In Part 1 of this special episode of The Advocacy Life Podcast, host Kevin G. Núñez welcomes public speaker, podcast host, and certified life coach Bryce Wooden to the show. Bryce brings humor, honesty, and deep wisdom as he shares his accidental entry into the disability advocacy space—from training as an Ironman triathlete to finding his voice through Toastmasters.
Tune in as Kevin and Bryce tackle some of the most pressing conversations in the community today, including:
Navigating life with Cerebral Palsy and the reality that disability is a shared human experience.
Breaking down the “disability hierarchy” and moving past the misconception that everyone’s needs are identical.
Defining true independence: finding freedom, leisure, and community connection both inside and outside the disability space.
Overcoming imposter syndrome and advocating for legislative changes in employment and accessibility.
What happens when you’ve given everything you have to an advocacy role, but you feel yourself stalling?
In Season 4, Episode 17 of The Advocacy Life, host Kevin Nunez takes us through his decade-long journey as a disability advocate. He discusses the realities of working within day programs, the challenge of institutional transitions, dealing with advocacy burnout, and his transition to national board leadership with the NACDD.
Key Topics:
Where We’ve Been: Reflections on entering the advocacy space in 2016.
Day Program Dynamics: Supporting individuals leaving institutions and training DSP staff.
Navigating Burnout: Recognizing when you’ve reached your limit and need a new challenge.
Council Service: Serving nearly a decade on the NJCDD and expanding to national work.
The Future: Building positive male representation in disability
In this deeply personal and special episode of The Advocacy Life Podcast, host Kevin Nunez shares his personal testimony as a follower of Jesus Christ. Living with quadriplegic spastic cerebral palsy, Kevin opens up about his journey—from navigating life’s physical limitations and isolation to the pivotal moment in 2020 when God met him right where he was.
This isn’t about preaching or converting anyone; it’s an honest, judgment-free story about surrender, finding purpose through grace, and realizing that God’s plans are always bigger than our own. Whether you are a person of faith or simply looking for an encouraging perspective on overcoming life’s struggles, this story is for you.
When we advocate, are we standing up for ourselves or fighting for the collective community? In Season 4, Episode 15 of The Advocacy Life, host Kevin Nunez dives into the controversial line between “me” and “we.”
While real policy change takes a community, effective advocacy starts with someone brave enough to step in front of the camera, put their name out there, and show up where decisions are made. Kevin breaks down why social media is only the springboard for advocacy—not the end game—and shares practical, grounded strategies for making your voice heard.
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In this episode, we talk about:
Moving beyond social media algorithms and showing up at local town meetings.
How to balance personal needs with community-wide legislative goals.
Practical tips for presenting your case to elected officials with data, impact, and respect.
Using human connection—from small talk to common interests—to build real bridges with policymakers.
🔔 Subscribe to The Advocacy Life for more unfiltered conversations on disability policy, faith, and authentic advocacy!
Is disability a punishment? A blessing? An inspiration? Or a detriment to society? These are heavy questions that many people are too afraid to ask, but on The Advocacy Life, we don’t do “comfortable.”In this episode, Kevin Nunez explores the complex duality of living with a disability. Moving past the “sanitized” versions of advocacy, Kevin discusses the “Good in the Bad”—the idea that you cannot have success without struggle, and you cannot have the “good” without accepting the “bad.” From Star Trek science officers to the deep theological questions of why disability exists, this episode is a call to find balance, ignore the noise of negativity, and accept your full self.In this episode, we discuss:The Nerd Minute: Kevin’s secret time-waster and his new captaincy on the USS New Jersey in Star Trek Online.The Spectrum of Perspective: Is disability a curse, a benefit, or a moral resource?The Balance of Life: Why accepting the “bad” is the only way to truly experience the “good.”Survival vs. Success: Breaking down the mindset required to move from a state of “regressing” to a state of “progressing.”The Power of God’s Grace: How faith plays a role in finding positivity amidst life’s hardest certainties.“You’re not going to have the good without the bad. You’ve got to learn to accept both. Find the balance. Find success.
Show Notes None for this episode.Episode Transcripthttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1WUagj4u6dhH5ovD0IYK1K05IVjywgjMQ/edit?usp=drivesdk&ouid=111303226198366895898&rtpof=true&sd=true
Why is it that in the movies we watch and the reality TV we consume, disability is only portrayed in a handful of ways? Why are we always the “inspiration” or the “tragedy,” but never just the person?
In this episode of The Advocacy Life, Kevin Nunez delves into the “Exposure Method” to explore how American media sanitizes the disability experience. From the “cute” portrayals on TV to the harsh reality of “survival math” and the lack of “days off” from a diagnosis, Kevin bridges the gap between how the world sees us and how we actually live.
Welcome back to The Advocacy Life Podcast! In this crucial episode, “The Wheelchair Tool,” we are bridging the gap of understanding between the public and mobility devices. Host Kevin Nunez addresses common misconceptions and misunderstandings about wheelchairs, clarifying the difference between an electric wheelchair and a scooter. Key Takeaways in this episode:Tool, Not a Toy: A wheelchair is an expensive, customized life tool, not an accessory, handbag, or luxury item. Kevin’s new chair, for which he’s been fitted, costs between \$50,000 and \$60,000. The New Chair Goal: Kevin shares his goal of getting a new wheelchair with a rise function to allow him to speak and interact at eye level, and to reach higher shelves. Wheelchair Etiquette 101: Learn the dos and don’ts of interacting with someone in a wheelchair: Never hang off the back or push the chair without permission. Never grab the joystick. Stop the overused, disrespectful jokes like, “How fast does that thing go?”. Defense Mechanism: Kevin discusses how the wheelchair serves as his only defense in public, even during an active shooter drill. Maintenance & Health: The importance of regular servicing, and how being vigilant (like Kevin) can help prevent pressure sores (which are preventable, unlike what happened to Christopher Reeve). Be respectful, be kind, and realize the person in the chair is just trying to live their life the best way they can.Episode Transcripthttps://turboscribe.ai/transcript/share/8457760100267752062/wmlNVLD4RKnq15t6xT7_ZC8Fqyt3qGD_oniImTCAIPI/tal-s4-e2-the-wheelchair-tool
Welcome back to The Advocacy Life Podcast and Vlog! We are kicking off 2026 with a brand new season of episodes, focusing on what truly matters: Gratitude and Goals! Host Kevin Nunez is back after missing November and December (life happened, including a kitchen remodel and he’s bringing quality over quantity by switching to two high-quality episodes a month.In this episode, Kevin gets personal, sharing what he’s deeply thankful for:Family and Friends: A huge shout out to the family (Dad, Mom, Stepdad, etc.) who help set up the podcast equipment, and to friends—the initial reason he started podcasting. Growth: Being thankful for the podcast evolving from sketchy cell phone recordings to a fully-developed show, and for hitting 200 subscribers on theadvocacylife.com alone! Health Victories: Celebrating a major victory in 2025: the first year in about five years without any surgeries or major hospitalizations. Small Connections: Sharing a major connection made at a state function that led to sending in a resume for a potential staff position with Governor-Elect Mikey Sherrill. Then, he lays out his ambitious goals for 2026:Writing: Finishing his third book, the conclusion to the Living Beyond Disability series, which focuses on Disability Policy 101 for self-advocates. Personal Victory: Buying new clothes and new accessible Billy Shoes—a huge deal after losing weight and dealing with the constant battle of finding shoes that fit orthotics.
Social Life: The deeply personal goal of making a real, close friend to talk to more regularly.
False hope can be a comforting lie, but it often leads to greater disappointment. In this powerful and incredibly honest episode, Kevin Nuñez tackles the sensitive topic of false hope within the disability community, sharing his personal experiences and why he believes brutal honesty, paired with empathy, is essential.
Evin recounts his own childhood experiences with doctors and therapists who gave his family false expectations about “walking again,” only to face repeated letdowns He argues that this practice, often well-intentioned, can be more damaging than helpful, especially for children who internalize these unfulfilled promises as personal failures This isn’t just about physical rehabilitation; it extends to broader societal interactions where people offer empty reassurances about things they don’t understand
This episode challenges us to rethink how we support and communicate with individuals with disabilities[cite: Kevin advocates for a balance of empathy and realism, pushing for genuine understanding over platitudes He asks why we celebrate minimal progress instead of recognizing the full, complex lives people with disabilities lead, and stresses the importance of fostering self-love and self-respect in a world that often measures worth by physical ability.
We all have them, don’t we? Those big, audacious dreams we’ve held onto since childhood. For me, it was a dream of civic engagement, of being a voice for change. From a young age, I pictured myself in politics, influencing policy, and making a difference. That dream evolved into a very specific goal: to serve on a national advocacy board, to contribute at the highest level to the very movement that defines my life.
I poured my heart into the application process. I spent countless hours writing, refining, and preparing. I felt confident, invigorated by the thought of this “dream job.” When the rejection email landed in my inbox, it was a punch to the gut. The dream, the vision I had held for so long, seemed to evaporate. It was a stark reminder that even with passion and purpose, some doors just don’t open the way we expect.
But here’s where the story takes an unexpected turn, a turn that became the inspiration for my latest podcast episode. Just two hours after receiving that devastating “no,” my phone rang. It was an offer to serve on a different national board—an opportunity I hadn’t even considered, a door I didn’t even know existed.
This experience brought a profound realization: advocacy isn’t about the title, the recognition, or the specific platform. It’s about being a voice for the voiceless. It’s about “planting the seed for a tree that someone else will sit under.” It’s about the relentless pursuit of a more just and inclusive world, regardless of the path we take to get there.
This episode is a raw, honest look at the emotional rollercoaster of pursuing a dream, facing rejection, and finding unexpected redirection. It’s a vital reminder for all of us to be aware of the “windows and doors that are open,” even when they’re not the ones we initially envisioned. A “no” isn’t always a dead end; sometimes, it’s the universe nudging you toward an even better, more impactful journey.
So, if you’ve ever felt the sting of a dream deferred, if you’re wondering what your next step should be, or if you simply need a dose of inspiration to keep fighting for what you believe in, this episode is for you.
Are you ready to see how a “no” can lead to your next “yes”?
