian, who lives with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) type 3. Alycia Anderson and James talk about meeting at New York Fashion Week 2024 during Runway of Dreams and what it meant to see disabled models represented on the runway. James shares how access barriers at Georgetown motivated him toward law school to fight for disability rights, and how experiences performing music—including falling on stage and disclosing his disability—helped him realize he could advocate through art. He also talks about his performance at the DRA Gala (Disability Rights Advocates) in a room that included Hillary Clinton, and discusses the limited opportunities for disabled musicians, widespread venue inaccessibility, and the extra labor of education and advocacy alongside creative work. James details SMA basics, how type 3 has progressed for him, and complications from his cervical stenosis surgery that led to C5 palsy, major loss of arm strength, requiring rehab and forcing him to relearn his body. This episode dives into so much more with reflections on grief, gratitude, learning to accept help and more on his songs including “Spaces,” “Lift Me Up” honoring Judy Heumann, and his collaboration “Unconditional Love” with disabled artist Tap Waters. What Shaped Our Dialogue ✨ When Advocacy Meets Artistry ⚖️ From Law to Lyrics 🎶 The Power Behind the Music 👠 Breaking Stereotypes on the Runway 🚧 Navigating Industry Challenges 🙏 Embracing Change and Gratitude 🎧 Connecting Through Music 🕯️ If We Lose Hope, What’s the Point? 🌟 Disability Isn’t Tragedy—It’s Talent 💛 The Truth About Joy in the Disability Community 💼 “It Isn’t a One-and-Done”: The Hidden Hustle Behind Opportunity 💪 Everyone Needs Help: Reframing Support as Strength Quotes from James “  You're gonna need help sooner than you think, and that's okay. There are people in your corner who are gonna help you out." ~ James Ian “ Everyone has to ask for help at points in their life.” ~ James Ian Quick Jump Index 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:28 Meet James Ian 03:22 Change Is Gonna Come 07:17 Runway Of Dreams 09:05 Georgetown To Music 11:01 Advocacy Through Art 12:50 Music Industry Barriers 14:21 Owning Your Expertise 15:30 Hustle and Advocacy 16:14 Representation on Stage 16:52 Barriers Before the Art 17:47 Understanding SMA 19:27 Progression and Daily Impact 20:44 Surgery and Recovery Setbacks 22:56 Grief and New Perspective 24:43 Learning to Ask for Help 26:56 Music Shoutouts and Where to Find 28:24 Keep It Pushing Finale Connect with James IanJames’s RAMPD Profile | James’s Instagram | James’s Facebook Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Pushing Forward with Alycia, host Alycia Anderson chats with Adam Keys, an Army veteran and comedian, about his incredible journey of resilience, comedy, and advocacy. Adam shares his experiences as an Afghanistan war survivor, his transition to stand-up comedy, and the importance of humor in dealing with life's challenges, not in that particular order. He also discusses accessibility issues, the impact of his injuries on his identity, and his bold approach to tackling tough topics on stage. Tune in for a real conversation filled with laughter and valuable insights on perseverance. Press Play Roadmap 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:25 Meet Adam Keys: Comedian and Veteran 01:39 Rapid Fire Questions with Adam 03:09 Adam's Journey: From Army to Comedy 08:05 Life After Injury: Embracing a New Reality 10:53 Advocacy and Humor: Breaking Barriers 14:48 Turning Frustrations into Comedy 15:32 Travel Challenges and Solutions 17:29 Dating Adventures Post-Injury 19:07 Performing for Different Audiences 24:32 Booking Challenges as a Disabled Comic 26:28 Upcoming Shows and Final Thoughts A Quote from Adam “ Whatever your fight may be, just keep fighting, but don't be weird.” ~ Adam Keys Big Picture & Bold Moves 🎤 A First-time Comedian Guest 🎖️ Adam’s Story: From Military to the Stage 😂 The Role of Comedy as Therapy 🎭 Tackling Tough Topics with Humor ♿ Insights on Accessibility and Representation 💑 Navigating Personal Relationships ❤️ The Heart of Stand-Up 🔮 Looking Forward 🤔 Challenging a Common Assumption About Disability ⚡ Surviving the Unthinkable: A Life Transformed Overnight 🗣️ Embracing “My Truth”: A Bold Stand on Authenticity 🚀 Embrace Boldness: Just Go For It! ✈️ Travel Realities: Why I Carry Extra Brakes on Flights 📱 Dating in the Digital Age: Let’s Cut to the Chase! 🎬 Keep Showing Up: A Comic's Journey to Breaking Barriers 🥊 Keep Fighting, But Don’t Be Weird Connect with Adam Keys Adam’s Website | Adam’s Instagram | Adam’s Twitter Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of 'Pushing Forward with Alycia,' Alycia Anderson welcomes Rachel Shaw, president and founder of Rachel Shaw Incorporated, and a nationally recognized ADA compliance expert. Rachel shares her journey from a novice HR professional to an award-winning strategist, focusing on enabling employers to better accommodate disabled employees. The discussion includes her insights into the evolving understanding of ADA, the importance of communication and process in HR, and how to overcome fear and assumptions in workplace accommodation. Rachel also talks about her book 'Disabled Workforce: What the ADA Never Anticipated' and highlights the need for continual adaptation of the ADA to modern needs. The episode emphasizes empathy, curiosity, and the intent to find 'yes' as central to creating inclusive workspaces. Rachel concludes by stressing the importance of representation and how her work aims to make significant differences in people's lives. Strategy, Grit, and Growth ❓The Why Behind the Work 🧭Thrown into the Deep End: Navigating ADA Compliance 😨The Fear of Doing it Wrong 🤝Bridging the Communication Gap 🧠The Power of Curiosity and Finding a Yes 🌍Representation Matters 🚧Breaking Barriers: The Unseen Struggles of Employees with Disabilities 💖Empathy First: Revolutionizing Workplace Conversations 💪Why Employers Need to Be Brave 🗣️Simplify Decision-Making: Just Say Yes 🚀The Rise in Workplace Accommodation Requests 🙌Your Actions Can Make a Difference 🌟 The Power of Individual Actions A Quote from Rachel “ My actions can make a difference in someone else's life.” ~ Rachel Shaw Key Points on the Clock 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:25 Meet Rachel Shaw: HR Strategist and ADA Expert 01:57 Rachel's Journey into ADA Advocacy 04:01 Bridging the Gap: Employer and Employee Communication 08:10 Challenges and Solutions in ADA Compliance 14:18 The Importance of Representation and Inclusion 19:57 Rachel Shaw's Book and Future Directions 29:11 Final Thoughts and Pushing Forward Moment Connect with Rachel Shaw Rachel’s Website | Rachel’s Instagram | Rachel’s Facebook | Rachel’s LinkedIn Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Pushing Forward with Alycia, Alycia Anderson welcomes Olivia Murphy, a disability advocate, speaker, and podcast host of 'Living My Best Disabled Life.' They discuss Olivia's journey of embracing her disabilities, overcoming internalized ableism, and using her platform to celebrate and advocate for the disability community. Olivia shares her experiences with cerebral palsy and being a late-diagnosed autistic, revealing the challenges and triumphs she encountered. The conversation also delves into the importance of authentic representation in media, Olivia's upcoming children's book 'How Olivia Learned to Live Her Best Disabled Life,' and the significance of creating inclusive environments. This episode highlights the power of disabled voices and the resilience required to thrive in a world not always designed for everyone. Timecoded Table of Contents 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:25 Meet Today's Guest: Olivia Murphy 01:39 Living Your Best Disabled Life 03:16 Olivia's Journey with Disability 07:27 Finding Community and Overcoming Ableism 14:53 Olivia's Podcast and Advocacy Work 17:12 Exciting New Projects: Olivia's Children's Book 19:16 Fun Facts and Final Thoughts A Quote from Olivia “Don’t let your disability stop you, but also don’t see it as a barrier.” ~ Olivia Murphy Lessons for Leaders & Doers 👋 Introduction to Olivia's Journey 🌈 Defining “Living My Best Disabled Life” 🎒 The Pain of Being 'Othered' in School 💖 Embracing Self-Acceptance: A Journey Beyond Disability 💪 Finding Strength in Advocacy 🩺 Confronting Medical Misunderstandings 🤝 Finding Community: An Unlikely Friendship Journey 🧩 A Closer Look at Intersectionality 🎙️ Her Podcast: A Platform for Community and Conversation 📚 Upcoming Children's Book ♿ Inclusive Creations: A Book Made Entirely by Disabled People 🌟 Embrace Your Strength: Overcoming Barriers 🏠 The Power of Community: Feeling Safe to Just Be Connect with Olivia Murphy Olivia's Contra Portfolio | Olivia's Carrd Site | Living My Best Disabled Life Blog Site | Olivia's Merch Shop | Living My Best Disabled Life on Spotify | Living My Best Disabled Life on Instagram Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of 'Pushing Forward with Alycia,' host Alycia Anderson and co-host Marty Anderson engage in a detailed conversation with Michael Liner, a Social Security disability attorney who has gained fame on TikTok for his informative and entertaining content. Michael shares his personal journey from facing early educational challenges to becoming a leading disability advocate. He discusses the roles and responsibilities of his law practice, the intricacies of Social Security Disability Benefits, and debunks common myths surrounding the system. Michael also emphasizes the importance of dignity and authenticity in advocacy and offers valuable advice for navigating complex legal frameworks. The episode concludes with light-hearted rapid-fire questions, adding a fun twist to an insightful discussion. In-Depth Timeline of Events 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alicia 00:50 Meet Michael Liner: The Viral Lawyer 02:14 Michael's Journey: From Troubled Youth to Lawyer 04:13 Living the Dream: Michael's Current Life and Work 06:39 The Challenges and Rewards of Disability Law 13:35 Michael's Personal Struggles and Triumphs 18:33 Understanding Social Security Disability Benefits 20:43 Debunking Disability Myths 21:17 Disability Leadership Summit Announcement 22:09 Social Security Disability Trust Fund Facts 24:09 Addressing Fraud and Misconceptions 25:09 Cultural Stigma and Disability Benefits 27:25 Personal Story of Overcoming Stigma 28:56 Disability Inclusion in the Workforce 30:10 Empowering the Disabled Community 32:32 Legal Support and Client Services 36:12 Fun Lightning Round Questions 38:22 Final Thoughts and Mantra A Quote from Michael “ You have rights, you are a human.” ~ Michael Liner Inclusion in Action: Key Threads ✨ Meet Michael Liner: The Influential Attorney 🌟 A Lawyer's Inspirational Journey 💰 The Million Dollar Interview 🔥 Bold Moves in Job Negotiations ♿️ Redefining Disability Through Advocacy 🌈 Turning Challenges Into Hope 📚 A Commitment to Educate and Empower 🤝 A Shared Mission: To Spread Goodness 💥 Redefining 'Disabled': A Bold Perspective 🧭 Navigating Disability Advocacy 🛡️ Claim Your Rights: You Deserve Support 💡 Why Not Claim What You’ve Earned? 📱 TikTok Lawyer Breaking Down Barriers 🧾 The Truth About Disability Trust Funds 🎂 Turning 18: A Game Changer for SSI Eligibility Connect with Michael Liner Michael's LinkedIn | Liner Legal Instagram | Liner Legal YouTube Channel | Michael's TikTok | Liner Legal on Facebook Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Loved this episode? Take the next step.Join me at the Disability Leadership Summit (Virtual | Feb 24–25)! Register: www.disabilitylead.org/summit Find the discount code by listening to the episode for 10% off! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of 'Pushing Forward with Alycia,' host Alycia Anderson dives into a heartfelt conversation with twins M.E. and Wesley Sanders. The discussion explores themes of confidence, resilience, and ambition as they share their unique journey living with Pfeiffer syndrome. The twins provide an insightful look into their medical experiences, the importance of femininity and self-expression, and the power of sibling support. Listeners are encouraged to embrace their limitations without allowing them to define their life, inspired by M.E. and Wesley's positivity and determination. What’s Really Driving the Story 👶👶 Twin Connection: Back to the Womb 👯 Sliding into Twin Vibes 👶 Pfeiffer Syndrome: A Journey from Birth 🧬 Understanding Pfeiffer Syndrome 💞 The Strength of Sibling Bonds 💄 Redefining Beauty and Femininity 🔍 Breaking Down Misconceptions 🧠 Challenging Stereotypes 📣 Empowering Messages 🚀 Embracing Every Opportunity! 💪 Owning Your Reality 🚧 Limitations Don't Limit Us 💔 The Hardest Role: Caregiver's Struggle 🙋 Normalize Asking for Help Quotes from M.E. & Wesley Sanders “ I feel like whatever your reality is, you just need to own it. I know people will love you for who you are.” ~ M.E. Sanders “Regardless of what life throws at you, I hope you dance. Just whatever it is, have fun.” ~ Wesley Sanders Run of Show 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:25 Today's Exciting Episode: Twin Vibes 01:23 Meet M.E. and Wesley Sanders 02:16 Living with Pfeiffer Syndrome 03:53 The Twin Connection 08:13 Medical Challenges and Family Support 16:47 Embracing Femininity and Self-Expression 20:23 Empowerment and Overcoming Limitations 22:30 Pushing Forward Moment and Conclusion Connect with M.E. Sanders M.E.’s Instagram @itsnotyouitsm.e | M.E.’s LinkedIn Profile | M.E.’s Facebook | Wesley’s Facebook Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of 'Pushing Forward with Alycia', Alycia Anderson welcomes Robin Wearley, an innovative entrepreneur and former flight attendant. Robin shares her journey of creating ADAPTS, a portable manual lifting sling designed to assist disabled individuals in emergency evacuations from airplanes and other disaster situations. They discuss the inspiration behind the product, the challenges of bringing it to market, and its broader applications in various settings such as hotels, schools, and arenas. Robin also offers invaluable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly those focused on disability-related products. Tune in to hear about the significance of empowerment, resilience, and community support in driving meaningful change. Quick Jump Index 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:25 Episode Overview: Women Empowerment and Disaster Preparedness 00:48 Meet Robin Wearley: Innovator and Entrepreneur 02:04 The Birth of ADAPTS: From Idea to Reality 07:02 Expanding the Vision: ADAPTS Beyond Airlines 20:10 Challenges and Triumphs in Entrepreneurship 21:57 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs 27:28 Conclusion and Final Thoughts A Quote from Robin Wearley “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” ~ Robin Wearley Insights You Can Use 🤝 Meeting Robin Wearley 🚀 The Birth of a Lifesaving Innovation ADAPTS ❓ Why ADAPTS? 🧠 Disability: Closer Than You Think 🛠️ The Entrepreneurship Journey 🧭 Finding My Calling A Journey of Passion and Intuition 🌍 ADAPTS and the Broader Impact 🛫 Addressing Plane Evacuations for Wheelchair Users ♿ Flying While Disabled: Exposing the Brutal Reality 😟 The Hidden Fears of Disabled Travelers 🚨 Emergency Evacs: The Harsh Reality for Wheelchair Users 🔑 The Key to Success: Follow Through and Openness ⏰ Why Wait!?! Rethinking Emergency Preparedness 🤲 Get Involved Connect with Robin Wearley ADAPTS LinkedIn Page | ADAPTS Instagram Account | ADAPTS YouTube Channel | ADAPTS Facebook | ADAPTS Website | Robin’s LinkedIn Profile Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of 'Pushing Forward with Alycia,' host Alycia Anderson introduces poet and author Victor Griggs, who shares insights from his book 'Rolling Through Life: Thoughts about Life Told Through Poetry and Prose.' Victor discusses the challenges and stigmas associated with navigating life in a wheelchair, drawing parallels between his experiences and the broader struggle for dignity and respect. He highlights the themes of resilience and ambition, emphasizing the importance of overcoming fear and self-doubt to pursue one's dreams. Victor also shares his upcoming projects and aspirations, including a sci-fi novel and further public speaking engagements. This episode emphasizes the power of community, inspiration, and the belief that all things are possible for everyone. Play-by-Play Guide 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:25 Introducing Today's Guest: Victor Griggs 01:17 Reading from 'Rolling Through Life' 03:09 Victor's Personal Experiences with Disability 06:30 Inspirations: Basketball and Star Trek 09:41 The Journey to Becoming a Published Poet 12:42 Overcoming Fear and Insecurities 17:18 Future Legs: Victor's Advocacy Platform 20:48 Final Thoughts and Encouragement 22:41 Conclusion and Farewell A Quote from Victor Griggs “ Despite your circumstances, don't be afraid to go after your dreams. You might have to go about it differently than everybody else, but don't be afraid to go after your goals and your dreams.” ~ Victor Griggs Ideas Worth Rewinding 🧠 Racism and the Metal You See Me In: A New Perspective ✍️ The Journey to Writing 🖖 Star Trek, Basketball, and Inspiration 🚀 Future Legs: Creating a Platform for Change 💡 Advice and Inspirational Takeaways 🔥 Overcoming Fear: A Powerful Revelation 🌱 Finding Strength in Acceptance 👩‍👧‍👦 A Tribute to Resilient Moms 🌠 The Only Approval You Need is Your Own 🏁 Chase Your Dreams: No Matter What! 💥 Overcome Fear to Inspire Self and Others 🤝 Respect and Dignity for All Connect with Victor Griggs Victor’s Website | Instagram Profile | Facebook Account Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this New Year's episode of '⁠Pushing Forward with Alycia⁠,' ⁠Alycia Anderson⁠ and ⁠Marty Anderson⁠ reflect on their journey through 2025, highlighting challenges, successes, and personal achievements. They discuss the importance of intention, community, and resilience as they look forward to 2026. Key topics include the development of ⁠the 'Own It' speech⁠, their vision for growing their podcast and business, and the importance of nurturing relationships and staying hopeful. They also share personal milestone moments and set intentions for a year filled with growth, freedom, and impactful work. The episode concludes with messages of gratitude, a call to embrace the future with open hearts, and a commitment to supporting their community. Key Themes Shaping the New Year 🕊️ A Beautiful Discussion 🧭 A New Year with Pushing Forward 📖 Reflecting on 2025 🌈 A Year of Love, Freedom, and Positivity 🥂 Embracing Freedom at 50 🏅 Personal and Professional Achievements 🌿 Embracing Growth and Gratitude 🧠 Intentions for 2026 📈 Aiming for the Top 1% of Podcasts! 🧱 Building the Own It Collective 🌟 Empowering Possibilities for All 💓 Self-Love: A Path to Progress 🔥 Speak from Your Heart and Believe in Yourself 🫶 The Power of Unity, Community, and Support A Quote from Alycia “ This year, I wanna be in the top 1% of podcasts.” ~ Alycia Anderson A Quote from Marty “ Love yourself enough to say, what I've done is enough to move forward to something better.” ~ Marty Anderson Navigating the New Year Conversation 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:25 New Year Reflections and Excitement for 2026 01:18 Podcast Achievements and Future Goals 03:24 Personal Reflections and Growth 06:43 Challenges and Triumphs of 2025 10:25 Plans and Hopes for 2026 25:15 Empowerment and the Own It Speech 34:24 Final Thoughts and Pushing Forward Moments Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the final episode of the year on 'Pushing Forward with Alycia,' host Alycia Anderson reflects on the podcast's journey over the past two and a half years, expressing gratitude for the community they've built. She shares personal insights about overcoming challenges, the struggles faced in her business, and the lessons learned. Alycia also talks about the significance of the holiday season, family traditions, and her hopes for the future. Emphasizing the importance of self-belief and resilience, she encourages the audience to embrace their unique strengths and enter the new year with renewed passion and purpose. A Sleigh Ride Through the Conversation 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alicia 00:25 Reflecting on the Podcast Journey 03:58 Holiday Preparations and Family Traditions 05:49 Challenges and Growth in 2025 08:42 The Power of Advocacy and Inclusion 10:44 End-of-Year Reflections and Gratitude 12:43 Looking Forward to 2026 18:57 Final Thoughts and Thank You A Quote From Alycia “Diversity and inclusion and equity and disability and our differences is not something that we need to run away from or hide. It's something that we need to realize is just a part of who we are. It's a beautiful part of who we are.” ~ Alycia Anderson Ideas Worth Rewrapping 🌱 Reflecting on a Year of Growth and Gratitude 🕰️ Looking Back at Two and a Half Years 🎁 The Greatest Gift: Belief in Yourself 🤝 A Community Where Everything is Possible ✨ Embrace Your Unique Beauty 🙏 Gratitude and Growth 🏡 The Spirit of Family and Tradition 🏔️ A Year of Challenges and Achievements 📣 A Renewed Commitment to Advocacy and Community 💞 Belief and Community 🕯️ The True Spirit of the Holiday Season 🔥 Ending the Year with Power and Purpose 🌟 Looking Ahead to 2026 Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Pushing Forward with Alycia, host Alycia Anderson discusses various facets of disability advocacy with guest Lilly Grossman. Lilly shares her background, detailing her transition from USC classrooms to policy boardrooms, and her experiences navigating systemic barriers in education and employment. She talks about the challenges and joys of being in a dual disability relationship and the importance of interdependence. Lilly also introduces her new initiative, Beyond the Box Advocacy, designed to aid individuals in navigating systemic barriers. They discuss the importance of storytelling in advocacy, the quiet truths of living with a disability, and the urgent need for systemic changes that prioritize accessibility and equity. Pause Points for Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:25 Meet Lilly Grossman: Advocate and Trailblazer 02:04 Lilly's Journey into Social Work and Advocacy 03:25 Navigating Graduate School with a Disability 06:42 Dual Disability Relationships: Love and Interdependence 09:02 Beyond the Box Advocacy: A New Vision 10:41 Systemic Barriers and Disability Justice 13:25 The Power of Storytelling in Advocacy 15:15 Quiet Truths of Disability 17:42 Hopes for Future Generations of Advocates 19:45 Upcoming Projects and Final Thoughts 21:36 Pushing Forward Moment and Conclusion A Quote from Lilly “Be the person you needed when you were younger.” ~ Lilly Grossman From Challenge to Change 💪 A Journey Rooted in Determination 🗣️ Voices of Change: Navigating Education and Employment 💑 The Dynamics of Dual Disability Relationships 📦 Beyond the Box: Lilly's Advocacy Endeavor 🚧 Confronting Systemic Barriers: Redesign Over Representation 📖 The Power of Storytelling 🔭 Looking Toward the Future 🔎 Reclaiming Space Through Storytelling: A Glimpse Inside Disability 🧠 The Hidden Truths of Disability Advocacy ♻️ Redefining Barriers: A Call for Systemic Change in Disability Advocacy ⚠️ The Harsh Reality of Disability Policies: Stay Poor, Stay Still, or Lose Everything 🫶 Be the Person You Needed When You Were Younger ❤️ Redefining Love Through Shared Disabilities 🎙️ The Unseen Burden of Representation: Speaking Up When No One Else Will 🌱 A Head Start: The Universal Reality of Disability Connect with Lilly Grossman Beyond the Box Advocacy | Lilly’s LinkedIn Profile Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of 'Pushing Forward with Alycia,' Alycia Anderson welcomes Eric Harris, an accomplished former wheelchair basketball player and current disability rights advocate. Eric shares his inspiring journey from facing early medical challenges to excelling in sports, law school, and eventually policy advocacy. He discusses his roles in various organizations, including Disability Rights California (DRC), and explores key issues such as homelessness, healthcare, and education for disabled individuals. The episode emphasizes the importance of storytelling, authentic collaboration, and ensuring that those most impacted by policies are involved in decision-making processes. Cue Points for Skimming 00:00 Introduction and Guest Overview 00:30 Eric's Early Life and Sports Journey 06:36 Transition to Wheelchair Basketball 10:13 From Sports to Advocacy 11:36 Current Role and Policy Work 16:36 Challenges and Solutions in Disability Advocacy 32:54 Closing Thoughts and Inspirational Message Quotes from Eric “When we get away from letting people make decisions for their own lives, the results are never good for our communities.” ~ Eric Harris “All disabled people and all people want opportunities to make their own decisions—live where they want to live, work where they want to work, love who they want to love.” ~ Eric Harris Inclusion in Action: Key Threads 🏀 From Basketball Courts to the State Capitol 🔥 Competitiveness and Advocacy 🧱 Building Blocks to Success 🤝 Inclusive Team Dynamics ♿ Lessons from Adaptive Sports ⚖️ A Legal and Advocacy Career 📣 Pressing Issues in Disability Advocacy 🗳️ Let Those Most Impacted Decide 🎤 The Power of Storytelling 💗 Creating Emotional Connections 🙋‍♀️ Including Disabled Voices in Politics 🌈 The Power of Diverse Perspectives 🎯 Finding Purpose in Advocacy 🚧 Overcoming Obstacles and Building Foundations Connect with Eric Harris Disability Rights California (DRC) | Eric’s LinkedIn Profile Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of 'Pushing Forward with Alycia,' Alycia Anderson interviews Sean Larkin, a neurodivergent advocate, musician, and champion of disability inclusion. Sean shares his journey of discovering and embracing his disabilities, the importance of advocacy, and how finding community through his company's Employee Network Groups transformed his life. He also discusses his music with the hand pan and how it has become a form of therapy for himself and others. This episode, aligning with the spirit of International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPWD), is filled with wisdom, magic, and a call to action for continued advocacy and inclusion. Skip-To Map 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:25 Meet Sean Larkin: Advocate and Musician 02:11 Sean's Journey with Disability and Advocacy 07:43 Discovering Neurodivergence and Embracing Identity 12:02 The Power of Employee Network Groups 20:31 Reflecting on Disability Rights History 28:14 Sean's Musical Journey with the Hand Pan 34:21 Final Thoughts and Encouragement A Quote from Sean “ When you show up for someone else that is exploring that identity, one or two people not judging and sharing their experience, their strength, their hope can change lives.” ~ Sean Larkin The Entrepreneurial Throughline 🤝 A Friendship Forged in Advocacy 🗣️ Defining Advocacy: Sean's Perspective 🔥 Turning Hardships into Purpose 🏢 The Role of Employee Network Groups 🎵 The Magic of Music 🚶‍♂️ Continuing the Journey Together 💌 A Message to Our Community 😣 Facing Discomfort: Disabled Activism Unveiled 💔 The Double Wound: Self-Forgiveness in Disability 🧠 Redefining Neurodiversity: Evolutionary Advantage or Modern Misfit? 🎶 How Music Became My Medicine 📚 Turning Challenges into Curriculum: An Inspiring Perspective 🌱 The Humbling Journey of Social Progress 🌟 Go Claim Your Good! 🤲 The Power of Support: Changing Lives Through Non-Judgmental Sharing Connect with Sean Larkin LinkedIn Profile | Sean’s Blog Neurodivergent Gnosis | Sean Handpan Radio | Sean's Album 'A Bridge From Here To Everywhere' on YouTube Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode of 'Pushing Forward with Alycia,' we delve into the vibrant world of adaptive fashion with Marilyn “Mari” Anderson, founder of Bee Human Design. We discuss the significance of adaptive fashion, Mari's journey from a small-town upbringing to becoming a pioneer in the industry, and her inspirational story of resilience and creativity. Mari shares insights about her apparel line, her unique design process, and the creation of Mad Drool — fashionable and functional bandanas. Additionally, Alycia and Mari discuss their upcoming collaboration set to launch next year. Tune in to learn more about the intersection of fashion, functionality, and inclusivity. Topic Map & Timecodes 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:26 Exciting Episode Preview: Black Friday and Adaptive Fashion 00:53 Meet Mari Anderson: Founder of Bee Human Design 02:51 The Journey of Adaptive Fashion 14:36 From Small Town Roots to Fashion Innovator 16:54 Black Friday Special: Bee Human and Mad Drool 23:38 Mad Drool Companion: Fashion for Pets 28:25 Advice for Aspiring Designers and Entrepreneurs 31:11 Conclusion and Farewell A Quote from Marilyn “ If you're not interested in ideas, you're probably not gonna have a bunch of new, cool ones.” ~ Marilyn Anderson Big Picture & Bold Moves 👗 The Journey to Adaptive Fashion 📣 A Movement, Not a Trend 🤝 Introducing Mad Drool and Bee Human Companion 🔭 Looking to the Future 💡 Advice for Future Innovators 💞 Empathy Unlocks Infinite Potential in Adaptive Fashion 🤜🤛 The Secret to Genuine Industry Collaboration 🎨 Fashion with a Purpose: Mad Drool's Stylish Solution 🎈 Burst Your Bubble: Embrace Diverse Perspectives 🏡 Nostalgic Journey from Small Town to Fashion Dreams 🧵 From Design Student to Mom: A Journey of Resilience 🔄 Turning Job Loss into Opportunity 🗣️ Why Honest Feedback Beats Niceness Every Time Connect with Mari Anderson Bee Human Design Website | Mad Drool Instagram | Mari’s LinkedIn Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of 'Pushing Forward with Alycia,' Alycia welcomes Winston Ben Clements, a global keynote speaker, YouTuber, and accessibility consultant with osteogenesis imperfecta. Winston shares his journey of overcoming perceived limitations, turning personal challenges into a powerful advocacy platform. The discussion explores the importance of consistency, redefining accessibility in the workplace, and the profound impact of personal advocacy. Winston also elaborates on how his marriage and fatherhood shape his perspective on disability and joy. This episode is a compelling narrative about pushing beyond societal constraints and building inclusive cultures. Cue Points for Skimming 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:29 Introducing Winston Ben Clements 02:12 Rapid Fire Icebreaker Questions 03:50 Your Limits Are an Illusion 07:10 Winston's Backstory and Disability 10:40 Career Journey and Transition to Advocacy 15:39 Challenges and Misconceptions in Disability Inclusion 18:38 Marriage, Fatherhood, and Personal Life 31:42 Final Thoughts and Pushing Forward Moment A Quote from Winston Ben Clements “ Accessibility is not special needs because it should just be the baseline that we build and design things universally.” ~ Winston Clements Mindset Shifts and A-ha’s 💫 Finding Empowerment in Our Stories ✨ The Illusion of Limitations: A Transformative Realization 🗣️ Empowering Conversations: The Impact and Misconceptions in Disability Inclusion ❤️ Love Beyond Limits 🔭 A Vision for Accessibility ⛓️ Breaking the Chains of Ableism ♿ Accessibility: A Universal Design Necessity 🌍 Thriving in Uncharted Spaces 🔄 Shifting Narratives Through Representation 🎥 Transforming Views on Disability Through Authentic Representation 🏳️‍🌈 The Real Truth About Accessibility Pride Month 🫶 The Fragility of Life: A Personal Story 📱 From Family Group Chat to Viral Sensation 🚀 Our Wedding Trailer's Unexpected Journey Winston's Website | LinkedIn Account | Instagram Profile Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Pushing Forward with Alycia, host Alycia Anderson welcomes Becky Curran, a dedicated disability advocate, speaker, and media consultant. Becky shares her powerful story of resilience, detailing her journey living with achondroplasia dwarfism, combating societal biases, and facing numerous health challenges. She opens up about the immense grief of losing her son Jackson, her experiences with motherhood, and her determination to turn 'no's into the next opportunity. The conversation highlights the importance of creating inclusive environments and gives a raw, authentic insight into Becky's life and advocacy. Playlist of Segments 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:30 Meet Becky Jackson Curran 02:49 Becky's Early Life and Career 05:09 Challenges and Public Perception 11:02 Navigating Health and Personal Life 17:59 Pregnancy and Motherhood 22:40 Navigating Early Parenthood Challenges 22:48 Medical Complications and NICU Discharge 23:16 Adjusting to Life at Home 24:37 Sleep Study and Car Seat Test 26:46 A Heartbreaking Turn of Events 30:58 Coping with Loss and Moving Forward 32:37 Health Struggles and Seeking Treatment 35:28 Rehabilitation and Recovery 38:52 Advocacy and Personal Growth 43:45 Final Thoughts and Reflections A Quote from Becky “I wanna teach others to turn those "no's" into the next opportunity.”  ~ Becky Curran Insights You Can Use 💫 Grit and Purpose: Meeting Becky Curran 🚶‍♀️ Walking Through Bias: Becky's Story of Resilience 💞 The Heart of Family Support 🌧️ A Journey Through Personal Loss and Medical Challenges 🌤️ Transforming Grief into Action and Hope 💡 A Pitch for Compassionate Change 🔁 Turning "No's" into Next Opportunities 🙏 Conclusion: A Heartfelt Thank You 🕊️ From Fear to Freedom: Overcoming the Fear of Death 💔 A Mother's Heartache: The Lingering Pain of Loss 👶 Heart-stopping NICU Experience: Son Stopped Breathing for 30 Minutes! 🚫 The Last Acceptable Target for Ridicule ➡️ Turning 'No' Into Opportunity 🌍 Challenging Perceptions: Living as 0.008% of the World Population 🎒 Facing Surgery and School: A Teen's Tough Choice 🎯 Focus on What Truly Matters Connect with Becky Curran Becky's Website | LinkedIn Profile | Instagram Account | TikTok Profile | Twitter Feed | Facebook Page | YouTube Channel Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of 'Pushing Forward with Alycia,' Alycia is joined by her twin sister Regina to discuss their recent experience at the EmpowHer Conference in Austin. The conference, focused on women's empowerment and leadership, and a perfect opportunity to share about their new project, 'Own IT Mastery,' aimed at helping women scale their businesses and careers. They share insights on building long-lasting relationships, the importance of authenticity, and how women's intuition can guide their professional paths. Tune in for a heartfelt discussion on resilience, ambition, and creating a community that champions equality and empowerment. Run of Show 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:26 Twin Power: Welcoming Regina 01:15 Empower Her Conference Highlights 06:21 The Journey of Twin Entrepreneurs 23:37 Launching The Own IT Mastery 26:52 Empowering Advice for Women 29:37 Conclusion and Future Plans A Quote from Regina “ The second I started making changes in my life that were all about my mindset and belief in myself, that is when the magic really started to happen in my life.” ~ Regina Weinstein A Quote from Alycia “ The heart of inclusion, is making space for each other.” ~ Alycia Anderson Lessons for Leaders & Doers 🎉 Celebrating Unstoppable Women 👭 Rediscovering the Power of Sisterhood 👑 Femininity is Leadership ⚖️ Equality in Every Aspect: A Call for Fairness 🌸 Moments of Empowerment and Reflection 📣 A Call to Action: Start Your Journey 🪞 The Four Words That Changed Her Life 💪 Turning Disadvantages into Strengths: A Journey of Empowerment 🔥 Overcome Fear: Follow Your Gut Instincts ✨ Unlock Your Inner Magic: The Power of Mindset 🌅 Looking Ahead: The Own IT Mastery 🌈 Unwavering Pride and Bravery: A Magical Moment 💖 The Power of 'I Believe in You' Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of 'Pushing Forward with Alycia', host Alycia welcomes Theo Braddy, a prominent disability rights advocate and executive director of the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL). They discuss the significance of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and the barriers people with disabilities face, often highlighting the importance of changing societal attitudes. Theo shares his journey from being paralyzed at 15 to becoming a leader in the disability rights movement. The conversation delves into the influence of pioneers like Justin Dart and Ed Roberts, and the evolving challenges in disability rights, including potential legislative rollbacks. The episode emphasizes the need for collective action, bridging generational gaps, and passing the baton of advocacy to ensure future progress. Press Play Roadmap 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:25 Highlighting National Disability Employment Awareness Month 00:56 Introducing Mr. Theo Braddy 02:32 Overcoming Societal Barriers and Ableism 04:33 The Importance of Interaction and Relationships 05:41 Changing Worldviews and Internalized Ableism 07:37 Mentorship and Leadership 10:01 Reflecting on Disability Rights Movement 15:44 Bridging Generational Gaps in Advocacy 19:30 Generational Divide and the Need for Unity 19:56 Reflecting on Disability Rights and Progress 20:44 Current Threats to Disability Rights 22:36 Institutionalization and Legal Challenges 25:03 The Importance of Collective Action 28:27 The Role of Allies in Advocacy 30:38 Finding Unity in Common Causes 34:06 The Fight for Inclusion and Equity 37:03 Passing the Baton to the Next Generation 38:40 Closing Remarks and Call to Action A Quote from Theo  “Ableism is our greatest challenge. You can improve physical barriers, but it's a hard thing to change people's attitudes about people with disabilities. Because they have been conditioned to believe a certain way about people with  disabilities for a long time, based on a whole  bunch of misconceptions and myths.” ~ Theo Braddy Ideas Worth Rewinding 🌟 A Leader in Advocacy 🌍 Inclusion: A Growing Necessity ⚠️ Marginalized Groups Under Attack 💡 The Real Barrier for People with Disabilities 🕰️ Forgotten Struggles: A Generational Disconnect 🚫 Confronting Ableism and Changing Worldviews ✊ The Fight Against Regression 💔 Finding Unity in Tragedy 🇺🇸 The Surprising Unifier: Trump 🌱 The Power of Lived Experience 🪞 Reflecting on Movements and Mentorship ❤️ Relationships with People with Disabilities Matter 📚 Leadership: Caught or Taught 🛡️ Protecting What We've Earned 🌉 Bridging Generations for Unified Progress 🤝 Unite Generations for Success 🔥 Empowerment and Passing the Baton Connect with Theo Braddy National Council on Independent Living Website | National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) LinkedIn Account | National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) Instagram Profile | Theo's Email Address at NCIL | National Council on Disability Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of 'Pushing Forward with Alycia,' Alycia Anderson and her husband Marty celebrate the five-year anniversary of The Alycia Anderson Company. The podcast reflects on their journey of transitioning from corporate jobs to becoming successful entrepreneurs. They discuss the creation of their impactful keynote, 'The Heart of Inclusion,' which has been delivered globally and served as a cornerstone of their business. Alycia reads a poignant letter she wrote to her future self five years ago, emphasizing their dreams and aspirations, and how those dreams have been realized. They also touch upon their other ventures, including Jam Pro Web Design and the Adaptive Athletics Association nonprofit. The episode underscores the importance of resilience, community building, and the idea that with determination, anything is possible. Press Play Roadmap 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alicia 00:25 Celebrating Five Years of Entrepreneurship 01:03 Reflecting on the Journey 04:32 The Heart of Inclusion: A Dream Realized 07:54 Challenges and Triumphs of Self-Employment 12:38 The Power of Community and Inclusion 22:02 The Heart of Inclusion: Bridging Divides 32:07 Looking Forward: Future Plans and Inspirations 36:27 Conclusion and Call to Action Quotes from Alycia & Marty “We started this company saying, we just wanna be seen  more in the workplace. We wanna have more opportunities. We want the bias to go away about what our abilities are.” ~ Alycia Anderson “When we put in the work, we try and we do it, that's where the magic happens.” ~ Marty Anderson What’s Really Driving the Story 🌠 Taking the Leap when the Universe Aligns 🤗 Persevering and Succeeding Together 🚀 A Journey of Entrepreneurship and Inclusion 💰 A Million-Dollar Milestone Celebration 🎤 Creating an Unforgettable Speech: The Heart of Inclusion Shines 💌 Unlocking Magic: A Letter to Myself 💪 Embracing the Challenges of Acceptance and Leadership 🤝 The Power of Community & Bridging Divides 🔥 Turning Passion into Purpose 🌍 Expanding Horizons for People with Disabilities 🏆 Triumphs of Self-Employment ⏰ Seize the Moment: When Opportunity Knocks ✨ Push Through Fear and Chase Your Dreams Connect with Marty Anderson ⁠Adaptive Athletics Association Website⁠ | ⁠Adaptive Athletics Association Instagram⁠ | ⁠Adaptive Athletics Association Facebook⁠ | ⁠Jam Pro Web Design Website⁠ | ⁠Marty's LinkedIn Profile⁠ Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of 'Pushing Forward with Alycia,' host Alycia Anderson welcomes Shane Walsh, a passionate advocate and global ambassador for Best Buddies International. Shane shares his personal story of growing up with his younger brother Lucas, who has autism. He reflects on how this relationship shaped his worldview and motivated his advocacy for the intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) community. The conversation delves into the importance of inclusion, the challenges faced by individuals with IDD, and the need for greater employment opportunities. Shane also discusses his efforts to enhance the Best Buddies program at James Madison University and his aspirations for broader societal change. Tune in for a powerful discussion on resilience, advocacy, and the impact of sibling relationships in the disability community. Minute Markers & Must-Know Points 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:26 Meet Shane: A Global Ambassador for Best Buddies 02:13 Shane's Journey with His Brother Lucas 05:05 The Sibling Experience and Advocacy 09:28 Challenges and Changes During High School 17:37 Shane's College Experience and Best Buddies Involvement 22:44 Encouraging Male Participation in Special Education 24:30 Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone 28:02 Final Thoughts and Call to Action 29:31 Closing Remarks and Motivation A Quote from Shane Walsh  “It is my hopes and dreams that one day I can develop the courage and bravery that individuals with IDD and parents of children with IDD have.”  ~ Shane Walsh Deep Dives from This Episode 👬 A Journey of Brotherhood 💡 Recognizing the Sibling Experience 🎓 Campus Dreams and Beyond 🌟 Finding Inspiration in the Courage of Others 💖 Empathy as a Catalyst for Change 🤔 Sympathy vs. Empathy: A Brother's Perspective 🏡 The Emotional Reward of Family: A Heartfelt Connection 🔍 The Unseen Impact of IDD on Our Lives 🧭 The Power of Following Your Intuition 🤝 Get Involved: How Volunteering Can Change Your Perspective 👶 Unexpected Lessons: The Greatest Teacher Might Be Your Little Brother Connect with Shane Walsh Instagram Profile Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of 'Pushing Forward with Alycia,' host Alycia Anderson shares an inspiring conversation with Melissa Salazar, a disability advocate and Netflix employee known for her resilience and ability to turn adversity into opportunity. Melissa recounts her journey from being labeled 'too much' due to her Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), surviving domestic violence, to teenage motherhood, and living in her car before finding stability at Jubilee Village. She discusses her career in staffing, her advocacy for disability inclusion at Netflix, and her vision for helping marginalized communities. The episode emphasizes embracing uniqueness, resilience, and the power of creating opportunities for all individuals. Jump to Your Favorite Moments 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alicia 00:26 Meet Our Guest: Melissa Salazar 01:12 Melissa's Journey: From Adversity to Advocacy 04:06 Embracing ADHD as a Superpower 07:54 Overcoming Adversity: Personal Stories 12:16 Creating Safe Spaces and Opportunities 14:34 Career Growth and Disability Advocacy 25:41 Future Aspirations and Final Thoughts 29:13 Closing Remarks and Gratitude A Quote from Melissa “Anytime somebody tries to shove you into a box, you should realize that's their box, not your box. So live your box.” ~ Melissa Salazar Highlights & Deeper Meanings 💫 Unleashing the Power Within 🏠 Overcoming Homelessness: A Journey of Resilience 🤝 Empowering Each Other 🎯 Finding Purpose and Creating Safe Spaces ⚡ Transforming ADHD into a Superpower 🧠 Embracing Neurodiversity 💌 Pep Talk for Anyone Feeling Overwhelmed: Just Be You 🌿 Finding Strength in Stillness 📦 Live Your Box: Embrace Your Authentic Self 💛 The Importance of Empathy at Work 🌟 A Journey of Resilience Connect with Melissa Salazar LinkedIn Profile Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of ⁠Pushing Forward with Alycia⁠, I sit down with the Honorable ⁠Tony Coelho⁠, retired U.S. Congressman and the principal author of the ⁠Americans with Disabilities Act⁠, for a conversation that reaches far beyond disability policy. It’s a history lesson, a civics class, and a moral compass all in one thirty minute session. As a nation founded in defiance of oppression and animated by the promise of freedom, we need the values in this conversation now—dignity, equal access, and the courage to stand up to power with truth and love. This is not just a disability story; it’s a blueprint for renewing the American experiment. Tony’s story is America’s story: perseverance in the face of stigma, faith in community, and courageous, bipartisan coalition-building that turned lived experience into law. He reminds us that the ADA wasn’t a gift; it was won through testimony, organizing, and unlikely alliances that honored human dignity over party lines. He also offers a clear charge for today: rights on paper are meaningless without enforcement, and opportunity is the measure of whether our promises are real. As we begin our celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) let us remember we can’t afford to ignore the warnings of our past. If we don’t learn from history, we are bound to repeat it. Key Points on the Clock 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:26 Meet Tony Coelho: Champion of Disability Rights 02:41 Tony's Personal Journey with Epilepsy 07:30 Finding Purpose and Entering Politics 16:32 Crafting the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 26:15 The Impact and Future of the ADA 32:55 Final Thoughts and Farewell A Quote by Tony “ Give me the opportunity to fail... then I may be able to succeed.” ~ Hon. Tony Coelho What You’ll Find in this Episode 👋 Meeting a Legend 🌿 The Personal and Spiritual Journey 💔 Heartfelt Dilemma: Love or Respect 🎠 A Merry-Go-Round Changed Everything 🚪 The Power of Opportunity 🔥 Unstoppable Commitment 🏛️ A Legacy of Advocacy 💡 The Inspiration Behind the ADA 🛡️ The ADA as Our Life Insurance Policy 💖 Love Yourself: The Ultimate Key to Empowerment Connect with the Hon. Tony Coelho Tony's Website | Tony on X Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Editor’s Note (Context Matters) This conversation with the Hon. Tony Coelho was recorded on August 12, 2025, more than a month before today’s release. Since then, the landscape has shifted dramatically. As of October 1, 2025, the U.S. federal government has shut down after Congress failed to pass a funding bill. (The government shutdown took effect just 24 hours before this episode’s release) At the heart of this stalemate are health-care provisions, including Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies and Medicaid funding. Lawmakers’ dispute over extending ACA subsidies and reversing recent Medicaid/ACA cuts is a central driver of the impasse, with multiple outlets reporting that the shutdown fight is fundamentally about these health-care stakes. Why this matters here: ACA and Medicaid policy is inseparable from disability rights. Analyses from leading health policy organizations and advocates show that millions of people with disabilities rely on Medicaid and ACA Marketplaces for coverage; proposed cuts or subsidy expirations would raise premiums sharply and put essential services and community-based supports at risk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of 'Pushing Forward with Alycia,' host Alycia Anderson sits down with Izzy Grimmer, a remarkable high school student and disability advocate in honor of Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month. Izzy shares her inspiring journey, including her recent battle with cancer, her work establishing a disability advocacy and awareness week at her school, and her efforts with initiatives like Accommodate Me and Magical Bridge. As an advocate for intellectual developmental disabilities, autism, and all other disabilities, Izzy draws inspiration from her brother Eli, who is nonverbal. She discusses the challenges and privileges of living with disabilities, the importance of community and allyship, and how her experiences have fueled her passionate advocacy work. Tune in for a conversation filled with resilience, empathy, and actionable insights for becoming better allies to the disabled community. Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:25 Special Guest Introduction: Izzy Grimmer 01:40 Izzy's Advocacy Journey 03:44 Disability Advocacy Week 10:27 Creating Accommodations and Resources 15:27 Izzy's Cancer Journey and Resilience 24:10 Magical Bridge Partnership 28:56 Final Thoughts and Advice A Quote from Izzy “Ignorance is completely in your control. If you can take the steps to learn something and be a better ally, then you should do it a hundred percent.” ~ Isabella “Izzy” Grimmer Standout Themes Explored 🌟 Empowering Disability Advocacy 💪 Overcome Adversity 🦋 Challenges Can Be Privileges 🌿 Embracing Stress as a Blessing 🎗️ Conquering Cancer as a Survivor 🧩 Building The Disability Advocacy Club 🔑 The Power of Access 🛡️ The Strength of Resilience 🤝 Community Connections & Partnerships 🌍 A Vision for Inclusive Societies 👣 A Role Model for All Generations Support Izzy’s Causes Unravel Pediatric Cancer | Magical Bridge Foundation | Accommodate Me Website | The Accommodate Me Instagram Connect with Isabella “Izzy” Grimmer LinkedIn Profile Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of 'Pushing Forward with Alycia,' host Alycia Anderson welcomes Dr. Jessica Stavale, also known as Dr. Jes, a clinical trauma psychologist and founder of The Fascia Movement. Both a disabled vet and a survivor of significant trauma, Dr. Jes shares her healing journey and how it led her to integrate Fascia Medicine, psychology, and integrative practices. She discusses the importance of the fascia system in healing physical and emotional pain and explains her innovative medical device aimed at releasing fascia tension. Together, Alycia and Dr. Jes explore the psychological aspects of trauma, the resilience of the human spirit, and how embracing our energetic selves can lead to profound personal healing and growth. Dr. Jes also introduces her upcoming book, 'The Fascia Blueprint.' This inspiring conversation encourages listeners to adopt a growth mindset and advocate for their own well-being. Episode Flow & Milestones 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:29 Healing Trauma with Dr. Jes 02:14 Dr. Jes's Personal Healing Journey 07:56 Understanding Fascia Medicine 11:59 Integrative Practices and Wellness 20:52 The Psychological Shift and Victim Mentality 27:32 Building a Supportive Community 30:51 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Some Quotes from Dr. Jessica Stavale “ You define you, no matter the limitations.” ~ Dr. Jessica Stavale “ You have to stay in growth mindset to be able to know yourself, and to learn others, and to learn new ways forward, and to know that  intelligence continues to grow.” ~ Dr. Jessica Stavale Main Topics & Insights 🪷 Healing Through Connection: An Introduction to Dr. Jes 🌈 Creating Community Through Hope and Healing 🌱 Embracing a Growth Mindset 🧩 Understanding Fascia: The Missing Link 🌿 Healing Journey: Integrative Medicine and More ✨ The Power of Believing in Possibility 🌐 The Power of Human Connection in a Digital Age 🧘 Trust Your Body's Intelligence 🌟 You Deserve More: Empowering Words for Everyone 💪 Finding Strength Amid Adversity 🔮 Defining Yourself: Overcoming Adversity Through Intuition 🕊️ Transforming Pain into Peace: A Journey of Healing 🚫 Refuse to Accept the Narrative 👨‍👩‍👧 Survival and Family: The Power of Getting Through Connect with Dr. Jessica StavaleThe Fascia Movement Website | Dr Jes’s Instagram | Dr. Jes’s Facebook Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of 'Pushing Forward with Alycia,' host Alycia Anderson discusses the revolutionary concept of beauty with Zian Chavez, a Spanish indigenous, queer, non-binary neurodiverse artist and film producer. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Chavez shares insights from her groundbreaking documentary, 'We Are The Most Beautiful People,' which highlights the intrinsic beauty of adults with disabilities worldwide. Together, they explore themes of resilience, intersectionality, and advocacy. Chavez advocates for a collective understanding that beauty is a feeling, emphasizing the importance of kindness, compassion, and unity in overcoming ableism and societal inequities. Where We Went - Step-by-Step 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:25 Exploring Beauty Beyond Skin Deep 00:49 Meet Zian Chavez: Redefining Beauty 01:54 The Inspiration Behind 'We Are The Most Beautiful People' 05:43 Challenges and Triumphs in Disability Advocacy 08:16 Global Perspectives on Beauty and Disability 13:57 Creating the Documentary: A Journey of Art and Healing 20:49 Future of the Film and Final Thoughts A Quote from Zian “Adults with disabilities are the most beautiful people. They're so amazing.” ~ Zian Chavez Essential Lessons & Reflections 🤝 A Message on the Power of Inclusivity 🌍 The World Can Learn a Lot 💪 The Resilience of Disability 🧭 Finding New Paths 🌈 Embracing Our Unique Differences 🚀 Breaking Boundaries: 'Watch Me. Just Watch.' ✨ Redefining Beauty and Authenticity 🦋 Beauty as a Path to Cultural Transformation 🌐 There Is No Us and Them—Only Us 🌟 Changing the World Since Birth 🎨 Art as a Conduit for Change 🫶 Uniting Through Diversity 🧩 Power of Intersectional Advocacy ❤️ Love Will Always Win 👣 Moving Forward Together Connect with Zian Chavez LinkedIn Profile | Instagram Account Follow the Movie: We Are The Most Beautiful People WATMBP Website | WATMBP Instagram | WATMBP YouTube | WATMBP Facebook Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of 'Pushing Forward with Alycia,' Alycia Anderson welcomes Sarah Crawford, CEO of TLC and a North Carolina state representative, to discuss her extensive work in supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Sarah shares her inspiring journey from a service-oriented family to her impactful roles in both nonprofit and government sectors. They delve into the services TLC provides, such as residential care and early childhood intervention, and the critical need for funding and education to support IDD families. Sarah also highlights the importance of caregiver recognition and advocacy. Tune in for an enlightening discussion on the intersection of nonprofit work, policy, and the quest to empower individuals of all abilities to live their fullest lives. Where to Find Each Topic 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:25 Meet Sarah Crawford: A Leader in Disability Advocacy 01:53 Sarah's Journey: From Service-Oriented Upbringing to Government 05:35 The Mission and Impact of TLC 12:12 Challenges and Advocacy in Disability Services 16:15 Balancing Roles: CEO, Legislator, and Mother 22:45 Future Goals and Community Involvement 28:15 Closing Thoughts and Inspirational Message A Quote from Sarah Crawford ” When we're called to serve and we can do it, I think we have an obligation to answer that call.” ~ Sarah Crawford Main Topics & Insights 🎤 Amplifying Voices: A Conversation on Disability and Leadership 🌄 The Landscape of Need and Opportunity 🤲 Understanding TLC's Mission ⚖️ Balancing Leadership and Service 🤝 Joining the  Movement 📞 Answering the Call to Serve ⏳ 19,000 People Waiting: The Crisis of Unmet Needs in North Carolina 🌍 Leaving No One Behind: Understanding Vulnerable Families 💔 Family's Facing the Unimaginable 🏠 Giving Families Their Lives Back 💼 Underpaid Heroes: The Reality for Direct Care Workers ✨ The Essence of Service: A Lesson for Life Connect with Sarah Crawford at TLC TLC Website | TLC Instagram | TLC Facebook Follow Up with Alycia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of 'Pushing Forward with Alycia,' host Alycia Anderson welcomes Roderick Sewell, an inspirational figure who has shattered barriers and made history as an athlete representing Team USA. Roderick shares his journey from an early childhood marked by disability and living in shelters, to becoming the first bilateral above-knee amputee to compete in the IRONMAN World Championship. He discusses the impact of receiving support from the Challenged Athletes Foundation, the critical support of his single mother, and his rise to elite levels in Paralympic swimming. The episode highlights the importance of community, overcoming fears, and the drive to achieve the seemingly impossible. Roderick's new book, 'Iron Will,' is also introduced, shedding light on his life's extraordinary journey. Tune in to this motivating story of resilience, support, and relentless ambition. Key Points on the Clock 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:25 Meet Roderick Sewell: Making History 01:12 Roderick's Early Life and Disability 02:46 Discovering Adaptive Sports with CAF 05:24 The Journey to Paralympic Swimming 07:08 A Mother's Sacrifice and Support 11:12 From Homelessness to Elite Athlete 15:25 The Iron Man Challenge 18:23 Impact and Representation 19:49 Final Thoughts and Farewell A Quote from Rodrick Sewell ”  If you want to go fast, go alone, and if you want to go far, go together.” ~ Roderick Sewell Big Ideas We Discussed 👶 Roderick Sewell's Early Life and Challenges 👩 The Power of the Woman 👩‍👦 A Mother’s Sacrifice and Support 🏊 The Role of CAF and Discovering Swimming 🏅 From Paralympic Aspirations to Ironman Accomplishments 🏃 Running Isn't a Luxury 🦿 Living With Prosthetics: An Everyday Routine 🌍 The Impact of Representation 💪 The Ultimate Challenge & Unreal Finish: Iron Man 😨➡️💥 Face Your Fears, Transform Your Life 🤝 The Power of Togetherness: A Motivational Proverb ✨ Conclusion: Embracing Challenges and Inspiring Others Connect with Roderick Sewell @LegacyLitBooks | LinkedIn Profile | Instagram Account Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of 'Pushing Forward with Alycia,' host Alycia Anderson interviews Treasa Praino, a legally blind disability advocate, university instructor, and human rights and inclusion specialist. Treasa shares her journey from facing discrimination in her youth to becoming a scholar finishing her PhD at Syracuse University. The discussion covers her experiences working in federal probation, education inequities, and her transformative work in South Africa. Treasa highlights the importance of presuming competence, interdependence over independence, and how different cultural contexts shape the experience of disability. The conversation underscores the value of inclusive education and the need for practical applications of disability research. Your Guide Through the Episode 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:25 Meet Treasa Praino: Disability Advocate and Scholar 02:18 Treasa's Early Life and Career Journey 05:43 Insights from South Africa and the Path to Academia 10:06 Understanding Disability in Different Contexts 20:09 The Importance of Inclusive Education 35:02 Future Vision and Final Thoughts A Quote from Treasa Praino ” Don't be afraid, be curious. People are okay for you to be curious, as long as you're going in with an open mind and not judgmental and presuming that competence.” ~ Treasa Praino Driving Forces of the Discussion 🔍 Redefining Disability Through Contextual Lenses ⚡ The Shocking Reality of Special Education: Speaking Out Against Abuse 🚔 From Classroom to Crime: The School to Prison Pipeline Exposed 🧩 Challenge Preconceptions: True Inclusion Starts Here 💡 Challenging Normalcy and Building Inclusive Spaces 🚫 Challenging Societal Prejudices Against Disability 😨 Teaching Fear: A Collision of Curiosity and Prejudice in a Single Moment 🌈 The Vision for Disability Advocacy 💻 Rethinking Ability: How Technology Shapes Our Perception of Disability 🤝 Empathy in Action: Kids Embrace Inclusion Early on 🌍 Inclusivity Benefits Everyone: The Sidewalk Story ✨ In Conclusion: Presume Competence and Stay Curious Treasa’s LinkedIn Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of 'Pushing Forward with Alycia,' host Alycia Anderson welcomes Cecilia Elizalde, a passionate advocate for disability inclusion. Cecilia shares her transformative journey from a successful TV producer to a dedicated advocate after her daughter, Valentina, was born with Down syndrome. She discusses her impactful work with Best Buddies International and the launch of Eunie's Buddies, a program offering support and mentorship to families receiving an intellectual or developmental disability diagnosis. Together, Alycia and Cecilia delve into the significance of delivering diagnoses compassionately, the power of community, and the importance of self-care for caregivers. Cecilia also shares inspiring success stories and valuable advice for new parents navigating similar experiences. In-Depth Timeline of the Discussion 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:25 Meet Cecilia Elizalde: A Powerhouse Mama 02:04 The Life-Changing Birth of Valentina 04:39 Advice for Parents and Medical Providers 08:47 From TV Producer to Advocate 11:33 Eunie's Buddies: Building a Supportive Community 22:07 How to Get Involved with Eunie's Buddies 24:56 Final Thoughts and Pushing Forward Moment A Quote from Cecilia Elizalde “It's amazing with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, it's like a drop of water that just ripples, and everybody benefits from their presence.”  ~ Cecilia Elizalde Core Ideas in Focus 🌍 From Personal Challenge to Global Advocate: Meet Cecilia Elizalde 💔 The Heart-Wrenching Birth of Valentina 🌪 A Doctor’s Foreboding Medical Diagnosis 🪞 A Call to Embrace Authenticity 👶 A Dream Realized: Holding Her Baby at Last 🎢 Life's Unexpected Plans  🤝 Eunie's Buddies: Building Strong Communities ✨ Transformative Stories of Connection 🌊 The Ripple Effect of Inclusion 😊 Finding Joy Through Connection 👠 Breaking Barriers: First Model with Down Syndrome in High Fashion 🕊 Embracing Disability to Find Freedom 🙌 Get Involved Connect with Best Buddies International ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Best Buddies LinkedIn | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Best Buddies Instagram | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Best Buddies YouTube | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Best Buddies TikTok | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Best Buddies on X | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Best Buddies Facebook Connect with Cecilia Elizalde ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cecilia’s LinkedIn⁠ | ⁠Eunie’s Buddies⁠ Follow Up with Alycia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices