Pushing Forward with Alycia | A Disability Podcast

Host Alycia Anderson welcomes Jessica Lopez, a disability rights advocate, keynote speaker, marketing strategist, and digital accessibility consultant working at the intersection of inclusive marketing, brand strategy, disability inclusion, accessible technology, and corporate accessibility. A recent Arizona State University graduate and Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholar, Jessica brings lived experience, business insight, and bold advocacy to conversations about accessible education, disability pride, inclusive hiring, digital accessibility, SEO, workplace inclusion, and why building accessibility from the start creates stronger brands, better customer experiences, and measurable business impact. 

Jessica shares her lived experience as a woman born without hands and feet, a hearing aid user, and someone who later developed a chronic illness that changed the course of her education. From growing up in performing arts school, riding horses through adaptive recreation, and learning confidence on stage, to navigating inaccessible education systems and eventually graduating after gaining access to online learning, Jessica’s story is a powerful reminder that disabled people are not limited by their bodies, but by systems that fail to adapt.

In this episode, Alycia and Jessica explore disability pride, accessible education, corporate inclusion, digital accessibility, inclusive marketing, career confidence, the ROI of accessibility, and what happens when companies stop assuming and start asking disabled people what they need.

♿ Disability identity, pride, and being born without hands and feet

🎤 Performing arts, confidence, and learning to take up space

🐎 Adaptive horseback riding as freedom, movement, and possibility

🦻 Navigating hearing loss, hearing aids, and visible disability

🏫 Inclusive education, school accommodations, and the power of the right support

💻 Online learning as accessibility, not convenience

⚖️ Systemic barriers in education and why access changes life trajectories

🌎 Travel, fellowships, and expanding what disabled ambition can look like

💼 Disability rights advocacy as a career path

🏢 Corporate accessibility, inclusive hiring, and leadership representation📲 Digital accessibility, accessible websites, alt text, SEO, and ROI

📣 Inclusive marketing and why disability must be built into brand strategy

👗 Accessible fashion, style, independence, and showing up polished

💛 Confidence for young disabled women chasing big dreams

✨ “Why not me?” as a mindset for opportunities, scholarships, speaking, and leadership

📈 Accessibility as a business advantage, not an extra cost

🤝 The power of asking disabled people directly what works for them

“My body was not the reason why I wasn’t able to do the things that I was hoping to do. It was really a result of a systemic barrier.” ~ Jessica Lopez

“I don’t feel like I’m missing anything. All of my limbs are the way they are.” ~ Jessica Lopez

“Accessibility is a bunch of small practices and small little things, and they add up to a massive turnaround on a big scale.” ~ Jessica Lopez

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:25 Meet Jessica Lopez

02:55 Horses And Freedom

06:44 Born Different Early Life

07:43 Performing Arts Confidence

13:00 Aides And Accommodations

14:16 Prosthetics And Identity

16:35 Chronic Illness School Barriers

19:53 Disability Pride Keynote Invite

21:34 Advocacy Career Path

23:31 How Corporations Can Partner

26:35 Accessibility ROI In Marketing

29:25 Style And Stage Presence

31:19 Advice Why Not Me

35:16 Accessibility In 2026

37:23 Pushing Forward Moment

38:27 Closing Thanks And Subscribe

🌐 Website: https://jessical.me

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/realjessl

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realjessl

𝕏  Twitter/X: https://x.com/RealJessL

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RealJessL 

🎙️ Podcast: https://alyciaanderson.com/podcast

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyciaanderson/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyciaanderson/

Pushing Forward with Alycia gives disability a voice through conversations about accessibility, inclusion, ambition, resilience, leadership, and creating a more inclusive world for all people.

Subscribe, like, and share to help push the conversation forward.

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Host Alycia welcomes Jay and Pamela, stars of TLC’s GLAAD nominated series Jay & Pamela, returning June 30 for season two, and discusses their dual disability relationship as full time wheelchair users with osteogenesis imperfecta type III. They reflect on Pamela’s quote about reaching dreams alongside the one you love, describe personal and relationship growth from being on TV, and explain how they set boundaries around sharing intimate topics like access, sex, marriage, and fears. Jay addresses misconceptions about two wheelchair users as partners and the dehumanization of disabled people, while both emphasize disability representation in fashion, travel, and everyday life, including a New York runway. Jay shares his work in music production, voice acting, modeling, and neurodivergence through autism and ADHD. They outline OI’s impacts and share Disability Pride mantras about self worth and not letting the world define you.

Love, Access, Fashion, and Pride: The Big Takeaways from Jay & Pamela

⭐ Disability representation on reality TV

❤️ Disabled love, marriage, and partnership

♿ Dual disability relationships and shared lived experience

🎬 TLC’s role in expanding disability visibility

🌈 Disability Pride and unapologetic self acceptance

💬 Breaking assumptions about intimacy, dating, and disabled relationships

🏡 Independent living, accessibility, and building a life together

👗 Adaptive fashion, modeling, and body confidence

📺 Vulnerability, boundaries, and sharing real life on camera

🦴 Understanding osteogenesis imperfecta and rare disability experiences

🚗 Accessible transportation and the need for inclusive mobility options

🏢 Universal design, accessible housing, and beauty beyond ADA minimums

✨ Dreaming bigger than the world expects

🧠 Neurodivergence, confidence, and navigating life authentically

💛 Self worth beyond achievement or external validation

Unforgettable Quotes from TLC’s Jay & Pamela 

“Your value is not by the things that you do. You have value just because you are you.” ~ Jay Thomas Manuel

“Don’t let the world identify you.”  ~ Pamela Chavez Manuel

Where to Listen: Jay & Pamela’s Most Powerful Moments 

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:37 Meet Jay and Pamela

02:12 Dreams and Love Quote

04:31 Season Two Growth

06:53 Vulnerability and Impact

08:44 Sharing Boundaries

11:17 Dual Disability Bias

17:23 New York Runway Moment

20:09 Body Confidence Breakthroughs

21:39 Jay Creative Mission

23:24 Asking for Help

25:47 Overthinking And Neurodivergence

26:49 Explaining Osteogenesis Imperfecta

28:39 Surgeries Hearing And Health Risks

30:09 Season Two Highlights And Pride

32:12 Hopes For Unity And Accessibility

35:48 Future Dreams Modeling Acting Brands

40:40 Big Asks Vans And Accessible Housing

42:17 Disability Pride Mantras

46:51 Final Thanks And Where To Watch 

Connect with Jay & Pamela 

Jay & Pamela on TLC.com | Jay & Pamela Season 2 Official Trailer | Jay on Instagram | Pamela on Instagram | TLC on Instagram

Connect with Alycia

🌐 Website: ⁠⁠https://alyciaanderson.com/⁠⁠

🎙️ Podcast: ⁠⁠https://alyciaanderson.com/podcast⁠⁠

💼 LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyciaanderson/⁠⁠

📸 Instagram:⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/alyciaanderson/⁠⁠

Pushing Forward with Alycia gives disability a voice through conversations about accessibility, inclusion, ambition, resilience, leadership, and creating a more inclusive world for all people.

Subscribe, like, and share to help push the conversation forward.

About Pushing Forward with Alycia

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Alycia Anderson welcomes back Nashville photographer, disability advocate, and Let Them Stare creator Angelea Yoder to discuss her advocacy, her VACTERL Association diagnosis, and the liberation of moving from hiding invisible medical differences to sharing them publicly, including a Good Morning America segment that shifted her fears into feelings of acceptance. Angelea explains VACTERL and how it has impacted her life through multiple anomalies and more than 20 surgeries, and Alycia shares they have the same VACTERL-related experiences. They focus on Angelea’s first Let Them Stare phase, the photography-based children’s book Look at Me: Look What I Can Do, now on Kickstarter to raise $40,000 for self-publishing and printing, with tiers for preorders and donating books to schools and hospitals. They also discuss consent and privacy for disabled kids on social media, and Angelea previews future plans including an adult coffee-table book, a disability-focused modeling agency, and a community hub. The episode’s mantra is simple and powerful: “Let them stare.” 

The Big Ideas Behind the Brave Moments 

📸 Disability representation through real photography and storytelling

👀 Let Them Stare as a movement for visibility and pride

🧒 Helping disabled kids feel seen, celebrated, and less alone

💬 Moving from hidden medical differences to public advocacy

🧬 Understanding VACTERL Association and invisible disability

❤️ Finding liberation through vulnerability and shared lived experience

📚 Creating children’s books that reflect real disabled kids

🛡️ Consent, privacy, and dignity in disability storytelling

🏥 Navigating medical complexity, childhood surgeries, and self advocacy

🌎 Changing how the world sees disability, difference, and possibility

👗 Expanding disability representation in fashion, media, and modeling

✨ Building community around visibility, belonging, and the mantra “Let them stare”

The Quotes We’re Carrying Forward 

“I want to start doing something that can help people and change the world.” ~ Angelea Yoder

“Even if it changes one child’s perspective of, ‘Oh, I’m not alone anymore,’ then this whole thing was worth it.” ~ Angelea Yoder

“I would love to see disfigurement and disabilities in so many more media campaigns and PR campaigns.” ~ Angelea Yoder

“Let them stare.” ~ Angelea Yoder

From Hidden to Seen, One Moment at a Time 

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:25 Meet Angelea Yoder

02:39 From Radio to Purpose

04:44 Hidden to Heard

06:34 Understanding VACTERL

09:52 Shared Diagnosis Bond

13:19 Kids Book Let Them Stare

16:48 Kickstarter Funding Goals

17:35 Kids Privacy Online

22:09 How to Support and Tiers

23:54 Whats Next for Project

26:56 Final Links and Farewell

28:16 Pushing Forward Mantra 

Connect with Angelea Yoder

Keep up with Angelea Yoder, photographer, storyteller, disability advocate, and creator of LET THEM STARE, as she works to change the way the world sees disability, visible and invisible differences, and childhood representation. Her upcoming children’s photo book, Look At Me, Look What I Can Do!, celebrates the strength, joy, and ability of every child.

Back the Book on Kickstarter:

Look At Me, Look What I Can Do! Children’s Book

Website:letthemstare.org

LinkedIn:Angelea Yoder

Instagram:@angeleaphoto

Facebook:Angelea Photo

Connect with Alycia

🌐 Website: ⁠https://alyciaanderson.com/⁠

🎙️ Podcast: ⁠https://alyciaanderson.com/podcast⁠

💼 LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyciaanderson/⁠

📸 Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/alyciaanderson/⁠

Pushing Forward with Alycia gives disability a voice through conversations about accessibility, inclusion, ambition, resilience, leadership, and creating a more inclusive world for all people.

Subscribe, like, and share to help push the conversation forward.

About Pushing Forward with Alycia

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Alycia Anderson welcomes Meaghan Walls, CEO of the Center for Disability Inclusion and president/CEO of Assistology, to discuss how hospitality and events still leave disabled people out and why the upcoming World Cup in Kansas City makes accessibility and disability inclusion urgent across infrastructure, transportation, hotels, and short-term rentals. They explore shortcomings like limited and segregated accessible seating, inaccessible restrooms, and ticketing systems that create major barriers, and Meaghan shares a venue that renovated after losing CDI’s summit due to restroom inaccessibility. Meaghan explains CDI’s beyond-compliance approach, covering AV, counters, wayfinding, information and communication access, and operational practices, and cites disability travel and entertainment spending. She describes the DineAble white paper research on restaurant experiences and dignity, then connects inclusion to hiring by challenging exclusionary job descriptions. They close by promoting the hybrid CDI Disability Inclusion Summit on September 24 and Meaghan’s guiding question: “Who does this not work for?”

Big Ideas for Better Welcome 

🌍 Global events must be accessible from the start

🏨 Hospitality should mean welcome for everyone

♿ Accessibility is more than ADA compliance

🎟️ Disabled guests deserve choice, dignity, and equal access to fun

🚻 Restrooms, seating, ticketing, and wayfinding can make or break the experience

💡 Access is a business opportunity, not a burden

🍽️ Restaurant design impacts dignity, independence, and belonging

💬 The question every business should ask: “Who does this not work for?”

👥 Inclusive hospitality includes both customers and employees

🧠 Mindset, policy, and operations matter just as much as physical design

📣 Disability inclusion creates better experiences for all visitors

🤝 Sustainable inclusion requires collaboration, community, and lived experience

Quotes from Meaghan - Small Lines, Big Access Energy 

“There’s been such a long history of perception that creating access is a financial burden versus an opportunity.” ~ Meaghan Walls

“Every first-time visitor to a space is disabled by the limits of the information that they’re provided when they get there.” ~ Meaghan Walls

“If your employees can’t access the systems, the environments, the processes, or the technology, you’re also missing out on a huge talent pool.” ~ Meaghan Walls

Jump Into the Moments That Matter 

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:25 Meet Meaghan Walls

02:31 World Cup Accessibility Urgency

05:53 Seating Choice And Dignity

11:23 Beyond ADA Compliance

16:24 Tech Barriers And Spending Power

18:56 DineAble Restaurant Stories

24:06 Hospitality Hiring Inclusion

28:44 CDI And Summit Details

33:52 Pushing Forward Moment

34:48 Final Thanks And Sign Off 

Connect with Meaghan Walls

Assistology

Visit assistologyomaha.com to learn more about Meaghan’s accessibility consulting work focused on inclusive environments, assistive technology, and removing barriers to participation.

Center for Disability Inclusion

Explore centerfordisabilityinclusion.org to discover CDI’s resources, business solutions, events, and the upcoming Disability Inclusion Summit.

Connect with Meaghan on LinkedIn

Follow and connect with Meaghan Walls on LinkedIn for more insights on disability inclusion, accessibility, hospitality, and inclusive design.
Connect with Meaghan Walls

Connect with Alycia

🌐 Website: https://alyciaanderson.com/

🎙️ Podcast: https://alyciaanderson.com/podcast

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyciaanderson/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyciaanderson/

Pushing Forward with Alycia gives disability a voice through conversations about accessibility, inclusion, ambition, resilience, leadership, and creating a more inclusive world for all people.

Subscribe, like, and share to help push the conversation forward.

About Pushing Forward with Alycia

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On Pushing Forward with Alycia, host Alycia Anderson welcomes guest Jessica Buchanan, a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, podcast host, and kidnapping survivor, to discuss resilience, mental health, and purpose after trauma. Buchanan recounts how a teacher from Ohio came to work in Somalia in mine risk education for the Danish Demining Group, ignored her intuition after feeling pressured to travel, and was kidnapped at gunpoint with a Danish colleague, held hostage outdoors for 93 days, threatened with being sold to Al-Shabaab, starved, isolated, and fearful of losing her mind. She describes the January 25, 2012 rescue by SEAL Team Six ordered by President Obama and the call Obama made to her father. Buchanan shares her PTSD recovery, therapy and medication, her concept of “surviving survival,” how writing and speaking evolved from her first book Impossible Odds to How to Survive Survival, and her mission to help others turn pain into purpose.

Moment by Moment Through Survival 

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:25 Meet Jessica Buchanan

03:13 From Ohio to Somalia

05:47 The Kidnapping

09:18 93 Days Captive

12:55 SEAL Team Rescue

17:09 Accessibility Check Break

20:15 Aftermath and PTSD

24:15 Reclaiming Her Story

30:39 Building a Platform

34:46 Mission and Legacy

36:25 Pushing Forward Mantra 

Quotes from Jessica

“Listen to my intuition, trust my intuition, and stop deferring to other people to make decisions about my safety and my life.” ~ Jessica Buchanan

“The rescue was only part of it. There’s a second survival phase that comes in the aftermath of your trauma experience.” ~ Jessica Buchanan

“There can be more than one hero in a story.” ~ Jessica Buchanan

The Heartbeats of This Conversation 

💛 Trusting your intuition even when the world pressures you to ignore it

🌵 Surviving the unimaginable one minute at a time

🧠 Protecting your mental health when your body and mind are under extreme stress

🛟 Understanding that rescue is not the end of the survival story

🌱 Healing from trauma through time, therapy, writing, and support

👑 Reclaiming your role as the hero of your own story

📖 Turning lived experience into purpose, memoir, and thought leadership

🤍 Learning that pain does not have to be wasted

🗣️ Telling the truth of your story without shrinking to make others comfortable

🔥 Moving from damsel in distress to empowered survivor

🕊️ Choosing hope when nothing makes sense

👣 Taking the next step forward when life changes everything

💪 Owning your courage after years of survival and recovery

🌍 Using your story to serve others who are navigating their own hard seasons

✨ Living by the mantra: “I don’t understand, but I choose to trust”

Connect with Jessica Buchanan

Jessica’s Instagram | Jessica’s YouTube PlayList | Jessica’s Website

Follow Up with Alycia

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share Feedback with Alycia About the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alycia on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alycia on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Alycia for a Speaking Event⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Inquire on How Alycia Can Train Your Employees in Disabling Ableism⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Alycia’s Disability Inclusion Micro Learning Video Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Alycia Anderson shares an update after a recent medical scare and is interviewed by her sister Corinna from the Slay & Pray podcast. After years without major interventions but with extensive internal reconstruction from her disability, Alycia developed severe abdominal pain and vomiting after eating a large carrot and went to the ER, where a CT scan showed an intestinal obstruction. She was admitted for four days with an NG tube to decompress her stomach, hoping to avoid risky surgery due to prior abdominal operations and scar tissue; her bowels eventually resumed function and the tube was removed. The conversation covers fear, family trauma, accepting support from Marty, Regina, and niece Ella, vulnerability about “invisible” disability issues, postponing work as an entrepreneur, and committing to slower living, dietary changes, and prioritizing health and family.

From ER Scare to Healing Victory: The Moments That Made This Story Unforgettable 

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:27 Medical Scare Update

01:08 Meet The Sister Host

02:26 Health History Context

06:00 Carrot Triggered Pain

07:50 ER Diagnosis Obstruction

10:01 Family Panic Support

14:21 Hospital Tube Ordeal

15:27 Motivation Goals Board

17:19 Vulnerability With Ella

21:12 Hospital Humor Breakthrough

22:23 Let People Show Up

24:00 Marty The Rock

25:12 Colorado Sepsis Warning

26:31 Business Forced Pause

27:35 Community Love Online

29:23 Vulnerability And Stigma

31:17 Tube Out Victory

33:28 Recovery Reset Mindset

34:51 Slow Down And Prioritize

37:01 Pushing Forward Farewell 

Best Quotes

“The invisible stuff that goes on is the harder part of my disability.”  ~ Alycia Anderson

“That does not make me think any other way about you. Never, not one time.”  ~ Corinna 

The Real Life Lessons Hidden Inside a Five Day Hospital Stay 

🏥 When life stops you in your tracks

🦽 The invisible side of disability

🧡 Letting people in when you want to shut down

👯‍♀️ Sisterhood as medicine

👩‍👧 Teaching the next generation through vulnerability

💪 The body’s quiet resilience

🧠 Medical trauma that resurfaces

😂 Finding humor in the hard stuff

🌊 Slowing down is part of pushing forward

❤️ Family as a support system

📱 The power of community showing up

🗣️ Talking about the things we are taught to hide

🙏 Gratitude after fear

🌹 Choosing joy while you can

🎙️ A different kind of advocacy

Follow Up with Alycia

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Alycia Anderson welcomes her mentor and former Chico State professor, Dr. Rebecca Lytle, who has spent 35 years building programs, publishing research, securing grants, and expanding adaptive physical activity and education locally and globally. Alycia shares how Dr. Lytle helped her overcome insecurity as a disabled student and how their early meeting led Alycia into adaptive PE. Dr. Lytle explains her drive for equity and access, shaped by growing up before Title IX, and describes organic program development at Chico State, including adult disability programs, youth programs, and an autism clinic. They discuss adaptive PE as foundational to confidence and independence, offer strategies for inclusive general PE through varied game formats, reflect on ongoing challenges in inclusion and DEI, and highlight international work in India and the UAE. Dr. Lytle’s closing “pushing forward” mantra is to be open to opportunities, take them, and create them.

Lessons for Leaders & Doers

🦋 Mentorship that changes your life before you even realize it

🏫 Adaptive PE as a pathway to confidence, access, movement, and belonging

📚 The history of disability inclusion and how far we have come

⚖️ Equity, access, and the unfinished work still ahead

🌍 Global disability inclusion and what we can learn from programs around the world

💬 The power of dialogue between educators and disabled students

🤝 Creating opportunity instead of waiting for it to appear

🧠 Understanding that inclusion is not one size fits all

🏃‍♀️ Movement as joy, freedom, play, and human connection

👩‍🏫 Great teachers seeing possibility before students can see it in themselves

🌱 Progress happens when we stay open, keep planning, and keep building

🪽 Finding your wings through support, belief, and opportunity

Quotes from Rebecca

 ”Be open to opportunities. Take them and create them.” ~ Dr. Rebecca Lytle

 ”Life is gonna go on. We're gonna keep doing what we do. We're gonna keep working on things and keep trying to make the world a better place.” ~ Dr. Rebecca Lytle

Core Messages Explored

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:25 Meet Dr Rebecca Lytle

03:00 How They First Met

04:06 Why She Chose This Path

06:40 Building Programs at Chico

08:31 Global Work Snowball

11:06 Why Adaptive PE Matters

13:13 Inclusion Tips for Educators

15:14 Sponsor Break Own It

15:44 Creating Joyful Movement

17:45 Advocacy and Dialogue

21:02 Where Inclusion Stands

24:02 Work in the UAE Today

29:11 Sponsor Break Accessibility

29:48 Mentorship Full Circle

31:33 Pushing Forward Mantra

32:06 Final Thanks and Goodbye

Connect with Dr. Rebecca Lytle

Rebecca’s LinkedIn | Rebecca’s Instagram

Follow Up with Alycia

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On Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2026, Alycia and Marty host Shawn Jordison (“The Accessibility Guy”) to discuss why digital accessibility is not just compliance but innovation and human impact. Shawn shares his path from an 18-year-old student worker creating braille and alternate media at a community college to leading accessibility roles across California’s 116 community colleges, then launching his YouTube channel and accessibility business. He describes living with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and recounts a pivotal experience helping a student with a learning disability use text-to-speech to succeed in college. They address common organizational barriers—time, money, overwhelm, and inaccessible tools—and recommend starting with accessible authoring tools, using built-in features like headings and alt text, testing with NVDA, and inventorying content before tackling legacy work. Shawn also explores AI’s growing role in access and ends with “be an accessibility champion” and “accessibility equals usability,” alongside plugs for Own It Mastery Collective and The Accessibility Check.

The Takeaways That Make Inclusion Usable

💻 Digital accessibility as a daily part of modern life

🧠 Accessibility is innovation, not just compliance

🧑‍🦽 Disability inclusion in technology, work, education, and everyday access

📄 Making websites, PDFs, documents, and digital tools usable for everyone

🎧 Assistive technology, screen readers, captions, alt text, and voice tools

🚪 Removing barriers before people are excluded

💡 Accessibility equals usability

🤝 Human impact over checkbox compliance

🏢 Why organizations need to invest time, money, and leadership into accessibility

🛠️ Starting small instead of getting overwhelmed by inaccessible legacy content

📋 Building an accessibility inventory and creating a realistic path forward

🤖 AI as a powerful emerging tool for access and independence

⚖️ Balancing accessibility, cybersecurity, privacy, and policy

📚 Education, employment, and the life changing power of accessible learning tools

❤️ Personal disability stories and the connection between lived experience and advocacy

🏆 Becoming an accessibility champion in your workplace and community

🌱 Progress over perfection in accessibility work

🔥 Making accessibility practical, approachable, and less intimidating

Pull Quotes Worth Turning the Volume Up For 

“Do not compare yourself to anyone else, because comparison’s the thief of joy.”

“Organizations really need to shift the mindset of, ‘This costs too much or it takes too much time,’ and instead bake it in the process.”  

“ I tend to ride the wave versus trying to protect myself from it.” 

Episode Roadmap: Your Accessible Guide Through the Conversation 

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:25 GAAD And Accessibility

03:17 Meet Shawn Jordison

03:37 Becoming Accessibility Guy

07:04 Disability And CMT

10:27 Accessibility Impact Story

13:42 Business Case For Access

15:16 Mindset And Accountability

20:26 Top Digital Access Tips

21:47 Pick Authoring Tools

22:13 Headings And Structure

23:16 Alt Text That Matters

24:22 POUR And WCAG Basics

25:53 Start With New Content

27:15 Time Money And Fear

28:20 Build An Inventory

29:33 Free Tools To Begin

31:23 AI For Accessibility

38:46 Privacy And Policy Tradeoffs

42:01 Accessibility Champion Mindset

44:42 Accessibility Check Wrap Up 

Free Tools to Make Access Less Scary

 ⁠⁠⁠NVDA Screen Reader⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

NVDA is a free screen reader for Windows. Shawn recommended it as a way to start understanding how people who are blind or low vision may experience digital content.

WAVE Web ⁠Accessibility Evaluation Tool

WAVE helps evaluate web pages for accessibility issues directly in your browser. It is available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, and can be useful for testing public pages, password protected pages, intranet content, and dynamic pages.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠axe DevTools Browser Extension

axe DevTools is a browser based accessibility testing extension that helps developers, testers, and designers find accessibility issues early in the web development process.

W3C Web Accessibility Principles⁠

The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative explains the foundational accessibility principles behind WCAG, including perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust, also known as POUR.

Colorado HB21 1110 Accessibility Law⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Shawn referenced Colorado’s accessibility framework as a helpful example for organizations. Colorado HB21 1110 strengthens protections related to disability access and government information technology.

Connect with Shawn “The Accessibility Guy” Jordison

Shawn on LinkedIn | The Accessibility Guy YouTube Channel | The Accessibility Guy Website | Schedule 15 min. With Shawn

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Alycia Anderson welcomes Elizabeth Ansell, founder of #NotJustFatigue, a nonprofit advancing awareness, research, and policy for ME/CFS, and discusses how Elizabeth has driven advocacy and federal policy work while bedbound. Elizabeth shares becoming ill at 26 while working in New York City, years of misdiagnoses, and being dismissed as psychosomatic. She explains teaching herself medicine before being diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, defined by post-exertional malaise and many possible symptoms. She describes launching her organization after learning the disease’s history and stigma. They cover misconceptions tied to the “chronic fatigue” name, the need for education and funding, policy wins including ME/CFS language in the Long COVID Recovery Initiative, and an NIH reporting requirement tied to a 2024 research roadmap. She then explains ways to get involved for May 12 ME/CFS Day using “millions missing,” sharing stories, and donating.

From Challenge to Change

🛏️ What If Your Biggest Impact Happens From Bed?

🌧️ A Journey of Challenges and Advocacy

🔄 We Can’t Change the Past, But We Can Change the Future

🧠 Tackling Misconceptions and Living Within Limits

📊 It’s Not Rare, 90% Aren’t Diagnosed

📣 Pushing for Change with ME/CFS Advocacy

🤝 Joining the Movement

🚀 Pushing Forward

Quotes from Elizabeth

“ It's very sad that we can't change the past with this disease. But right now in the present, we can work for a better future.” ~ Elizabeth Ansell

“I think just keep going, stay determined. For things to change, now is the time that I think it’s happening.” ~ Elizabeth Ansell

Run of Show

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:25 Meet Elizabeth Ansell

02:19 Getting Sick and Misdiagnosed

04:02 What ME/CFS Means

05:12 Life in Bedbound Severity

07:37 Why Fatigue Misleads

09:13 Crashes and Energy Limits

10:42 Stigma and Invisible Illness

12:16 Advocacy From Her Bed

15:23 Millions Missing Community

18:33 Grief and New Purpose

21:09 May 12th Get Involved

23:11 Advice for New Patients

24:34 Support Not Just Fatigue

25:43 Pushing Forward Moment

26:47 Final Thanks and Outro

Connect with Elizabeth Ansell

Elizabeth’s Website | Elizabeth’s TikTok

Follow Up with Alycia

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Alycia Anderson welcomes Mindy Henderson, who is a speaker, author, VP of Disability Outreach and Empowerment at the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and editor-in-chief of Quest Media, to discuss disability advocacy, especially accessible air travel. Mindy explains why adding wheelchair spots on airplanes is complex due to regulation, safety testing, and staff training. They reflect on their shared experiences spending 20 years in tech while trying to “hide” disability. Mindy also describes how job loss pushed her into writing The Truth About Things That Suck and building a speaking platform centered on honest storytelling.

Insights You Can Use

📣 Advocacy Efforts and Challenges

✨ When You Lean Into Who You Are, the Magic Happens

🔄 Like It or Leave It: The Authenticity Pivot

💭 Reflecting on Personal Journeys

🪞 Be the You That Is the You

✍️ The Journey to Writing

🌧️ Adversity Is Universal, And Sometimes Things Just Suck

🚀 Empowerment and Future Directions

😬 Do It Scared: Say Yes, Then Figure It Out

Quotes from Mindy

“Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways we create progress in our world.” ~ Mindy Henderson

“I think that there’s a lot the world needs right now. It just needs good people out there who are afraid, but they're not letting it stop them.” ~ Mindy Henderson

 ”Adversity is a universal truth. It's something that we all experience in one way or another. Sometimes things just suck, and that’s okay.” ~ Mindy Henderson

Play-by-Play Guide

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:25 Meet Mindy Henderson

02:19 Advocacy Priorities Today

04:21 Why Air Travel Is Hard

07:07 New DOT Training Rules

13:52 From Tech to Advocacy

18:07 Finding Your Authentic Voice

23:52 Truth About Things That Suck

26:35 Where to Get the Book

29:08 Do It Scared Finale

Connect with Mindy Henderson

Mindy’s Website | Mindy’s LinkedIn | Mindy’s Instagram | Mindy’s Facebook

Follow Up with Alycia

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