In this episode of The View From Four Feet and Three Inches, “Disabled and Unapologetic” features Alycia Anderson in conversation with Cassidy Huff. They discuss the importance of authenticity, confidence, and owning one’s disability. Alycia and Cassidy share their personal experiences, highlighting the value of being unapologetically disabled in a world often shaped by exclusion. Their discussion emphasizes empowerment, the need for representation, and breaking societal barriers to create more inclusive spaces for people with disabilities.

Transcript:

Cassidy: Hello, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of the view from four feet and three inches.

I don’t remember the episode title or the episode number, but you know, that’s okay. I’m your host Cassidy Huff.

And today I am, well, always I’m a white woman. Um, and I have shoulder length, blonde hair, wearing black glasses.

I have a white background behind me, not my normal couch background. I’m wearing a gray sweater and I have a microphone in front of me.

And. Without further ado, I do have a wonderful guest with me today.

My friend, Alycia Anderson is on the show today. Alycia, I don’t know if you know this, but you are the first guest

I’ve had that is not in my family. So congratulations. Yeah,

Alycia: that’s going to be trivia somewhere on some game.

At some point,

Cassidy: at some point, who was Cassidy’s first guest on our podcast? Right.

Um, so after some. technical difficulties this morning on both ends.

We are here. We are so excited to be here and I am so excited to have a little

conversation with my friend, Alycia. So Alycia, do you want to tell the audience who you are?

Um, give a little visual description, whatever you feel comfortable with. Go for it.

Alycia: My name’s Alycia Anderson. My visual description is I am a white woman wearing a black

shirt, my long blonde hair. I do have a couch behind me today.

Sticking with the theme, Cassidy.

Cassidy: You knew!

Alycia: I did, um, I’ve got a floral rug behind me and some

furniture, basically my, my, my. Living room. Um, I’m super excited to be here.

Who am I? I am a motivational speaker.

Cassidy: Such an existential question, I know.

Alycia: Oh my gosh.

Cassidy: Sorry! Popping right out of the gate.

Alycia: I know, right out of the gate. I’ll give you my answer.

Um, My day job is I’m a motivational speaker. I’m a disability inclusion advocate for corporations, education.

I travel all over the globe at this point, advocating for disability inclusion in the workplace.

I’ve got a podcast pushing forward with Alycia. Cassidy was just on my show, which has been a fan favorite.

Thank you so much. I appreciate

Cassidy: So nice!

Alycia: yeah, and, um, I’m really excited to be here and to have created

this new friendship with you, Cassidy.

Cassidy: Yes, me too. Yeah, so, um, we, on this show, I say we, I, mainly talk about, you

know, disability, what it’s like to live every day with a disability. That’s kind of my whole platform, you know.

Mainly showing people what everyday life looks like and the good, the bad, The not so great, you know, um, everything in between.

And so I really started it because I was an 18 year old and I didn’t know

if I was able to move out on my own. As a young woman with a disability fresh out of high school, we were

also in the middle of a pandemic and a lot of things were happening. So, um, that’s why I started my platform.

And so I’m interested in why you started your platform. Could you tell us a little bit about that?

Alycia: Yeah, I mean, it wasn’t super intentional in the beginning.

To be honest with you, I have been involved in advocating For myself

and others with disabilities, basically my whole life, I have a congenital disability like you, and I’m a lot older than you were.

So when I was born and when I was in school, ADA was not around and it was a

requirement to have allies, advocates, parents, and also find ways to use my

own voice to have a seat at the table of just the things that I wanted to do. Not the things society told me.

That I should do, or that is, you know, what I’m able to do. And, um, so through like my education, through college, I was

really focused on inclusive studies. I have a, I have a master’s degree in adaptive physical activity

from a master’s program in Europe. I have played wheelchair tennis since I was four.

I was actually the first kid that ever played wheelchair tennis with the founder way back in the early 80s.

I am old!

Cassidy: That’s amazing!

Alycia: Um, so that’s a fun, that’s another fun fact for a game at some point.

Um, and so this path of like advocacy and finding my space.

In my platform has been kind of a lifelong journey. Then I started, I worked for the Paralympics after my, um, my master’s

degree ended and thought that was going to be my path, like working disability sports science, like lead athletes.

That was like my goal at that point. And I lived in Europe for a while, working for the Paralympics, did that

and came back and thought I’m going to get the best job ever at home. And I could not find the right fit.

All my contacts were like overseas. And so I started working in corporate America as just kind of like, I’ll

do that until I find the right job. And I embedded myself in the workplace and I was always the only one, obviously

I wasn’t the only one, but I was the only one with a physical disability. That was kind of navigating discrimination and accessibility, lack of like

consideration and team building events and insurance policy and just all that stuff.

And so that piece. Opened the door for me to start to, Hey, it’s disability week.

Will you speak and tell us about your experiences? And so I organically started to share my story back then.

I didn’t realize it, but I was probably being tokenized, but I was ignorant back then and didn’t recognize it.

And I did see like the. Benefits and what it was doing for other people to talk about tiny little,

I mean, that’s stuff that I talk about now is nothing like I’m brave now. I, you know, just dip in my toe and advocacy a little bit.

And over time, um, my platform grew, my confidence grew, my advocacy

voice grew, and the more that I would share, um, the more that I would see, like opportunities start to come up or other people raising their hand.

And I just felt like, wow, I think I’m really. Helping other people out. And then speaking was like a fun thing for me.

I enjoyed it. I’m pre I felt like I was pretty good at it and I applied for a TEDx talk. I did the TEDx talk and that blew up my platform and

Cassidy: yeah,

Alycia: 2020 had to make the decision. Like, what am I going to do? Do I keep working at a corporate job?

I was, when I left corporate America, I was the vice president of sales at a technology company, women in leadership with the disability leading, which again,

you don’t see very often in the workplace. And. Um, but I felt in my heart that I needed to just like, take the leap.

George Floyd, it just happened. All the racial uprising in 2020 and disability inclusion and DEI, the birth

of DEI in the masses not include disability at all, and it motivated me.

To go for it and I quit my job and

Cassidy: Wow ,

Alycia: I wanted to lead and not if I was already doing the work I’m like,

I don’t I don’t want to follow I want to lead I want to lead I want to lead so I quit and I Started my business

Cassidy: Wow! Okay, so tell us about your business because I know a little bit but I wanna hear in your own words.

Alycia: Yeah, so I have a disability inclusive Advocacy

in the workplace business. So a lot of what I do is either motivational speaking, I’ve got training

modules for leadership training or onboarding new employees, teaching them about disability inclusion, accessibility, ableism, um, All of that.

And so I spend a lot of, I probably 90 percent of my time I’m traveling all

over doing keynotes or trainings to big corporations from NBC to Abercrombie and

Fitch and Victoria’s secret, like the low

Cassidy: Just to name a few.

Alycia: The logos are incredible.

And to also like school districts and, you know, medical industry and the

message really translates everywhere. The bulk of my business is educating a lot of able bodied people, honestly, on.

What our biases are towards disability, lack of opportunity, um, and trying to open up doors for those that are going to follow me.

So it’s not so tough or not so uncomfortable and hopefully bringing in

the value of what, you know, Disability inclusion brings to the workforce, not just from a first and foremost from a human experience, um, but also

what’s the value in organizations from hiring and accessibility and innovation and all of these things that come along with us as a community,

um, and trying to just shift the lens. So, yeah, I do a lot of that, and then I’ve got the podcast and just trying to

expand my platform as much as I can to-

Cassidy: Yeah, 100%. Yeah, I think, um, you and I are very similar in the way we educate.

Um, I have moved A lot more into social media and you do a lot more of the in

person side But we have very much the same message in that we are trying

to educate everyone, non disabled, disabled, whatever About disability

and like I say all the time, right? Disability is inevitable Everybody’s gonna wind up disabled at some point in their life, whether it’s an accident Whether it’s old age,

whether it’s illness, whatever it is, like, you are going to be disabled. And a lot of people are terrified of that.

And so I think the way we combat the fear and remove the fear

component is by educating. Because once you’re educated about something you’re a lot less scared of it, right?

And so I think that’s what we’re seeing a lot in the world and in our country right now is a lot of people are very scared of things And when they’re

scared of things then they’re on it. It really just comes down to not being educated about them so

Alycia: And I also think that like taking that one step further is that that fear component, once you do have some sense of new knowledge and education.

And maybe even, I mean, for me, I can really just speak to myself a little bit of pushing through that fear myself and trying something

that either society’s told me that I can’t do, or that I’m worried that my disability might be limiting or whatever.

I’m pushing through those things. When you get to the other side of it, for me, I, and I’m assuming is for you

too, it is very like self empowering to go, uh, yeah, so I did that,

what’s next?! Like for me, that’s been a huge motivator for me, not only in my own personal

life, but to share that on stage that we all have something that we’re like, Immensely afraid of, like so afraid and disabled people are oftentimes forced.

To go through that path, whether we want to or not. And. What we, uh, what I have learned from that is there’s like

literally magic on the other side. like, my life has been waiting for me to push through that a little bit, you

know, and giving that message, um, I think is really powerful too for people who

have a lot of hidden things that they’re afraid to, um, explore in their own path

or, you know, within their communities. So

Cassidy: 100%.

Alycia: I love sharing that too.

Cassidy: Yeah.

Yeah. I think that, you know, education we’ve found is the way to combat

ableism and the way to combat, I mean, not completely right. Ableism is such a broad term.

Um, there are so many forms of ableism, but I found that usually once people are educated about it, it just opens their eyes.

Like I talk to my friends who are not disabled or whatever. And, um, Actually, I was just talking to my personal trainer who’s also my neighbor

and my friend and yeah, she’s she does everything She’s also gonna come on the podcast But I’m her first disabled client that she’s ever had and so she was saying

that through my videos and watching my videos and also just talking to me and Adapting workouts, you know to fit me in my body And having conversations with me.

She’s she’s starting to recognize ableism out in public Now, and things that

she’s never even thought about or she’s like, Oh, how would Cassidy do that? Oh, she can’t get in that building.

Oh, what about, you know, that sign that says no service dogs allowed, you know, those kinds of things.

And so it’s so interesting once people are educated, the stories that I’m hearing,

like I get comments all the time of people being like, Oh my gosh, I thought of you today when I saw a car parked in a disabled spot that didn’t have a placard.

And I’m like. Right? Because, and I love that I’m that little voice in the back of people’s minds.

Even if they watch one video of mine, or hear you speak at some event, we forever stick with those people, right?

We are forever continuing that message, even if we are not talking to them directly or even if they are not directly in our presence.

They are just receiving that and then taking that out into the world and maybe into their workplace or into their family or whatever and

advocating for disabled people there. Like, it’s wild to think about how much of a reach education has just with our

stories, just with our advocacy, you know?

Alycia: I love that and like, what an honor.

For us to be able to be able to plant those seeds a little bit. And you just reminded me, like I was recently went to a concert with one of

my very best friends and even the closest people in my life are starting, they’re doing the same thing you’re saying.

They’re recognizing like injustices or things that we

shouldn’t be putting up with.

Cassidy: Right.

Alycia: And, and there are still things and I admit it, that I go, it’s all right. I got it.

You know?

Cassidy: I do that all the time.

Alycia: Sometimes I don’t want to deal with it.

Cassidy: I don’t want confrontation.

I’m just going to deal with it.

Alycia: A hundred percent. And we were at a concert, went into the bathroom.

There was this big long line and she goes, no, no, no, no, no. This isn’t to brand like straight to the front!

Cassidy: this isn’t to brand?!

Alycia: Not to brand. We are no, no, no.

You know, and. So I love that you brought that that up because I don’t think I’ve acknowledged

it like clearly and out loud, but there is so much of that going on.

It’s like a sprinkling of education that is, um, you

know, like our allies spreading. The word into their universe, which is pretty amazing.

Cassidy: It’s incredible. I talked to, I was just on a live stream with somebody who wanted

to join and they were from France. And they were talking about how much they have learned from my videos.

What Is that, across the world? Like, what? They’re talking about how much they’ve learned from my videos and how they’re

trying to advocate in their personal life for people with disabilities because, just based on my videos.

And being like, oh, that thing in my neighborhood isn’t accessible. Oh, my walking route every day isn’t accessible.

Oh, that you know, building that I go into every week, the coffee shop or the gym or whatever, that has a step up, like, what would disabled people, what

would somebody in a chair do, you know? And it’s, it’s wild to think that like, we have that much reach, and I

do agree with you, like, what an honor. How did we get to this, to this spot where we are like, influencing people?

All over the world, and that’s what I want to get into next. You have been on some journeys these last few weeks.

I have been following them. You’ve been all over the world. You’re finally at home.

We just talked about this before we started rolling, but you’re finally at home. But tell us, where have you been these last two weeks?

Alycia: So we went on a trip to Paris for the Paralympic games,

Cassidy: You know, casual!

Alycia: I used to work for the Paralympics. So I’ve been to the Torino winter games. I went to the Vancouver Canada winter games as well.

When I was kind of working on. For the Paralympics and doing other projects, but now that we’ve, my

husband and I are all in full time, a hundred percent disabled owned business, which has been amazing.

We travel all over to these engagements and like, we’re just on an adventure. Honestly, it’s been really awesome.

Um, he’s a wheelchair user as well. And, um, so he said in February when the Paralympics started advertising,

can we go like, I haven’t been, he was on the U S tennis team back when he was Or, yeah, so he, he never made it to Paralympics, but got very close.

And so I was like, yeah, let’s go. Let’s turn it into a work trip. We’ll do some, you know, accessibility, social media, and we’ll just enjoy.

And my gosh, did we have, it was a trip of a lifetime. Like number one, the Paralympics slash Olympics being in Paris, just the like.

Cassidy: The atmosphere. Yeah.

Alycia: You know, like Paris all around, Olympics, marketing,

all, it was just cool. Um, but it was so interesting being in a different country and how received

we are as disabled, legitimate. Athletes like going for, you know, the, the crowds were full.

Um, the engagement was incredible. It was up like roaring, like crowds just totally engaged, cheering.

We met, uh, uh, one of the archery gold medalists just randomly on the street.

We stopped and talked to him and kids would walk by and he’d be like, let me show you a surprise and he’d pull out his gold medal and they looked at this Amazing

disabled athlete who just won gold. Like he was the biggest star in the entire world.

And it was just really, really cool to see how different cultures are receiving us.

And it felt more there. It felt more, I don’t know. It felt a little bit more, um, Accepted or like regular channels,

like basic TV had all day, all night. And it was just, it was from a representation standpoint, that piece

was really fascinating because I think we’re still struggling pretty hard right now with, you know, like mainstreaming these types of events.

Cassidy: Well, and just seeing disabled people as actual athletes. I think that’s a

Alycia: problem.

Like athletes, yes. Um, so that part was really interesting and it was just cool.

Like, it wasn’t easy. Like, there’s a lot of inaccessibility there. Sure,

Cassidy: it’s Paris.

Alycia: But I also find that when I’m in other parts of the world, general society

is sometimes more willing to like jump. They see you, they see us more.

Cassidy: Oh, interesting.

I wonder why.

Alycia: I don’t know. It’s how I was when I lived in Belgium too. Like so many random strangers would just.

Right, wrong, or indifferent, they would pop me up on a train without, I’m like, whoa, whoa, whoa,

Cassidy: you know, don’t touch me.

Alycia: They would help me before I would even sometimes recognize that I really needed it.

So I think around the world, interesting,

Cassidy: I wonder why it’s not here. That, that’s really interesting because I have only been out of the country once.

I’ve, I’ve, I’ve, I was in, I went to London, um, and that was, I got my chair

two weeks before, like my very first chair, two weeks before my trip to London.

Of course the airline like scratched it all up. My mom was so upset. I was like 13.

And we didn’t know that that’s a common thing that airlines do. Of course now I do, but I was not a disability activist at 13.

Um, and I didn’t really have any, like a whole lot of disabled people in my life.

So I didn’t know that that’s a thing. And so when we got to London and we saw that my chair was like,

you know, the frame was scratched and whatever, my mom was so upset. She was like, oh my gosh.

How, how did they do that? And, you know, it’s a very common story that we hear now, but, um, the accessibility.

That’s one thing that we recognized, too, and it really opened my eyes to being a new chair user because forever I either walked or, um, I used a, like, scooter,

like a motorized scooter everywhere. And, of course, I’m not gonna take my scooter to London when

I just got this brand new chair that was paid for by insurance. So we took my chair and it really opened my eyes to, like,

a whole new, um, accessibility. Issue for me and like other people and I think even at the young age of 13.

I was like, wow, like this is difficult cobblestones everywhere steps into

places everywhere and I’m Incredibly fortunate that if we face those things even today, you know I can get up out of my chair and like we can carry my

chair over there, whatever And then I can just get back in it because I am in an ambulatory chair user, but it opened my eyes You At that point to

like, what if I wasn’t able to do that? What if I wasn’t able to do that? And then also just how inaccessible the world is.

Like we took the tube and it was impossible to find like

accessible tube entrances. How am I supposed to get out? Like, I’m in there.

I’m underground. How am I supposed to get out of the tube? There’s three flights of stairs or three flights of stairs.

There’s, there’s like four accessible entrances no matter where you go. So, yeah, I think, but the, the perception of disability, I think what

you just touched on is so interesting. Cause we faced that too in London. People were just so willing.

To help, to help my poor single mom with two kids, you know, carry my

chair up the stairs and, um, help with whatever and give us directions. And people were just so kind.

And I don’t face that a lot here in the States.

Alycia: I like, I often wonder if it’s because that, you know, obviously

ADA offers us a lot of benefits. There’s a lot of things that need to still be.

Cassidy: Oh yeah.

The ADA is bare minimum.

Alycia: But I’m wondering if it like gives.

Hear a free pass to just go, Oh, they’re fine. Like there’s accessibility. I don’t know.

I don’t know what it is, but there’s definitely a difference. I noticed it when I lived in Belgium for sure.

And, um, I noticed it again when I was in Paris. So, I mean, the cobblestones are a real thing.

My husband, Marty, he dumped out a couple of times. Like I made it the whole trip without dumping out.

Happened to me too. But, um, but there’s also still like on the flip side of that, there’s also.

You know, lack of knowledge, a real need for education. Like I remember when I was in Belgium, we went to the coast and there was no

accessible, I could not find an accessible bathroom to save my, my one kidney. You know, I could not find an accessible bathroom.

And I finally find this restaurant has a, a disabled sticker and

emblem, the wheelchair on the window. I’m like, ah, yes. So I go and I’m like, can I buy a soda?

Like I really need to use the restroom. They go, oh, no, no, no. We don’t have accessible restrooms or downstairs. That means you can enter.

The building

Cassidy: what?

Alycia: So I I would have just been

Cassidy: like fine I’m getting out of my chair and then just like scoot it down the stairs to get to the

Alycia: This is why the world

Cassidy: Is where the world needs it? Okay. So after you went to Paris you walked in New York Fashion Week.

I did Yeah, we we didn’t even talk about that next

Alycia: year. I

Cassidy: applied and they said no Oh, really? Yes. They literally responded.

They were like, thanks, but no thanks. And I was like, okay,

Alycia: so I’ll apply next year. Yeah, I’ll apply next year. I’ll put in a good word for you. Thank you. Um, yeah, last year I saw this event and I was like, Ooh, I

want to do that just to do it. You know, like I want to go down New York fashion.

Cassidy: Yeah.

Alycia: New York fashion week.

And, um, so I started to make friends with the organization. I’m all about relationship building.

Like any company, like I, this is, if things don’t happen for me overnight,

like I’m building relationships. I’m

Cassidy: going to be besties with those people by the end of

Alycia: tomorrow. A hundred percent.

So, um, I built a relationship with the organization called runway of dreams. And in tandem, um, I also started to work with Target on one of

their Their adaptive lines. And I do some consulting with my business too, on accessibility features,

depending on like what the company is. And, um, so they hired me to do some consulting on what I wore.

And so I think the things just kind of fell into place that the jacket is

being released for fall, um, this year. And so, um, I got to roll down the runway and.

a product that I like got to have some consulting on and it was

Cassidy: amazing.

Alycia: It was really amazing.

It was super fun. And, um, I don’t know what was more fun, like going down the runway, wearing

the jacket or, um, just like doing hair and makeup and just being in the back.

There were so many cool. People like you, like there’s a lot of people and disabled people

you see all over social media. So it was just kind of like a, a cool meeting of the minds and like networking.

Cassidy: Yes, that is absolutely my favorite part of any event ever is literally just networking.

I love networking. When I did, um, my runway show last year, I, I was the same way.

I was like, I don’t know what was more fun, like walking the runway. And like, I did two different outfits, which was, um, yeah,

it was, it was pretty good. Um, I wore the, I, I walked for Aerie and then I walked for, um, Not Your

Inspiration, which was pretty cool. Their brand, like their first line ever. So, um, it was really, really cool.

Uh, I worked with Levant Consulting and yes, me too.

Andrea is one of my favorites. Um, and then. Uh, yeah, so it was, it was an incredible show, but I loved, I was best friends

with everybody by the end of the day. Like, we had just met that day. We spent, you know, 12, 14 hours together or something like that.

You were there for a long time. Yeah. Uh, a long time. People think that you just show up for hair and makeup and

then walk and then you’re done. No. You were there from like, 7. 30? to like 9 30 p.

m like he was there for a long time and um like i i met so many friends that day

and it was so so cool to get to meet girls my age other disabled people um they had

both disabled people and non disabled people walking the runway so that was

really really cool so i got to make a lot of friends and i i just love networking

and that’s how you and i met too like we just You know, I think you introduced a little girl to me, um, and, uh, at the roulette experience and the roulette

experience was a whole nother thing. I loved networking. I was best friends with everybody.

You were working the room. I was like, Hey, what’s your name?

Um, so, uh, no, I love, love, love meeting people. And again, you know, I think that’s the pathway to educating.

Everybody. So, um, just by having conversations with people.

Alycia: Yeah. And it’s so cool to.

Um, just be in a room for me that I feel like I can disappear in,

Cassidy: you know,

Alycia: not sticking out of the crowd.

Cassidy: Yeah. Nobody’s looking at you.

Alycia: Yeah. You’re just there. Just like blend into the crowd. Yes. You know, bye.

And I used to love that as a kid going to camp. And so when I get those moments now, it’s like, oh, I can disappear again.

And I enjoy that.

Cassidy: Yeah, so do I.

Alycia: Random, I guess.

It’s not random because you do the same thing. I think we all feel that way, probably.

Cassidy: Yeah, um, I have this weird thing where I love to blend into the

crowd, but then when it’s my time to shine, it’s my time to shine. I’m the same. You know, like, like, yes, don’t look at me, but also when I want you to look

at me, I’m gonna get on that stage. So.

Alycia: That’s why you, you and I are very similar.

Like, I think we get along so well. I’m like, We’re constantly like, Oh yeah, no, that’s me. Oh yeah. We’re doing the same work.

And same.

Cassidy: I

Alycia: love a stage myself.

Like we’re shorter statue. I’m going to speak for you and you let me know, but I love getting on a high stage,

having a loud mic and just feeling tall. Yes. You know, like.

Big. Yes. Like spread out. So I think that’s probably what it is for me. I don’t know if that’s what it makes you feel like.

No, that,

Cassidy: yeah, a hundred percent. And then I’m like, Hey, I’m like, look at me, look at me.

I’m over here. Um, but then I go through moments where I’m like, actually, don’t look at me. , don’t look at me.

I don’t want you to look at me. Thank you. Um, but when I’m on stage, I’m like, no, look at me.

. No. I’m, I put in a lot of work for this today so you can look at me. Um, that’s also why I started social media.

Because I was like, the stage is not enough. I mean, so I love getting the comments where people are like,

You’re just doing this for attention. I’m like, yeah, and? And so?

They’re like, you’re using your disability for money. And I’m like, yeah, it’s taking a lot of money from me. Do people tell you that?

Yes, I get people telling me all the time that I’m either using my disability for money, or I’m faking my disability altogether.

I’m not actually disabled, I’m just faking it for attention. I love when people tell me that I’m, um, using my disability

for money, because I am. Um, but it’s because It’s taken like millions of dollars from me.

So I feel like the least it can do is like, give me money, like make me money.

Alycia: You know? And you know, like, I do think that there’s a thing that like our disabilities

are always to be placed in the center. Charity model why it’s not okay to leverage every single

layer of who we are as a human

Cassidy: Exactly.

Alycia: to reach our dreams like why is that something that is frowned upon?

I I don’t understand it and as like a disabled entrepreneur like business

women like I I feel like it’s time for disability to not only be in a charity

model, but to be in a for profit, like our value, you know, we’re full of value.

Why? So those statements are ableism, in my opinion.

Cassidy: I agree. I think they’re microaggressions.

Alycia: They are microaggressions. Yep,

Cassidy: 100%. Yeah, I get them all the time. I, I use them, um, for, for fun now.

Um, I don’t know if you’ve seen my most recent posts that I’ve been posting, but I’ve been, um, reacting to ableist comments.

And, um, it’s my favorite thing to do. Um, my boyfriend finds really ableist comments and then, says them to

me and then I have to rate them. That was so funny.

I love you. And then I rate them as I’m like crocheting to like wind down at night. I’m like crocheting.

Last night I was crocheting a pumpkin hat for my cat and um, he was like

One of my favorites from last night’s video was uh, he said just walk it off

And I was like, I think walking is part of the problem. Actually, I think it’s gonna make it worse Um, yeah, but they’re, they’re

really ableist and I just think they’re really funny, so that’s what I’ve been using people’s ableist comments for.

Um, I want to be mindful of time. Wait,

Alycia: no, but I just want to tell you too, like, I think that this is one of the

things that is so palatable about you is that you’re, You’re so authentic and you

allow us to laugh, you know, and enjoy. And I think that that is missed a lot in this like industry.

We’re also like, and I’m including myself in this. Like, I know I need to be more fun sometimes like you.

And, um, don’t think

Cassidy: I’m like this all the time. Like

Alycia: you’re very inviting and. Um, the humor that is tied into the struggle sometimes it’s Is, you know,

I, it’s, it’s inviting like it is. I don’t know. You, you have a great aura about you.

Thank you. Yeah. You really do. Thank you.

Cassidy: And you know, I think education’s important, but I also think humor’s important.

Yeah. Um, because one way to like break down barriers is by making people laugh.

Yeah. So people have been commenting on that series recently and being like, oh my gosh, do people actually say things like this?

And I’m like. Yes. Um, you know, like, can I pray for you? And, um, you know, things like that.

People are like, do people actually do that? And they’re realizing because they’re laughing at it, they

laugh at it because it’s funny. That’s why I posted it. But then they take a second to reflect and they’re like, wait a second.

It’s like some of

Alycia: it was like, you either laugh or cry. You know, like, is this stuff actually real?

Cassidy: Oh, yeah, exactly. And so I think it’s really interesting that people are like, taking a second afterwards to reflect and being like, Whoa, like, wow, this is the

kind of ableist society we live in. Because it’s true. You know, like, those are all things that have been said to either me or

other disabled people in my comment section, in our real lives, whatever.

Um, and I’m just using them to not only Educate about why those are horrible

things to say to any human being, but also laugh about it because The one

way to get through to people is by laughter and not laughing at people

But just laughing at the absurdity. Yeah of like what even is that question?

You know, and that’s, that’s why I love humor is because I, I don’t love making fun of people.

I will never do that. Um, but using humor as a tool to help educate, I think is something that

I’m trying to be really smart about. And, um, you know, using humor in my standup and using humor just in general

to, um, help people understand like what it is that we go through every day.

Okay. And then I want them to go home from my stand up or stop watching my

videos or whatever, go on with their days and be like, Oh, wait a second. Like, oh.

Um, and like take a second to reflect because it’s, it is. It’s something we go through every day, you know,

Alycia: my dad, when I was really young, um, he would tell me,

I say this a lot when I speak, but you just reminded me of it. So I’m going to say it again is he would tell me a lot like, Alycia,

this path is going to be really tough. Like this is not going to be easy. It’s going to be hard. Um, you need to do the best that you can with what you have when you feel

like it, try to smile because a smile is going to allow other people in.

You know, to try to educate, understand, like, and be a part of a proactive

part, a helpful part of, of advancing this rather than not, you know?

So, and that’s what you’re saying is like. Let’s try to

Cassidy: Let’s try to laugh about it some more.

Like, not everything has to be so serious all the time, you know? I like it. I’m into it.

Like, yes, disabilities are serious, but like, come on. Like, we’re fine, okay?

We are fine. We’re fine. It’s not the absolute worst possible thing that, I mean, we’re alive, aren’t we?

We’re fine.

Alycia: Yeah, and we’re, like, we are fine. Like, there’s definitely stuff that needs to be better, obviously.

That’s why we do what we do. But, like, I also recognize the privilege that I have in the, like, you know, like.

Yeah. I was in Paris and runway and, like, doing all these cool things. Like, that is because I’m, like, I’m disabled.

Yes. I have an identical twin sister, able bodied. She was not on the runway. Bye.

Cassidy: Me too. Yeah.

Alycia: Do you have a twin sister? Did we talk about

Cassidy: that? No, sorry, I don’t have a twin sister, but I have a sister.

Alycia: Oh my god.

Cassidy: She is, she’s, uh, she’s my little sister and she’s completely able bodied.

Um, and we were not treated any differently as children.

Um. Yeah. Um. We could, I mean, like, I’m gonna have you on for another podcast because we could

literally talk about things for hours. After we got off your podcast, I wanted the public to know that, like, we had another, like, 20 minute phone call, like, FaceTime session.

We were on recording for, like, 45 minutes to an hour, and then Alycia just goes, you only FaceTime me?

We talked about drama for like 20 minutes.

It was my favorite thing.

Alycia: That was my, that was my favorite thing too.

I like, that’s slumber party stuff. Like we need

Cassidy: 24

Alycia: hours. Yeah, we do.

We have a lot of stuff to talk about every time. So next year, I’m going to go to Andrea’s slumber party. Runway and you go we’ll meet there and then we’ll do a thing,

Cassidy: right? Yeah Well, like someone you’ll get a hotel room. I’ll get a hotel room something and then we’ll just have like a four

hour podcast that’s actually kind of probably a bad idea because then our significant others will be like Can we get them out of that room, please?

Like, they need to eat. They need to, come on, we’re done.

Um, okay, I want to be mindful of time because I know you have a meeting, but, one more question. I have a younger audience.

Um, mainly, my demographic is 13 to 18 ish.

Um, some of them are my age, like, 18 to 23. Um, but, a lot of those are young disabled people, and I get so many comments.

Every day, so many DMs, every day, asking me about confidence tips, asking

me how to feel comfortable in their own bodies, asking me, um, how I’m getting all these cool opportunities, how they can, you know, uh, strive in their

field and strive to, you know, Just be a confident, young, disabled person.

And so I think, you know, we are both so alike. We both do really cool things and we both have made names for ourselves.

And I think a lot of people will look at us and be like, wow, they’re so confident. Like I can’t get to that point. You know.

So, I was wondering if you have any advice for younger disabled people.

Alycia: Yeah, I mean, I think the first thing to recognize is this is a lifelong adventure to self confidence.

It does not come overnight. It does not come with the flip of a switch. Right. I wish it did.

And being young and disabled, like, is Like it just is. You’re dealing with a lot of things on top of your disability.

Cassidy: Yeah.

Alycia: Um, the pressures of school, adolescence, all of it.

And. The one thing that I can tell them or the bit of advice that I could

give is what you feel in your heart. I always felt in my heart that what I’m doing today is what I should be doing.

I didn’t start until I was in my forties. I’m a lot older than your audience, but if I would have, if I would have

been a little bit brave and I would have started to push through the fear and follow what I really felt like was meant for me in this life.

It was literally waiting for me. And the more I leaned into my disability and owned it as a part of

my identity, not something that I was trying to hide or mask or any of that,

Cassidy: the

Alycia: more power I found in my own self as a disabled

with a capital D woman, girl. whatever age you’re at, think that that’s really important.

And it starts, honestly. It had to start with me, it had to start with me owning it and recognizing it

and lifting it up and acknowledging it as one of the, not the only, but one of

the most powerful pieces of my identity.

But it’s a process. That’s so

Cassidy: powerful.

Alycia: It’s a process.

Cassidy: Yeah, that’s incredibly powerful.

Well, Alycia, thank you for joining. Thank you for being my friend. Oh my gosh, for being my friend.

I love you. I love you too, so much.

Alycia: Um, where can people find you? Um, you can go to my website, Alyciaanderson.com That’s A L Y C I A Anderson with an O Definitely check out my podcast

Pushing Forward with Alycia and listen to Cassidy’s episode to get more of this.

Um, And my Instagram and social media is Alycia speaking

Cassidy: amazing. And all of those will be linked below. Thank you so much for watching and listening.

Please make sure to like subscribe, comment, give me a five star rating, depending on where you’re watching or listening.

Please make sure to go follow Alycia on all of her platforms to see all

of the amazing work she’s doing. Make sure to follow me on all my platforms because I do post on Instagram and Facebook Reels and YouTube Shorts and TikTok every single day.

Uh, I have a blog that comes out on YouTube every Wednesday and a podcast

episode that comes out every Sunday. So, thank you so much for watching and listening and I love you so much and I will see you next time.

Bye!