Moderating the Student Disability Panel at the Northern California Neurodiversity and Disability Symposium

Event Overview

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. This symposium brings together students, educators, professionals, families, and community members to advance understanding, inclusion, and access for neurodivergent and disabled individuals through education and lived experience.

Being invited back to Chico State is always meaningful. This year felt especially significant as I returned representing The Alycia Anderson Company, which is celebrating its 5th anniversary, and reflected on the continued growth of disability-forward initiatives on campus and beyond.

Panel Session

Neurodiversity and Disability Life on Campus

I had the honor of moderating the student panel alongside two powerful voices:

• Sarah Smith, a neurodivergent student living with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, who shared insight into navigating higher education with nonapparent disabilities
• Elliott Stroop, a wheelchair user with a rare form of muscular dystrophy, who offered perspective on access, mobility, and campus life with an apparent disability

Together, we explored what it means to live, learn, and belong on a university campus as disabled and neurodivergent students. Our conversation addressed accessibility, accommodations, identity, student life, and the transition from college into the workforce. We intentionally highlighted both apparent and nonapparent disabilities while creating space for honesty, problem solving, laughter, and necessary hard truths grounded in lived experience.

My favorite part of the discussion was watching Sarah and Elliott truly step into their voices on stage. You could see them light up as they recognized their own leadership and advocacy in real time. After the panel, they shared how meaningful it was to have that platform and to use their voices in that way. While the content itself was strong, witnessing their confidence, growth, and joy in that moment was incredibly powerful and deeply affirming.

Returning to a Growing Movement

This was my second time participating in the Northern California Neurodiversity and Disability Symposium. About three years ago, I had the honor of serving as a keynote speaker when the symposium was much smaller in size. Returning this year and seeing nearly 1,000 attendees was both exciting and emotional.

The growth of this symposium speaks volumes. It was a well-run, well-attended event that lifted up neurodiversity and disability in meaningful, visible ways. Seeing how much it has expanded reflects how the Chico community and the broader region are prioritizing disability and neurodiversity as essential conversations in education and society.

A Full Circle Moment

The symposium was organized by Josie Blagrave, and one of the most meaningful moments for me was reconnecting with her in this context. Josie and I graduated from Chico State together, and after my session, I pulled her aside to celebrate the impact and growth she has created through her leadership in higher education and neurodiversity advocacy.

Twenty years after sitting in the same undergraduate classrooms, it was incredibly special to reflect together on the paths we have each taken. Josie through her work building this symposium and advancing neurodiversity initiatives within higher education, and me through my global advocacy, speaking, and education work. We shared a moment of pride in one another and in the careers we have built to support, uplift, and create opportunity for others.

Another deeply meaningful part of returning to campus was reconnecting with my mentor and former professor, Dr. Rebecca Lytle, former head of the Adaptive Physical Education Department at Chico State. Seeing Dr. Lytle at the symposium continues to be a powerful reminder of the mentors, programs, and early influences that shaped my journey.

My last visit to Chico State was to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award, and returning again in this role truly felt like coming home. It was a moment of reflection on the bright crumbs left along the way and the collective work that continues to move disability inclusion forward.

Continuing the Work

Returning to Chico State reminded me why this work matters. Disability inclusion is built over time through education, mentorship, leadership, and community. I remain committed to amplifying disabled and neurodivergent voices and advancing inclusive practices across higher education, workplaces, and society.