Honoring International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Today was one of those days that reminds me exactly why I do what I do.
On this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, I had the privilege of delivering my Heart of Inclusion keynote for Uber—an event that marks not just another speaking engagement, but a deeply personal milestone in my advocacy journey. As someone who has navigated the complexities, challenges, and joys of life as a lifelong wheelchair user, having the opportunity to share my story with a company that plays such an influential role in mobility and access felt incredibly meaningful.
Five Years of Advocacy Through Storytelling
For more than five years now, I’ve devoted my life to using my story as a tool to open hearts, disrupt assumptions, and move people and organizations toward deeper disability inclusion. But the truth is, this work started long before I ever stepped on a keynote stage. It’s rooted in the lived experiences I carry with me every single day—growing up disabled, figuring out school in systems not designed with me in mind, rolling through my collegiate journey all the way to earning an international master’s degree from KU Leuven, and ultimately building a corporate career brick by brick.
From waiting tables in a wheelchair to pay my way through college, to rising to become a Vice President of Sales in multifamily technology, I learned firsthand how bias, stigma, and underestimated potential shape the lives of disabled people. I also learned how grit, creativity, self-belief, and a refusal to shrink can carve out opportunities where none seem to exist. That journey didn’t just build my career—it taught me that our stories are powerful. They can shift culture. They can change minds. They can create space where there was none before.
Now, with the privilege of running my own business alongside my husband, Marty, I get to dedicate every day to breaking down the barriers of ableism so the generations that follow won’t have to climb quite as high. And on a day like today, that mission feels especially important.
A Day Packed With Impact
I started my morning at 2 a.m. delivering a Q&A session for Konecranes, an international corporation working to elevate disability inclusion on a global scale. Then I prepared myself mentally, emotionally, and spiritually for my keynote with Uber—an organization that sits at the center of transportation innovation, and at times, controversy within the disability community. Speaking with them wasn’t just professional fulfillment… it was personal.
Later this afternoon, I will continue my work as the first-ever Disability Business Enterprise representative on the California Department of Insurance’s Diversity Task Force—a role that allows me to help bridge representation gaps across the insurance industry and push forward systemic change. And by midnight, another episode of my podcast, Pushing Forward with Alycia, will go live, continuing the mission of amplifying stories and voices that deserve to be heard.
It’s a full day. It’s a meaningful day. And it is truly an honor.
Disability Inclusion is Ongoing Work
Speaking to Uber today was particularly special because it reflects the heart of my belief: disability inclusion is not a “check the box” moment. It’s not a single training, a one-time presentation, or a celebratory post on a designated holiday. It’s an ongoing pursuit—one that requires humility, curiosity, accountability, and the willingness to do the hard work day after day.
My hope is that today moved the needle for Uber in some small but important way. I look forward to supporting them again as they continue progressing on their inclusion journey. And I hope they felt my sincerity, my passion, and my belief that progress—for any company, in any industry—is absolutely possible when we center lived experience and commit to real change.
Advocacy is My Home
As I reflect on today, I feel proud, humbled, and deeply grateful. Advocacy isn’t just my work. It’s my home. It’s where all the pieces of my lived experience find purpose.
And to you, reading this now, I want to leave you with this:
Today is another chance to share your story too. Another opportunity to use your voice, your experiences, and your allyship to push disability inclusion forward—whether in your workplace, your community, or your own circle of influence.
Let’s keep rising together. Let’s keep building bridges. And let’s keep pushing the world toward a more inclusive future—one story, one conversation, and one courageous moment at a time.