Travis Davis is a University of New Mexico alum, having graduated in 2016 with a master’s degree in adapted physical education. Since completing his degrees, Davis has worked as a disability advocate, consultant, coach and public speaker. He said that what he wanted to impart to students was the importance of thinking big and not limiting oneself.
“Having a visible disability or using crutches or a wheelchair, it just adds extra attention,” Davis said. “In order for me to be a self advocate, in order for me to get the things that I want as a person with a disability, I have to be vocal. In order for me to be vocal, I have to communicate, and that really pushed me out of my comfort zone, because if you’re not vocal about what you want and what your needs are, you’re never gonna get them.”
In 2025, Davis gave his second TEDx talk on how his crutches became a source of strength. The talk featured and introduced “CRUTCH” as an acronym, standing for creativity, resilience, understanding, trust, confidence and heart.
“It was about growing up with cerebral palsy and using forearm crutches. For a long time, I felt like those were a detriment, or it was a disadvantage,” Davis said. “But as I got older and graduated with my undergrad and with my master’s degree, I realized that my crutches actually were a source of strength. So I came up with a crutch acronym to help people understand that their limitations could actually be a strength.”
Davis said his UNM experience helped him learn more about the different perspectives of people with various disabilities.
“It was not only enriching for me as a student with a disability, but it gave me more perspective of other disabilities that I hadn’t really come in contact with,” Davis said. “I took great classes, like legal rights for persons with disabilities, nonprofit management, human sexuality for individuals with intellectual disabilities. That gave me more of a foundation to not only to be more grounded as a professional, but as someone that has a disability to work in that area.”
Next for Davis is a talk at DisruptHR — an organization centered around bettering human resources professionals — in Albuquerque on April 20.
“I don’t put limits on what I can do,” Davis said. “If I’m able to do it, then there’s no reason why a student at UNM, I mean, who may have a disability, we may not. That’s, in my opinion, irrelevant, because you can always figure out a way.”
Davis also shared words for students with disabilities at UNM and beyond about the importance of finding community.
“Any goal that you want to do is gonna be difficult. And it can be increasingly difficult when you have a disability. So, I would say keep persisting and find community,” Davis said. “Even if those individuals don’t have a visible disability, there is still power in connecting with a professor, or other students on campus, that are involved in a group that may not have anything to do with disability, because your perspective matters. And so, because your perspective matters, anybody is able to take away something through your lived experience.”
In his mind, accessibility and inclusivity should remain a priority for the University, especially as it prepares to undergo a leadership change, Davis said.
“I think that we’re always striving to be better, but partner with the Office of Equal Opportunity and the Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator at UNM. Find out from students through the accessibility resource center, ‘what’s not working?’” Davis said. “Have that be part of the dialogue for the incoming president. I think that’s widely important to the success of the University, because if you make it accessible for those with disabilities, you’re making it accessible for everybody.”
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Addison Fulton is the culture editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
