Episode 133: When the System Underestimates You: Fighting for Inclusive Healthcare

Send us Fan MailWhat does health equity actually look like for someone living with a disability—and what happens when the healthcare system makes assumptions instead of listening? In this episode, Sandy speaks with Daniel Hodges, attorney, healthcare administrator, disability advocate, and president and co-founder of Peaces of Me Foundation. Daniel shares his deeply personal journey of living with multiple disabilities, navigating complex medical conditions, and confronting discrimination within healthcare and other systems.Daniel recounts the painful experience of having his ability to parenting questioned while his infant daughter was receiving cancer treatment, simply because both parents were blind. He explains how bias, inaccessible facilities, inadequate training, and a lack of representation continue to create poorer healthcare experiences for people with disabilities. Sandy and Daniel also discuss why communication, trust, and rapport with a provider can be just as important as credentials—and why patients must feel empowered to understand their conditions, ask questions, and seek care that respects their lived experience.The conversation also highlights the mission of Peaces of Me Foundation, which connects individuals, families, providers, and organizations with education, professional training, peer support, and accessibility resources. Daniel offers a powerful message of hope: authentic inclusion is possible when we stop treating equity as a box to check and begin creating solutions alongside the people most affected. This episode is an important reminder that accessibility is a human right, every patient deserves to be heard, and meaningful change begins by meeting people where they are.Resources:Peaces Of Me FoundationPlaybookAIPartners - AI SolutionsPlaybook AI Partners PodcastWant to be a guest on Get Savvy...Demystifying Healthcare? Send Sandy Kibling a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/getsavvydemystifyinghealthcareSupport the show