On February 6, 2026, I returned to my alma mater, California State University, Chico, to moderate a Student Disability Panel at the Northern California Neurodiversity and Disability Symposium. The conversation centered on lived experience, leadership, and belonging, highlighting both apparent and nonapparent disabilities. Watching student panelists step into their voices and advocacy on stage was a powerful, full circle moment.
The Future of Disability Advocacy Is Already Here The future of disability advocacy is bold, curious, and already asking the right questions. This week, I had the privilege of witnessing that future firsthand. Returning to Presentation High School For the second year in a row, I was honored to return to Presentation High School in … read more… The Heart Of Inclusion At Presentation High School
Welcome to Pushing Forward with Alycia, where lived disability experience meets leadership, culture, and unapologetic truth.
Hosted by Alycia Anderson, a wheelchair user since birth, TEDx speaker, and former tech executive, this podcast centers the voices shaping disability rights, workplace inclusion, identity, and pride. These conversations are not inspiration for inspiration’s sake. They are real, nuanced, and designed to shift how we think, lead, and belong.
If you are new here, start with these episodes. They capture the heart of the show. Disability as power. Inclusion as action. Storytelling as a catalyst for change.
Alycia Anderson welcomes disability advocate Olivia Murphy for a community-to-community conversation on identity, agency, and empowerment. Olivia shares her lived experience with cerebral palsy and late-diagnosed autism, discussing internalized ableism, self-acceptance, and the power of authentic representation. They explore how embracing identity and community connection fuels purpose, resilience, and inclusive change.
Read the transcript of Episode 127: We Get It | Talking Disability, Identity, and Power, Alycia Anderson and guest Olivia Murphy dive into disability identity, community, and self-acceptance. Olivia, who lives with cerebral palsy and is late-diagnosed autistic, reflects on internalized ableism, finding belonging, and building her podcast Living My Best Disabled Life. They discuss intersectionality, authentic representation, belonging, and how community and narrative shape confidence and purpose for disabled people.
Accessibility isn’t a ramp.It’s not a checkbox.And it’s not “extra.” It’s the difference between being able to fully participate or being quietly left out. Real accessibility looks like:– Being included from the beginning– Moving through spaces without friction– Having dignity, choice, and flexibility built in, not asked for And here’s what people forget 👇Accessibility doesn’t … read more… Accessibility: The Difference Between Included and Left Behind
Alycia and Marty Anderson talk with Michael Liner, a nationally recognized Social Security disability attorney and advocate known for his TikTok legal guidance. Michael shares his personal journey from early educational struggles to law, demystifies SSDI/SSI processes, debunks myths, and underscores dignity in advocacy. Their conversation combines practical legal insight with authentic stories that empower disabled listeners.
In Episode 126: From TikTok to the Courtroom | Michael Liner on Disability Rights, Michael Liner—founder of Liner Legal and known online as the “Backwards Hat Barrister”—joins Alycia and Marty Anderson to unpack disability law, Social Security disability benefits, and myth-busting around the system. Michael blends legal expertise with personal experience, explaining how advocacy, approachable legal guidance, and online outreach help people navigate SSDI/SSI systems with dignity and confidence.
Alycia Anderson sits down with twins M.E. and Wesley Sanders as they share their lived experience with Pfeiffer syndrome, resilience, and the power of sibling support. Together they explore confidence, self-expression, challenging stereotypes, and owning one’s reality without limits. Their uplifting story reveals how strong family bonds and positivity can help redefine beauty, ability, and ambition.
In Episode 125: Twin Vibes: Navigating Life with M.E. and Wesley Sanders, Alycia Anderson welcomes identical twins M.E. and Wesley Sanders, who share life with Pfeiffer syndrome, sisterhood, resilience, and self-expression. They discuss growing up with medical challenges, navigating joint fusions and surgeries, supporting one another, and redefining femininity and identity. Their story highlights joy, authenticity, mutual care, and owning your reality—reminding listeners disability doesn’t limit possibility.
