Paula Golladay

When one considers writing their story generally the focus is on one topic or segment of the individuals life story; otherwise the story tends to meander here and there with no true purpose or logical ending.  One should also leave the reader or listener yearning to hear the next chapter.

The chapter of my life that resonates with this presentation is Individuals with Disabilities (IWD).  The quick run down of my personal disabilities.  I am a bilateral below the knee amputee, which was acquired in 2002 and 2009. 2022 brought about the new adventure in being an amputee I joined the ranks of not only being a double lower limb amputee I am now a left below the knee and a right knee disarticulation, basically a long above the knee. I was born with a mind that felt dyslexia and dyscalculia would bring a bit of an adventure in learning such as reading and doing math.  In 1995 I was in a severe car accident once again acquiring the last two entities in the disability chain; traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  Nothing like being a well round IWD!

I have been an advocate for disability rights and respect for as long as I can recall.  Some of the key are of my advocacy are: employment rights, reasonable accommodations, health systems that do not make it nearly impossible for IWD’s to receive care, let alone health parity.  Parity in my mind means regardless of my disability I should be treated as well as someone who appears not to have a disability.  Hospitals are not required to follow the ADA or the ABA regulations!  Yet, most hospitals have a fall risk governance, amongst many other health tracking criteria.  If you do not want to place a patient, family member or visitor in a situation where a fall is very possible, ensure that all barriers are fully removed. If you expect people or are blind or low vision and your hospital programs, i.e. any electronic communication, is not coded so a screen reader can read the data, you failed in providing care for the person. I could go on and on; yet this is supposed to be a short bio about why fighting the health care system is vitally important.  Want more information? Start a conversation? See me at the event!