Pushing Forward with Alycia | A Disability Podcast

Alycia Anderson

Pushing Forward with Alycia | A Disability Podcast Pushing Forward with Alycia is the weekly podcast that gives disability a voice and welcomes everyone—disabled people, allies, families, and inclusive employers—into a courageous, judgment‑free space to learn, ask questions, and advance access together. Launched June 29, 2023 and dropping new episodes every Thursday, host Alycia Anderson—disabled motivational speaker, DEI educator, entrepreneur, athlete, and storyteller—shares lived experience and amplifies voices across the global disability community. The show began as a safe, respectful space to talk honestly about difference, ableism, and belonging; that welcoming spirit remains its heartbeat today. What You’ll Hear From headline issues to everyday wins, we dig into DEI + disability, digital accessibility, workplace inclusion, disabling ableism, Disability Pride Month, intersectionality, airlines & disability discrimination, and so much more. If it shapes how disabled people live, learn, work, travel, play, create, love, and lead—we’re talking about it. Nearly 100 Episodes (and Counting!) In just two years we’ve published 98 full episodes (as of July 16, 2025) and are racing toward our 100th celebration. Recent conversations feature boundary‑breaking guests like Marsha Elle (bionic model, Billboard artist), Tiffany Yu (Diversability & The Anti‑Ableist Manifesto), Gigi Robinson (chronic illness creator & strategist), Kristen Anderson (global inclusive leadership champion), Isaac Harvey MBE (East London influencer & entrepreneur), and many more advocates, athletes, artists, policy shapers, siblings, caregivers, and allies you’ll love meeting. Who It’s For Whether you identify as disabled, are new to advocacy, support a disabled loved one, or lead teams striving to build a more inclusive workplace, you’ll leave each episode with insight, language, and actionable takeaways you can bring to classrooms, boardrooms, events, and everyday life. Our mission is to be a safe place to learn, share, ask “no wrong” questions, and transform awkwardness into connection. Listen & Support Follow, subscribe, share, rate, and review to help amplify disability inclusion. Sign up for release alerts, suggest a guest, and bring Alycia to speak or train your organization in disabling ableism. However you engage, you’re helping open hearts and clear paths for all of us. Open hearts, clear paths. Let’s go.

  1. When My Body Made Me Stop

    4d ago

    When My Body Made Me Stop

    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

    39 min
  2. She Saw the Butterfly Before I Did

    May 28

    She Saw the Butterfly Before I Did

    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

    33 min
  3. Stop Being Afraid of Accessibility

    May 21

    Stop Being Afraid of Accessibility

    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

    47 min
  4. What If Your Most Impactful Work Happened From Bed?

    May 14

    What If Your Most Impactful Work Happened From Bed?

    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

    28 min
  5. Do It Scared

    May 7

    Do It Scared

    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

    31 min
  6. Ali Stroker - Tony Award Winner | From Burberry Dreams to Broadway History

    Apr 30

    Ali Stroker - Tony Award Winner | From Burberry Dreams to Broadway History

    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

    44 min
  7. Apr 23

    You’re Not Going to Read Again

    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

    28 min
  8. Apr 16

    Step Out of Line or Stay Invisible

    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

    43 min
5
out of 5
43 Ratings

About

Pushing Forward with Alycia | A Disability Podcast Pushing Forward with Alycia is the weekly podcast that gives disability a voice and welcomes everyone—disabled people, allies, families, and inclusive employers—into a courageous, judgment‑free space to learn, ask questions, and advance access together. Launched June 29, 2023 and dropping new episodes every Thursday, host Alycia Anderson—disabled motivational speaker, DEI educator, entrepreneur, athlete, and storyteller—shares lived experience and amplifies voices across the global disability community. The show began as a safe, respectful space to talk honestly about difference, ableism, and belonging; that welcoming spirit remains its heartbeat today. What You’ll Hear From headline issues to everyday wins, we dig into DEI + disability, digital accessibility, workplace inclusion, disabling ableism, Disability Pride Month, intersectionality, airlines & disability discrimination, and so much more. If it shapes how disabled people live, learn, work, travel, play, create, love, and lead—we’re talking about it. Nearly 100 Episodes (and Counting!) In just two years we’ve published 98 full episodes (as of July 16, 2025) and are racing toward our 100th celebration. Recent conversations feature boundary‑breaking guests like Marsha Elle (bionic model, Billboard artist), Tiffany Yu (Diversability & The Anti‑Ableist Manifesto), Gigi Robinson (chronic illness creator & strategist), Kristen Anderson (global inclusive leadership champion), Isaac Harvey MBE (East London influencer & entrepreneur), and many more advocates, athletes, artists, policy shapers, siblings, caregivers, and allies you’ll love meeting. Who It’s For Whether you identify as disabled, are new to advocacy, support a disabled loved one, or lead teams striving to build a more inclusive workplace, you’ll leave each episode with insight, language, and actionable takeaways you can bring to classrooms, boardrooms, events, and everyday life. Our mission is to be a safe place to learn, share, ask “no wrong” questions, and transform awkwardness into connection. Listen & Support Follow, subscribe, share, rate, and review to help amplify disability inclusion. Sign up for release alerts, suggest a guest, and bring Alycia to speak or train your organization in disabling ableism. However you engage, you’re helping open hearts and clear paths for all of us. Open hearts, clear paths. Let’s go.

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