From isolation to advocacy
For many disabled students, getting around campus can be extremely difficult. The lack of ramps, elevators and handicapped parking spaces can cause more barriers for the disabled community.
However, one former Fresno State student, Alfonso Reyes, wants to change that.
Reyes was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy when he was 2 years old.
“So they always be like, Oh, muscular dystrophy doesn’t look that bad, but reality is progressing,” Reyes said. “It affects, like, all the muscles. You know, honestly, I don’t know how many muscles there are in our body. So, yeah, it affects. So it was getting harder.”
He completed his associate’s degree at Fresno City College before transferring to Fresno State in 2021.
Reyes was at Fresno State during the coronavirus pandemic, which made it extremely hard for him to make friends. Because his disability is progressive, it became harder for him to focus on his schoolwork, so he dropped out.
“I was dealing with mental health after that,” Reyes said. “And yeah, it’s a long story. Like isolation. I went to see a therapist. She diagnosed me with isolation.”
Isolation is when someone is constantly alone or apart from other people for long periods of time. It is typically diagnosed in elderly communities, but it also affects disabled communities.
But Reyes decided to turn his isolation into advocacy.
In October 2025, Reyes started his own YouTube channel, called Muscular Dystrophy Warrior. There, he interviews other people who have similar diseases and spreads awareness for the disabled community.
He was inspired to start a YouTube channel by his best friend, Victor Guerra, who has spinal muscular atrophy.
“[He said], ‘I needed something to look forward to,’ and I was like, for me at the time, it was content creation,” Guerra said. “I began a YouTube channel, which I am so grateful for as I was navigating my own mental health journey.”
Both Reyes’ and Guerra’s channels are dedicated to spreading awareness for the disabled community, and they primarily focus on improving accessibility in areas around Fresno and on college campuses.
Ramps, elevators and doorways are just some of the places that need improvements at Fresno State, according to Reyes. He also thinks there should be more handicapped parking spaces.
As Reyes continues to make YouTube videos, he always wants to leave viewers with this message.
“There’s more to the disability,” Reyes said. “There’s beyond the chair. In my case, I say beyond the chair, beyond a walk or beyond a cane, beyond the disability.”