The narrative of success is often defined by overcoming obstacles, yet for extraordinary leaders, the obstacle itself becomes the engine of their mission. Alycia Anderson embodies this philosophy. Living with Sacral Agenesis, her journey has transformed a lived experience with disability from a perceived limitation into an undeniable source of professional strength and global empowerment. As the founder of The Alycia Anderson Company, she has established herself not just as a speaker and advocate, but as a crucial advisor, helping organizations worldwide understand that inclusion is not a compliance chore but a tangible growth strategy.
Her work is a testament to the power of reframing one’s personal story. Through keynotes, workshops, and her popular podcast, Pushing Forward with Alycia, she challenges the status quo of accessibility and leadership. ENSPIRE Magazine recently ask Alycia couple questions about the defining moments that forged her purpose, the biggest misconceptions she tackles in corporate spaces, and her ultimate vision for a “Disability-Forward” decade where belonging is a lived reality for all.
Your journey of turning a lived experience with Sacral Agenesis into a mission of empowerment is incredibly inspiring. What pivotal moment or realization helped you embrace your disability as a source of strength rather than a limitation?
Alycia’s mission began with a profound shift in personal perspective. The turning point, she explains, was realizing her disability wasn’t an obstacle to manage but a compass to follow. Having lived 15 years before the ADA and decades after it, she had a front-row view of the barriers and the breakthroughs. When she began sharing her story openly, she saw how it unlocked permission for others to reframe their own narratives. That moment—when her purpose crystallized—was the genesis of building a Disability-Forward life and business where difference is positioned as value. Through her company, her lived experience became a strategic asset and fuel for programs that transform mindset into action. Embracing disability as strength didn’t make her world smaller; it expanded her capacity to lead, to love, and to serve. Alycia moved from “hiding” to “showing up,” and everything changed to opportunity and mission-driven impact. The lesson is clear: our most honest truths are our greatest tools. When we lead by owning identity, honoring story, and offering practical frameworks, we don’t just rise ourselves; we lift entire communities with us.
You often speak about reshaping perspectives on accessibility and inclusion. From your work with corporations and organizations, what misconceptions about disability do you encounter most often, and how do you break them down?
In her work with corporations and organizations, Alycia frequently tackles misconceptions about disability and accessibility. The biggest misconception she encounters is that accessibility is a cost center or simply a compliance chore. In reality, she asserts, accessibility is a growth strategy. Companies also often assume disability is rare, but it is part of being alive and touches every family, every market segment, and every stage of life. A Disability-Forward approach flips this narrative. Inclusive design expands customer reach, accessible culture unlocks talent, and representation drives innovation. Alycia breaks these myths with data and stories showing how small shifts—like captioning, flexible processes, accessible meetings, and inclusive hiring—deliver outsized returns. Leaders begin to see that accessibility isn’t an add-on; it’s a pathway to innovation and equity. Most importantly, accessibility builds belonging. When disability is framed as expertise, not an exception, teams stop asking, “Do we have to?” and start saying, “How fast can we?” That shift from obligation to opportunity is where momentum begins and lasting change takes root.
As the host of Pushing Forward with Alycia, you’ve interviewed leaders, executives, and Paralympic athletes. What recurring theme or lesson has stood out to you in those conversations that reinforces the importance of inclusion?
As the host of Pushing Forward with Alycia, she has interviewed leaders, executives, and Paralympic athletes. Across these diverse conversations, one truth keeps shining: when people have access, understanding, and encouragement, they do extraordinary things. Guests share the moments a door opened through an adaptive tool, a teacher who believed, or a community that rallied, and how that spark grew into possibility. The podcast serves as a blend of storytelling, toolkit, and heart, exploring how everyday choices in how we speak, design, teach, and cheer each other on can reshape culture. The show honors intersectionality, listens deeply, and learns out loud so that more of us feel seen, supported, included, and ready to act. Having recently celebrated 100 episodes, the podcast is consistently giving disability a voice in popular culture every single week.
You’ve been featured by major companies like AT&T, NBC, and Victoria’s Secret. What does it mean to you personally to see disability inclusion being embraced in mainstream media and corporate spaces, and where do you think there is still room for growth?
Having been featured by major brands like AT&T, NBC, and Victoria’s Secret, Alycia recognizes that this reach signals a crucial cultural shift: disability isn’t a sidebar, it’s center stage. Personally, it confirms that her work resonates. Professionally, it amplifies her “Heart of Inclusion” message to the people who shape products, policies, and pop culture. However, visibility is only the starting line. Real growth looks like accessible content from concept through distribution, disabled creatives behind the camera and in the control room, and leadership pipelines that move talent from entry-level to executive. It requires universal design baked into roadmaps, budget lines dedicated to access, and KPIs that reward inclusive outcomes. Partner moments open doors; operational excellence keeps them open. The future Alycia envisions is consistent, measurable, accountable inclusion, where featuring disability isn’t considered bold anymore—it’s simply how business is done.
Beyond your professional work, you’re an athlete and enjoy tennis and cycling. How has sports shaped your mindset around resilience, and how does it connect with the way you inspire others to push forward in their own journeys?
Beyond her professional advocacy, Alycia is an athlete who enjoys wheelchair tennis and hand cycling. She credits sports with teaching her the rhythm of resilience: focus, adapt, reset, repeat. On court and on the road, she learned to read conditions, conserve energy, build strength, and choose courage on every point. This mindset mirrors her professional work: show up fully, adjust quickly, and keep moving forward. Sports proved that strength isn’t the absence of challenge; it’s the practice of continuing anyway. Alycia carries that lesson into every workshop, inviting audiences to define their next “push forward” with a tangible action, not a perfect plan. Progress is faster and stickier when we celebrate small wins and build accessible habits. Most of all, sports remind her to keep fun and joy in the journey, ensuring that when people feel that joy, they’re far more likely to push forward together.
Looking ahead, what is your ultimate vision for the disability inclusion movement? What changes would you like to see in the next decade across workplaces, communities, and culture at large?
Looking ahead, Alycia’s ultimate vision is for a Disability-Forward decade, where accessibility is instinctive and leadership is truly representative. She wants to see disability inclusion act as the spearpoint of progress—the catalyst that drives systemic change in areas long stuck in resistance or inertia. Disability has always intersected with every identity and barrier; it holds the key to unlocking better systems for everyone and should be recognized as our common ground. In the next decade, she envisions workplaces treating accessibility like cybersecurity: non-negotiable, funded, and measured. Universal design will become standard, procurement will require accessibility, and AI will be built with disabled expertise at the table. She wants disability sports in primetime, the media normalizing disability across storylines, and communities investing in barrier-free public spaces. Most profoundly, Alycia seeks a future where belonging is felt, not just as a DEI target but as a lived reality. When disability is seen as both strategy and strength, we will not just change policy—we will expand what is possible for all.
Alycia Anderson’s journey from overcoming personal barriers to building a global platform is a powerful reminder that our authentic identities are our greatest professional tools. Her work challenges leaders across every sector to stop viewing accessibility as an expense and start recognizing it as the foundation for innovation, market growth, and truly representative leadership.
Her message is clear: the future of equity is Disability-Forward. Whether you are leading a corporation or navigating your own personal journey, her practical frameworks and unflinching honesty provide the guidance needed to take that tangible next step. We invite you to explore her work, subscribe to Pushing Forward with Alycia, and find out how you can champion this transformative vision, moving beyond compliance to truly create a world of belonging.
