S115: Advocacy in Healthcare

In this heartfelt episode, Kim Wardlow is joined by longtime advocate and educator Melissa Green, who shares her deeply personal healthcare journey as a blind individual navigating a system often unprepared for true accessibility. Melissa talks candidly about a life-threatening overdose due to a pharmacist’s error, fighting stigma in hospitals, and how she advocates for herself and others in medical spaces. From Script Talk and accessible pharmacy tools to setting expectations with caregivers and doctors, Melissa’s wisdom is practical, passionate, and born from experience.
Listeners will walk away with strategies for advocating in healthcare settings, understanding their rights, building a support team, and utilizing assistive technology. Whether you're new to advocacy or a seasoned pro, this conversation will inspire courage and reinforce the value of persistence, education, and self-worth.

Chapter Markers
00:00 – Welcome to Navigating Life with Vision Loss
00:25 – Intro to Melissa Green & Today’s Topic
01:35 – Melissa’s Background and NFB Involvement
02:48 – A Life-Threatening Overdose & Systemic Failures
07:17 – What is Script Talk and How It Can Help
09:19 – Advocating for Yourself in Medical Settings
11:47 – Navigating Medical Assumptions & Caregiver Support
16:29 – The Role of Caregivers and Communication
18:36 – Educating Doctors and Dealing with Multiple Providers
21:00 – Building “Team You” – Creating a Support System
23:07 – Legal Complaints, Litigation, and ADA Questions
25:31 – Innovations: Script Talk, Accessible Pharmacy, & Health Fairs
28:34 – Assistive Tech Tools: Be My Eyes, Seeing AI, and More
30:56 – In-Home Care Support and Local Programs
33:22 – Final Advice for Healthcare Advocacy