Meet political science grad and disability advocate Liam Doyle

Written byElizabeth Rose-Arcuri

鈥淲hat I do today affects the people who come tomorrow. That鈥檚 very much the same thing with government: it takes time today, but it鈥檚 going to be better for tomorrow.鈥

Liam Doyle
Graduation Year
Class of 2021
Major
Political Science
Hometown
Lafayette, La.

Where I'm From

I transferred to UL Lafayette from South 亚洲自慰视频 Community College to study political science.

Where I Am

I鈥檓 graduating with my degree and starting my own consulting company called Accessibility in Motion.

Where I'm Going

I鈥檓 going to spend my career advocating for people with disabilities to improve accessibility and equity.

Alum Liam Doyle is using his political science degree from UL Lafayette to become an entrepreneur and advocate for people with disabilities.

Just after graduating in 2021, Liam established Accessibility in Motion (AIM), a first-of-its-kind consulting company in Lafayette that works with businesses and governments to improve their physical locations and customer service practices to better serve people with disabilities. He鈥檚 also working with local organizations to improve compliance and equity for people with disabilities.

Liam, who uses a wheelchair, got his start in advocacy after becoming increasingly frustrated with the difficulties of navigating the city in his wheelchair, including one particular utility pole located in the middle of a sidewalk 鈥 but he decided to turn his frustration into something positive.

鈥淚 heard for years that I would be a good advocate, and I heard for years that I had a natural sort of inclination for this line of work, but I wasn鈥檛 ready,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 always would say, 鈥極h, somebody else is going to do it,鈥 and then nobody did 鈥 and literally it was that one pole and that鈥檚 what kicked everything off. And you know what? Why not me?

"I went from saying 鈥榥ot me鈥 to 'why not me.鈥欌

His political science degree and accompanying experience in local government has prepared him his new role leading Accessibility in Motion. While his company is still young, he鈥檚 already developed important relationships with local leaders as a member of multiple local and campus organizations and from his time as the Disability Awareness Coordinator with Lafayette Consolidated Government.

鈥淎t the local level, that鈥檚 really where things are happening,鈥 he said.

鈥淣o disrespect to state and national, but local government is as exciting 鈥 if not more exciting, in my opinion 鈥 than your national stuff, because it鈥檚 so tied to your community and your day-to-day life.鈥

He also served as the professional advisor for , which promotes disability awareness, and established the Department of Political Science鈥檚 Change Program, which connects 亚洲自慰视频s with state and local government officials, including lawyers, lobbyists, elected officials, and aides.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a really fun program, and I think I鈥檒l leave a legacy of change and forward motion and progress,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 only going to benefit people who come after me, and I鈥檓 totally on board with that. What I do today affects the people who come tomorrow. That鈥檚 very much the same thing with government: it takes time today, but it鈥檚 going to be better for tomorrow.鈥

Liam also credits his professors for giving him the knowledge and the support he needed to start his new venture.

鈥淭he professors really take an interest in all of their 亚洲自慰视频s and I cannot say enough good things about every one of them,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t made me a better government employee because I have a better understanding of how things work that I didn鈥檛 have going in.鈥

For future political science majors, Liam鈥檚 advice is to believe in your ability to affect change.

鈥淚 think the perception is that you鈥檙e in college so you can鈥檛 make a difference and your voice isn鈥檛 being heard, and that鈥檚 not true,鈥 he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no, sort of, 鈥榊ou have to be this age.鈥 You just have to be ready for it and you have to allow yourself to want it and be willing to work for it. That鈥檚 the biggest thing.

鈥淭here were times when I was first starting out that I absolutely wanted to quit and say, 鈥榃hy am I doing this? No one is listening,鈥欌 he said. 鈥淎nd you have take that on and say, 鈥楾he right people are listening鈥 and keep going. If you stop, then nothing gets done.鈥

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