Former IndyCar champion Sam Schmidt joins Alycia Anderson to share how a 180-mile-per-hour crash, quadriplegia, and a devastating prognosis reshaped his life and purpose. Sam discusses spinal cord injury rehabilitation, healthcare advocacy, adaptive technology, aging with disability, and the power of community. He also explores his memoir No Finish Line and the mission behind DRIVEN Neuro, proving that possibility, purpose, and ambition do not end after paralysis.
Read the full transcript of Alycia Anderson’s conversation with former IndyCar champion Sam Schmidt as he shares his journey from a 180-mile-per-hour crash and quadriplegia to rehabilitation, advocacy, adaptive technology, and renewed purpose. Sam discusses fighting for better care, building a championship-winning race team, founding DRIVEN Neuro, and learning to rely on community while proving that life after paralysis can still be ambitious, meaningful, and full of possibility.
Jessica Lopez joins Alycia Anderson for a powerful conversation on disability pride, digital accessibility, inclusive marketing, accessible education, chronic illness, and the courage to ask, “Why not me?” Born without hands and feet, Jessica shares how confidence, advocacy, adaptive horseback riding, online learning, and corporate accessibility shaped her journey into disability rights, marketing strategy, and building a more inclusive future for disabled people everywhere.
Read the full transcript of Alycia Anderson’s conversation with Jessica Lopez, a disability rights advocate, marketing strategist, digital accessibility consultant, and Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholar. Jessica shares her lived experience being born without hands and feet, navigating hearing loss and chronic illness, fighting for accessible education, building confidence, and helping companies understand inclusive marketing, accessible websites, SEO, disability inclusion, and corporate accessibility as powerful business tools.
TLC stars Jay and Pamela join Alycia Anderson for a Disability Pride Month conversation about disabled love, marriage, reality TV representation, and life with osteogenesis imperfecta type III. Together, they explore dual disability relationships, intimacy, accessibility, fashion, body confidence, neurodivergence, and the power of being fully seen. Their story challenges stereotypes and celebrates self worth, partnership, visibility, and disabled joy.
Read the full transcript of Alycia Anderson’s conversation with TLC stars Jay and Pamela as they discuss disabled love, marriage, reality TV representation, and life with osteogenesis imperfecta type III. In this Disability Pride episode, they explore intimacy, accessibility, fashion, neurodivergence, body confidence, independent living, and the power of being seen without apology on national television.
Angelea Yoder returns to Pushing Forward with Alycia to share the story behind LET THEM STARE and her children’s photo book, Look At Me, Look What I Can Do! In this powerful conversation, Angelea and Alycia discuss VACTERL Association, invisible disability, medical complexity, consent, disability representation, and why disabled kids deserve to see themselves reflected with joy, dignity, and possibility.
Read the full transcript of Alycia Anderson’s conversation with Nashville photographer and disability advocate Angelea Yoder. Angelea shares her journey with VACTERL Association, invisible medical differences, more than 20 surgeries, and the creation of LET THEM STARE. Together, Alycia and Angelea discuss disability representation, disabled kids, consent, privacy, children’s books, and the freedom that comes from being fully seen.
Host Alycia Anderson welcomes Meaghan Walls, CEO of the Center for Disability Inclusion and president/CEO of Assistology, for a conversation on accessible hospitality, inclusive events, and the missed business opportunity of leaving disabled people out. From World Cup readiness in Kansas City to restaurants, hotels, stadium seating, ticketing systems, and hiring practices, Meaghan challenges businesses to ask: “Who does this not work for?”
Read the full transcript of Alycia Anderson’s conversation with Meaghan Walls, CEO of the Center for Disability Inclusion and president/CEO of Assistology. This episode explores accessible hospitality, World Cup readiness, inclusive events, restaurant dignity, stadium seating, ticketing barriers, accessible hiring, and disability inclusion beyond ADA compliance. Meaghan shares practical insight for businesses ready to ask the essential question: “Who does this not work for?”
