Inclusion Superwoman and TEDx Speaker Alycia Anderson is gearing up for the 100th episode of her podcast Pushing Forward with Alycia.The 100th episode will air on July 31st and is the perfect wrap up for July which is Disability Awareness Month. When she started the podcast a couple years ago, this milestone was the furthest thing from her mind. Not one to shy away from a challenge, Alycia’s podcast is bringing conversations about disability and inclusion to the forefront of our culture which is not always easy to do given the current climate. But it is Alycia’s brilliant insight and beautiful storytelling that compels people to stand up and take notice of what she is saying. The world needs people like Alycia Anderson to shed light on these difficult topics and make us think and hopefully act differently. Thank you Alycia, for taking time for this important interview and congratulations on 100 episodes!
Q: You’re the host of Pushing Forward with Alycia. With everything you were already doing, why did you want to jump into podcasting?
A: Speaking on stages lets me reach hundreds or thousands of people at a time, but a podcast can sit in someone’s earbuds while they’re commuting, meal-prepping, or rolling down a trail. I wanted another lane where the conversation could breathe longer than a keynote, where I could spotlight voices that don’t always make it onto conference agendas, and where listeners could hit replay whenever they need a boost. Creating that on-demand, judgment-free space felt like the natural next step in my mission to “give disability a voice.”
Consistency, education, and openness are the engines that keep that mission moving, and they’re the keys to lasting change. Showing up with a new episode week after week reminds our community that these conversations aren’t seasonal; they’re a steady heartbeat. Each guest teaches me and our listeners something new, expanding our collective understanding of the disability experience far beyond my own lived perspective. And by staying radically open about the joys and the messiness of life on wheels, I invite others to be just as candid about their journeys.
I began this podcasting adventure simply to share a bit more of my story, but it quickly blossomed into a platform for elevating the stories of others. My goals were straightforward: push myself to move the dialogue out of the office and into everyday life, dive deeper into advocacy by learning about all kinds of disabilities, and keep building my brand so I could shine even brighter as a “roll-model.” If someone hears an episode and thinks, “If Alycia can do that, maybe I can too,” then every early-morning recording session and every late-night edit is worth it.
Q: Pushing Forward is celebrating its 100th episode this month. When you released Episode 1 back on June 29, 2023, did you imagine you’d ever hit triple digits?
A: Honestly, I was focused on getting the trailer out the door and hoping someone other than my sister would press play! Hitting 100 felt light-years away, but I promised myself I’d show up every Thursday. Two years and almost 100 Thursdays later, here we are.
And what a journey it’s been: we’ve racked up more than 45 hours of listening time, welcomed over 80 incredible guests who dared to share their personal stories, and reached tens of thousands of listeners in 1,350-plus cities across 70 countries.
The consistency, the community, and the stories we’ve shared made the milestone feel inevitable yet still magical when it finally arrived.
Q: The show opens up dialogue about inclusivity and diversity. What do you hope people take away, and what conversations do you want it to spark?
A: I hope listeners finish each episode with two things: language they can use and courage to use it. Whether that’s asking for a ramp at a local coffee shop, advocating for captioned videos at work, or simply saying “disability” out loud instead of whispering, I want the podcast to turn empathy into action. My dream dinner-table conversations sound like, “Hey, did you know accessibility helps everyone, not just wheelchair users?” or “I just learned what ableism really means. Let’s make sure we’re not practicing it.”
Beyond that, I hope every episode nudges people with disabilities to live fuller, more adventurous lives and expect far more than society often prescribes. I want parents of disabled children to picture independence for their kids—not just care—by easing the fear, stigma, and bias that so often surround disability and shifting the dialogue from pity to empowerment.
And for employers, I’m building bridges to reveal the unique business upside of an inclusive workforce: the creativity born of adaptation, the innovation that follows, and the very real return on investment when goods and services are tailored to the world’s 1.85 billion disabled people and their $13.5 trillion in collective buying power. When those three groups: disabled individuals, families, and employers start talking to one another differently, that’s when real inclusion scales.
Q: How has the podcast evolved over the years?
A: In the beginning it was me, a USB mic, and friends who graciously let me hit record. Today the production is tighter, the guest list spans five continents, and our topics have grown from my personal story to intersectional issues like race, gender, mental health, and tech accessibility.
We launched with a fantastic creative team on the East Coast producing those early episodes, transitioned to my husband Marty as producer when we wanted a more intimate, DIY feel, and now we’re training our company’s very first official hire to assist with production.
It’s taken twists and turns I never could’ve mapped out, and when I look back at how far we’ve rolled, it’s honestly hard to believe, but deeply rewarding to see what consistent passion and community can accomplish. The heart’s the same, but the beat is louder and reaches farther.
Q: Episode 100 drops July 31 to wrap up Disability Pride Month. Was that timing intentional, and what does the month mean to you?
A: I wish I could say I masterminded that from Day 1, but the calendar lined up on its own and I took it as a sign. Disability Pride Month marks the anniversary of the ADA, which unlocked so many freedoms in my life. Releasing our 100th episode during this month feels like planting a celebratory flag on the journey toward true equity. It’s a reminder that pride isn’t just a party; it’s a promise to keep pushing forward.
Every year I devote to this movement deepens that sense of pride and makes me ask bigger questions: Why aren’t we, as a nation, celebrating the disabled lived experience more visibly? Why aren’t we mining the life lessons that disabled people can teach us about resilience and creativity? Why aren’t we showcasing disability inclusion as a model for the rest of the world?
Disability Pride Month is our chance to flip the script. It’s a moment for disabled people to honor their own resilience, for friends and families to celebrate their loved ones, and for employers, businesses, and governments to spotlight how much progress (and innovation) our disabled communities have driven. Hitting Episode 100 in the middle of that celebration feels like one more reason to roll forward, louder and prouder than ever.
Q: If we lived in a perfect world, what would disability inclusion look like?
A: It would look like curb cuts we don’t have to fight for, captions on every video, adaptive clothing hanging right beside straight-size racks, and disabled innovators sitting at every decision-making table, not because it checks a quota, but because our perspectives drive excellence. In that world, the word “ableism” would feel as outdated as dial-up internet.
True disability inclusion would also mean never feeling a jolt of anxiety when I roll into a public restroom, wondering if the accessible stall is free, or if someone’s using it as their private office. It would erase the extra labor of giving every venue a heads-up that a wheelchair user is coming, trusting instead that my seat, space, or ticket already guarantees access. In a perfect world, inclusion would thread through every facet of life from movies and vacation spots to shopping, dining, and effortless transportation, so no one with a disability ever feels like a “special case” again.
The tedious hunt for hidden “accessibility” buttons during online checkout would disappear, replaced by platforms built for all bodies from line one of the code. And the digital ease would be matched and only outshined by the brick-and-mortar spaces designed so thoughtfully that accommodation feels like the delightful default, not an afterthought. That’s the standard we should be aiming for: a world where access is automatic, dignity is assumed, and every door, literal and figurative, opens without a second thought.
Q: When you’re not immersed in work, what fuels your well-being, and does it influence your craft?
A: Cycling along the Sacramento River, singles & doubles tennis with friends, road-tripping with my husband Marty, and play-dates with my identical twin and her daughter keep my wheels and my heart spinning. But at the root of it all is a commitment to daily movement: cardio sessions that get my lungs working, weight- and balance-training whether I’m at the gym or following virtual adaptive programs at home, even weaving fitness into everyday routines like walking the dog, tending the garden, or tackling house projects. Physical well-being is my guiding light; building strength and stamina isn’t just self-care, it’s the foundation that lets me show up fully for the work I do. Movement reminds me of my body’s power, travel reminds me why access matters everywhere, and together they fuel the optimism and resilience I bring to the mic and the stage.
Q: Looking ahead, what projects or goals excite you most?
A: Looking ahead, I’m truly lit up by what’s next, it feels like a season of planting seeds that I know will grow into something beautiful and impactful. I’m continuing to expand my speaking and inclusion training, helping organizations move from performative to transformative culture shifts. My first nonfiction book is in the works, sharing my journey and a roadmap for building truly inclusive spaces.
I’ve also got a few passion projects in early stages: a children’s book to spark inclusion from day one, an adaptive product line designed by and for our community, and a master course to mentor upcoming advocates, teaching them how to share their story, build their brand, and turn passion into purpose.
These dreams are rooted in everything I stand for: possibility, purpose, and pushing forward, together. And that’s how I roll.
