Send us a text with a question or thought on this episode ( We cannot replay from this link)
Experience the groundbreaking perspectives of disability advocacy as we sit down with Bryce Rafferty, a passionate staff attorney with the Colorado Cross Disability Coalition. Discover how his personal journey through rehabilitation in Switzerland sheds light on the stark differences in care between Swiss and American systems. As Bryce shares his firsthand experiences, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how societal values shape healthcare priorities, particularly for those with spinal cord injuries and invisible disabilities. This episode promises to empower listeners with practical advice for maintaining strong relationships with medical professionals and effectively documenting medical conditions, especially for those with invisible disabilities.
Uncover the crucial importance of accessing and safeguarding your personal medical records, a topic often overlooked but vital for anyone seeking accommodations or legal support. We highlight the role of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace, drawing inspiration from successful legal cases. Listeners will learn about obtaining medical records without fees and the necessity of secure platforms for managing this sensitive information. Through our conversation, we equip you with the knowledge to navigate these complexities with confidence.
Finally, explore the power of collaboration among disability-focused nonprofits as we spotlight efforts in Colorado and beyond. By examining the roles of influential organizations like the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, we emphasize the importance of building strong networks to tackle diverse issues such as accessibility and invisible disabilities. This episode serves as a call to action, urging you to adopt a proactive approach to advocacy and systemic change. Through active participation, we can influence disability rights and ensure that our societal values are reflected in the law, creating a more inclusive world for everyone.
Website endobattery.com
Empowering Disability Advocacy and Education
Speaker 1
0:02
Welcome
to
EndoBattery
,
where
I
share
my
journey
with
endometriosis
and
chronic
illness
,
while
learning
and
growing
along
the
way
.
This
podcast
is
not
a
substitute
for
medical
advice
,
but
a
supportive
space
to
provide
community
and
valuable
information
so
you
never
have
to
face
this
journey
alone
.
We
embrace
a
range
of
perspectives
that
may
not
always
align
with
our
own
.
Believing
that
open
dialogue
helps
us
grow
and
gain
new
tools
always
align
with
our
own
.
Believing
that
open
dialogue
helps
us
grow
and
gain
new
tools
.
Join
me
as
I
share
stories
of
strength
,
resilience
and
hope
,
from
personal
experiences
to
expert
insights
.
Speaker 1
0:33
I'm
your
host
,
alana
,
and
this
is
EndoBattery
charging
our
lives
when
endometriosis
drains
us
.
Welcome
back
to
EndoBattery
.
Grab
your
favorite
cup
of
coffee
or
tea
and
join
me
at
the
table
.
Today
I'm
continuing
an
important
conversation
with
my
guest
,
bryce
Rafferty
.
Bryce
is
a
dedicated
staff
attorney
with
the
Colorado
Cross
Disability
Coalition
,
where
he
works
tirelessly
to
advocate
for
disability
rights
,
including
those
with
invisible
disabilities
.
So
settle
in
and
let's
dive
into
part
two
of
this
empowering
discussion
.
If
you
need
a
quick
refresher
,
here's
where
we
paused
last
time
and
what's
ahead
in
our
conversation
.
Speaker 2
1:13
To
take
it
back
to
disability
and
health
.
So
I
get
injured
in
a
shallow
water
diving
accident
with
someone
.
I'm
20
years
old
and
I
am
five
days
into
a
study
abroad
semester
in
college
and
the
Swiss
gave
me
the
green
light
to
go
to
their
premier
spinal
cord
injury
facility
,
to
SPC
in
Lucerne
.
Now
I
also
went
to
Craig
Hospital
here
in
the
States
and
this
is
not
a
slight
at
all
.
On
Craig
Hospital
,
I
love
Craig
Hospital
and
it's
one
of
the
best
institutions
for
spinal
cord
injuries
and
brain
injuries
in
the
country
.
The
difference
is
at
SPZ
in
Switzerland
.
First
of
all
,
the
facility
.
Everything
was
integrated
.
They
had
their
own
ICU
,
their
own
surgical
unit
.
They
had
170
beds
.
They
had
a
ton
of
outpatient
services
as
well
as
inpatient
services
.
Speaker 2
2:04
It
was
also
the
headquarters
for
all
the
Swiss
Paralympians
and
Paralympic
teams
.
It
had
sports
facilities
,
basketball
courts
,
pools
that
were
also
used
by
the
community
.
But
the
plan
of
action
for
a
new
injury
like
myself
was
as
a
quadriplegic
,
you're
there
for
nine
months
.
Is
as
a
quadriplegic
,
you're
there
for
nine
months
.
If
you're
a
paraplegic
,
which
for
the
audience
means
you
know
you
have
generally
full
use
of
your
arms
and
full
dexterity
,
so
I
mean
you
can
kind
of
transfer
yourself
.
You're
in
a
manual
wheelchair
,
your
upper
body
looks
totally
normal
,
but
still
like
six
months
,
nine
months
for
a
quadriplegic
.
I
mean
at
Craig
Hospital
you're
lucky
to
get
three
.
Wow
.
Now
here's
the
difference
Nine
months
inpatient
at
that
hospital
SPZ
in
Switzerland
not
only
gives
your
body
enough
time
to
physically
recover
but
it
also
gives
you
enough
time
to
learn
how
to
be
functional
.
You
know
,
for
instance
,
you
learn
how
to
do
all
the
transfers
that
you're
going
to
need
to
be
able
to
do
,
how
to
take
care
of
yourself
.
They
work
with
you
to
modify
your
home
,
get
that
done
while
you're
in
the
hospital
.
They
work
with
your
employer
to
get
you
the
reasonable
modifications
or
accommodations
that
you
might
need
.
If
you
have
the
function
to
be
able
to
drive
,
they
teach
you
how
to
drive
and
either
put
adaptive
equipment
in
your
existing
vehicle
or
help
you
get
a
vehicle
that
you
can
drive
.
By
the
time
you
leave
SPZ
,
you
have
done
the
amount
of
work
and
growth
,
or
at
least
planted
the
seeds
for
growth
,
that
you
would
be
lucky
to
achieve
in
five
to
10
years
at
Gregg
Hospital
as
an
outpatient
,
coming
back
for
yearly
re-evaluations
.
Speaker 2
3:48
What
that
indicates
is
a
distinct
societal
priority
to
set
people
with
disabilities
up
for
independent
living
and
success
from
jump
,
as
opposed
to
this
reactive
.
Oh
well
,
we're
only
going
to
pay
for
two
months
,
three
months
,
and
those
are
for
the
lucky
people
who
have
good
insurance
,
Right
,
you
can
pay
for
it
.
Right
,
if
you're
not
lucky
,
you
just
kind
of
figure
it
out
.
And
so
,
yeah
,
switzerland
is
one
third
the
size
of
the
state
that
I'm
currently
residing
in
.
It
has
eight
million
people
,
Right
,
and
it
is
unrealistic
for
us
to
emulate
their
system
.
It
is
realistic
for
us
to
emulate
their
values
and
to
transpose
those
values
into
our
system
.
Speaker 2
4:35
I
mean
,
there's
nothing
saying
that
that
form
of
health
care
means
communism
or
socialism
.
You
can
have
a
capitalist
society
and
free
markets
,
so
make
money
off
of
medical
equipment
and
pharmaceuticals
and
what
have
you
but
set
people
with
disabilities
out
for
success
and
have
a
more
thriving
society
as
a
result
.
But
society
has
to
really
demand
that
and
right
now
the
forces
that
be
have
done
a
phenomenal
job
of
dividing
us
along
pretty
much
every
line
that
exists
,
and
when
you
have
a
situation
like
that
,
then
you
really
can't
come
together
for
anything
progressive
.
Coming
back
to
advocacy
,
really
,
and
the
law
it's
yeah
,
you
get
a
nice
little
fancy
degree
,
you
put
in
a
lot
of
hard
work
,
you
work
hard
,
but
the
mentality
does
not
require
a
license
.
So
how
do
you
help
people
with
invisible
disabilities
?
You
decide
as
a
society
that
you're
going
to
help
people
with
invisible
disabilities
and
you
do
it
,
and
the
way
that
takes
shape
is
going
to
be
unique
for
every
country
and
their
way
of
you
know
making
these
things
happen
legally
and
practically
.
Speaker 1
5:46
Yeah
,
what
are
some
ways
that
people
can
prepare
if
they
have
a
case
?
How
can
individuals
document
their
disability
or
medical
condition
to
strengthen
their
case
when
requesting
accommodations
,
filing
legal
complaints
,
anything
like
that
?
What
are
some
practical
tools
that
they
can
do
to
help
in
that
scenario
?
Speaker 2
6:04
Paperwork
.
Speaker 1
6:06
Darn
paperwork
.
Every
time
I
know
I
was
like
I
got
forged
,
of
course
,
paperwork
no
.
Speaker 2
6:12
Having
a
good
relationship
with
your
doctor
and
putting
in
the
effort
to
get
a
good
medical
team
.
Speaker 1
6:18
Yeah
,
that's
key
.
Speaker 2
6:19
Seeking
out
doctors
that
actually
give
a
damn
about
you
and
will
help
you
connect
with
resources
that
will
put
you
in
the
best
position
.
You
have
to
document
what
your
disabilities
are
.
Speaker 2
6:32
Sometimes
you
know
you
have
to
go
and
have
like
a
hearing
in
front
of
a
judge
and
have
,
you
know
,
a
doctor
present
evidence
and
you
get
this
disability
determination
.
Social
security
does
this
,
medicaid
does
this
?
It's
a
pain
in
the
ass
but
that's
how
you
do
it
.
And
the
same
thing
goes
for
getting
accommodations
At
school
or
at
work
.
You
have
to
have
a
documented
disability
and
the
really
hard
thing
with
CFSME
and
all
these
mental
illnesses
and
invisible
disabilities
is
that
there
aren't
pre-existing
definitions
and
because
you
can't
see
it
,
it's
hard
to
understand
it
,
even
for
doctors
and
you
know
,
I've
talked
with
doctors
about
this
because
there's
always
going
to
be
people
who
go
in
and
don't
really
have
that
disability
and
pretend
to
do
it
I
mean
,
we
saw
this
with
ADHD
.
Speaker 2
7:25
Sometimes
it's
to
get
their
hands
on
medication
,
sometimes
it's
to
get
accommodations
.
But
yeah
,
that's
what
we're
fighting
against
.
But
I
think
the
best
way
to
set
yourself
up
for
success
is
to
get
that
cohesive
medical
team
with
specialists
,
and
I
mean
this
is
,
you
know
,
calling
out
on
the
medical
profession
here
to
avail
yourselves
to
help
out
.
But
it's
also
,
I
mean
,
it
should
be
legal
as
well
.
I
mean
there
should
be
much
more
transparent
ways
to
find
the
ability
to
get
that
documentation
.
And
,
again
,
this
is
a
societal
thing
,
but
as
it
exists
right
now
,
I
would
say
,
you
know
,
just
documenting
your
disability
will
lead
you
to
the
subsequent
steps
.
Speaker 1
8:08
Right
.
Can
you
explain
the
process
for
filing
a
complaint
with
the
Equal
Employment
Opportunity
Commission
,
which
is
the
EEOC
for
Disability
Discrimination
?
Because
this
is
kind
of
something
that
people
deal
with
the
discrimination
piece
of
it
and
they're
not
sure
what
steps
to
take
next
in
filing
those
complaints
.
Some
of
the
stories
I
hear
are
heartbreaking
and
that's
why
I
think
this
is
important
.
What
are
some
of
those
steps
for
filing
that
complaint
?
Speaker 2
8:34
I'm
not
as
versed
with
the
EEOC
but
to
my
knowledge
I
mean
,
I
think
a
lot
of
it
is
you're
going
to
have
to
go
and
file
a
complaint
,
complaint
online
,
and
and
there's
,
unfortunately
,
they
have
discretion
on
which
cases
to
take
.
Now
their
obvious
strength
in
numbers
too
.
So
if
you
have
a
group
of
people
that
can
form
kind
of
a
class
,
that
you
can
go
through
the
eeoc
or
other
administrative
agencies
and
actually
,
you
know
,
know
,
file
complaints
to
people
.
But
I
think
now
,
like
these
days
,
everything
is
online
.
So
I
mean
it's
as
simple
as
going
on
the
EEOC
website
,
finding
local
offices
,
looking
up
attorneys
that
are
in
your
zip
code
who
do
that
kind
of
work
,
and
I
mean
it's
insufficient
really
the
process
and
that's
the
simple
answer
Accessing and Protecting Personal Medical Records
Speaker 2
9:28
.
Speaker 2
9:28
But
I
think
,
beyond
filing
complaints
with
the
EEOC
,
I
really
think
there
needs
to
be
more
enforcement
of
not
just
DEI
but
equal
opportunity
in
employment
and
we
need
to
actually
hold
employers
to
that
commitment
.
And
I
mean
it
felt
like
it
was
getting
momentum
there
for
a
second
and
then
COVID
happened
and
you
know
there's
a
lot
going
on
in
the
world
and
in
the
country
.
So
but
this
,
this
gets
back
to
having
this
be
a
priority
and
not
prioritizing
,
you
know
,
just
winning
at
somebody
else's
expense
.
Yeah
,
the
zero
sum
game
has
to
really
stop
and
then
we
can
actually
get
to
a
situation
where
we
can
file
with
the
EEOC
or
like
not
have
to
file
with
the
EEOC
.
Speaker 1
10:19
That
would
be
great
.
Let's
just
not
get
to
that
point
.
That
would
be
really
helpful
.
Speaker 2
10:25
Let's
skip
all
that
.
But
I
mean
,
I
personally
I
haven't
filed
with
the
EEOC
and
I'm
not
too
familiar
with
it
,
to
be
perfectly
honest
,
but
I
know
that
actually
there
was
a
handful
of
professors
,
women
at
DU
law
school
who
did
file
a
big
complaint
for
getting
underpaid
and
that
went
through
and
they
were
awarded
millions
of
dollars
for
back
pay
and
,
uh
,
so
their
credit
.
They
all
stayed
and
you
know
du
is
a
better
place
for
it
.
But
yeah
,
I
think
piggybacking
on
finding
someone
to
represent
a
group
of
people
helps
with
these
agencies
like
whatever
the
the
cause
may
be
yeah
but
if
you
can
get
a
group
together
,
then
you
can
hold
employers
accountable
.
Speaker 2
11:13
Yeah
,
and
once
,
once
one
precedent
is
set
,
then
it
becomes
customary
,
and
so
you
can
expect
it
.
Speaker 1
11:21
It's
hard
it's
,
I
.
I
think
part
of
that
too
is
being
prepared
,
knowing
your
rights
,
knowing
your
legal
rights
to
be
able
to
claim
what
you
are
going
to
claim
.
That's
a
big
part
of
the
reason
why
a
lot
of
us
don't
advocate
as
much
as
because
we
don't
know
.
We
don't
know
what
the
law
state
,
we
don't
know
what
our
rights
are
when
it
comes
to
this
.
So
I
think
it
can
be
very
challenging
to
kind
of
navigate
that
first
step
.
But
knowing
that
,
I
think
,
would
,
in
my
mind
,
be
number
one
,
and
then
kind
of
filling
out
those
claims
with
support
from
people
who
do
understand
it
would
be
key
if
I
were
to
take
that
step
.
Thankfully
I
haven't
had
to
do
that
With
everything
chronic
illness
related
.
Speaker 1
12:01
Your
records
are
going
to
be
the
master
key
because
for
a
lot
of
us
,
when
you
go
in
and
you
get
your
care
,
we
leave
the
hospital
,
we
don't
access
our
records
the
way
we
should
,
we
don't
hold
a
file
there
.
And
you
get
your
care
,
we
leave
the
hospital
,
we
don't
access
our
records
the
way
we
should
,
we
don't
hold
a
file
there
and
you
have
right
to
all
of
your
documentation
.
So
getting
all
of
your
documentation
at
the
time
of
your
visit
or
the
time
of
your
procedure
or
surgery
is
important
and
you
have
every
right
to
them
.
Speaker 2
12:27
And
,
yeah
,
this
is
a
great
point
.
It's
a
massive
point
.
The
NSA
has
a
much
better
path
to
all
my
personal
information
than
I
personally
do
.
All
these
tech
companies
,
social
media
,
are
gleaning
information
off
of
us
in
society
.
To
get
all
of
our
documentation
Right
,
have
all
of
it
in
one
place
,
to
not
have
to
like
go
to
this
portal
than
that
portal
.
Oh
no
,
this
hospital
is
not
in
this
system
.
I
got
to
go
over
here
.
I
feel
like
that
is
something
that
needs
to
happen
either
,
both
at
the
governmental
level
and
I
mean
you
could
have
you
get
public
private
partnerships
all
over
the
job
these
days
.
I
mean
,
just
create
some
sort
of
platform
where
you
can
have
,
like
,
all
your
medical
information
encrypted
and
then
be
able
to
access
that
for
purposes
of
employment
or
for
purposes
of
accommodation
.
We
have
so
much
paperwork
these
days
and
we're
also
very
far
beyond
the
filing
cabinet
phase
of
history
.
Speaker 2
13:41
So
you
software
people
out
there
.
Speaker 1
13:44
Get
it
together
.
We
need
help
.
Make
an
app
Right
.
Make
an
app
.
Speaker 2
13:48
Encrypt
and
integrate
.
If
I
could
have
some
sort
of
virtual
filing
cabinet
,
you
might
want
to
cut
this
part
out
,
so
we
can
make
a
bunch
of
money
off
this
idea
.
Speaker 2
14:00
But
just
generally
speaking
,
you
do
need
to
have
some
easier
way
to
access
your
information
and
be
able
to
send
it
to
different
entities
,
whether
that
be
your
employer
,
whether
that
be
the
government
,
for
purposes
of
health
care
,
private
health
care
,
the
IRS
this
really
should
be
in
one
place
,
and
then
if
you
have
just
these
bigger
highways
where
you
can
kind
of
move
your
personal
information
,
in
a
safe
way
Right
.
Speaker 2
14:36
I
think
there
will
be
less
ambiguity
to
it
and
less
opportunity
for
hacks
and
breaches
and
all
that
I
mean
.
There's
just
way
too
many
siloed
administrative
areas
where
your
personal
information
is
kept
,
so
I
hope
that
in
the
future
,
in
the
near
future
,
that
becomes
a
lot
more
accessible
,
easier
to
organize
and
easier
to
transmit
.
Speaker 1
14:56
And
it's
your
right
to
have
your
records
.
So
if
any
doctor
puts
up
a
fit
about
your
records
or
says
they
don't
have
them
,
it
is
your
right
to
have
your
records
.
Some
people
try
to
charge
you
for
your
records
and
there
are
,
I
think
,
some
certain
ways
around
that
.
Yeah
,
oh
,
yeah
,
oh
yeah
.
Speaker 2
15:11
Oh
yeah
,
you're
right
.
Yeah
,
there's
always
a
fee
.
Speaker 1
15:14
There's
a
fee
,
but
there's
ways
around
it
.
Yeah
,
If
you
go
to
a
provider
for
,
say
,
a
second
opinion
and
you
request
you
send
your
documents
to
them
,
they
will
oftentimes
it
off
for
you
and
it
will
be
for
no
fee
.
So
there's
ways
around
it
.
And
that's
not
for
everyone
and
that's
certainly
from
an
international
standpoint
.
I
don't
know
how
that
would
work
,
but
from
the
US
standpoint
it
is
still
your
right
to
obtain
all
your
records
.
They
belong
to
you
.
You
own
those
records
.
They're
on
you
.
Are
there
resources
and
organizations
you
recommend
for
people
with
invisible
disabilities
who
need
legal
assistance
or
guidance
that
they
National Disability Advocacy Collaboration and Networks
Speaker 1
15:53
can
get
?
Speaker 2
15:53
The
Colorado
Cross
Disability
Coalition
.
Speaker 1
15:56
Check
Yep
.
Speaker 2
15:59
For
sure
.
Disability
Law
Colorado
,
the
Colorado
Center
for
Law
and
Policy
,
ARC
.
There
are
a
ton
of
different
nonprofits
.
Atlantis
is
more
of
a
center
for
independent
living
,
but
one
thing
that
I've
realized
just
in
my
short
time
working
for
a
nonprofit
in
this
space
is
that
there
needs
to
be
more
of
a
collaborative
approach
with
these
nonprofits
and
relationship
,
because
really
the
key
to
it
all
the
people
who
work
in
these
different
entities
.
They're
really
excited
to
work
with
each
other
and
to
work
with
the
people
in
the
government
and
the
people
in
the
government
who
write
the
Medicaid
rules
or
in
the
legislature
.
I
mean
it
makes
their
job
easier
if
you
have
people
on
the
advocacy
front
collaborating
with
them
.
So
I
think
those
names
that
I
mentioned
are
obvious
ones
.
Speaker 1
16:51
And
those
are
more
specific
to
Colorado
,
but
I'm
sure
in
other
parts
of
the
country
there's
other
groups
and
organizations
that
do
the
same
thing
.
Speaker 2
16:58
The
problem
is
that
they're
all
specific
to
.
It's
not
a
problem
,
but
it
does
create
more
of
a
compartmentalization
for
each
unique
disability
,
each
unique
disability
.
So
for
mental
disabilities
,
I'm
not
as
well
versed
with
those
entities
because
I
mean
I'm
physically
a
disability
myself
,
but
I
do
feel
like
there
needs
to
be
more
national
.
I
mean
there's
,
for
instance
,
for
spinal
cord
injuries
,
there's
the
Christopher
and
Dana
Reeve
Foundation
and
I'm
working
to
help
found
the
Colorado
Paralysis
Foundation
which
is
a
chapter
of
the
Reeve
Foundation
.
I
mean
in
Colorado
,
that's
great
.
But
I
feel
like
there
needs
to
be
more
relationships
between
states
and
nationally
.
And
it's
hard
.
I
mean
it
takes
a
lot
of
organization
and
,
like
we
were
talking
about
before
,
each
state
,
all
the
Medicaid
and
each
state
has
its
own
issues
and
rules
and
regs
for
disability
and
avenues
for
advocacy
.
But
the
fact
that
I
can't
readily
rattle
off
10
or
at
least
a
handful
,
is
a
problem
.
Speaker 2
18:13
There
are
organizations
like
Wheels
Up
is
one
that
is
working
on
making
flying
more
accessible
for
people
in
wheelchairs
.
There
are
people
who
are
really
pushing
the
congressional
representatives
and
state
people
who
are
in
charge
of
these
carriers
like
Delta
and
United
to
actually
make
seats
that
fold
up
and
widen
the
entrances
to
airplanes
that
you
can
roll
in
and
not
have
to
get
thrown
around
out
of
your
mobility
device
.
I
mean
,
flying
is
an
absolute
nightmare
.
Everybody
who's
in
a
wheelchair
will
immediately
be
able
to
relate
to
this
.
But
there's
a
lot
of
very
special
purpose
advocacy
groups
and
that's
one
thing
that's
unique
.
Speaker 2
19:02
it's
gotten
recognized
and
why
a
lot
of
people
in
the
state
and
regionally
want
our
input
on
laws
on
different
areas
,
backgrounds
,
having
different
disabilities
and
working
together
and
invisible
disabilities
is
a
very
new
area
from
the
advocacy
standpoint
and
really
all
of
this
is
like
I
was
saying
earlier
.
It's
I
have
to
pinch
myself
sometimes
because
it's
all
very
new
in
terms
of
you
know
of
the
ADA
coming
out
34
years
ago
,
but
a
lot
of
the
major
court
cases
that
are
having
a
big
effect
on
how
the
ADA
plays
out
in
things
like
access
to
medical
care
,
getting
an
interpreter
American
Sign
Language
interpreter
in
a
hospital
,
or
even
for
your
intake
for
Medicaid
I
mean
these
are
cases
that
are
happening
right
now
or
happened
last
year
,
2022
,
23
,
24
.
It's
an
iterative
process
,
it's
slow
,
but
I
think
petitioning
your
governor
,
petitioning
your
representatives
and
petitioning
federal
politicians
one
way
you
do
that
is
through
advocacy
groups
.
Another
way
you
do
that
is
through
advocacy
groups
.
Another
way
you
do
that
is
with
your
vote
.
Speaker 1
20:31
Yep
,
absolutely
.
I
think
those
are
all
really
key
points
to
make
.
I
love
that
you
although
you're
not
necessarily
always
in
the
invisible
endometriosis
chronic
illness
community
you're
seeing
the
correlation
between
having
that
team
and
having
a
good
,
solid
foundation
for
your
care
and
then
your
rights
and
understanding
.
Working
now
as
a
team
coming
together
.
Start
your
advocacy
when
you
can
start
your
advocacy
it's
never
too
late
to
advocate
,
it's
never
too
late
,
and
just
starting
that
now
will
be
the
change
that
we
Leveraging Advocacy for Systemic Change
Speaker 1
21:03
need
.
Something
you
said
we
as
a
community
need
to
be
more
proactive
and
not
reactive
,
which
is
what
our
government
and
our
laws
are
really
essentially
doing
,
and
the
system
,
the
health
system
is
more
reactive
right
now
.
My
wish
would
be
for
our
society
to
become
more
proactive
instead
of
reactive
,
because
I
think
that
would
create
a
lot
more
of
a
streamlined
system
that
benefits
the
people
,
not
the
dollar
.
Speaker 1
21:28
But
I
think
it
would
help
the
big
entities
as
well
.
Speaker 2
21:30
It
would
.
But
to
your
point
,
being
reactive
and
sitting
and
waiting
for
something
to
happen
,
I
think
is
not
just
a
problem
on
a
big
societal
level
.
It's
a
problem
on
an
individual
level
and
there's
a
lot
of
discontent
and
there's
a
lot
of
just
kind
of
waiting
for
somebody
else
to
do
it
.
And
then
there's
also
a
lot
of
discontent
and
there's
a
lot
of
just
kind
of
waiting
for
somebody
else
to
do
it
.
And
then
there's
also
a
lot
of
emphasis
on
right
now
,
as
long
as
I'm
okay
right
now
,
you
know
tomorrow
,
and
that's
a
problem
.
That's
not
good
.
And
if
you
don't
have
the
,
if
you
live
in
a
rural
community
,
you're
far
away
from
you
know
,
metropolitan
centers
and
it's
difficult
for
you
to
go
get
involved
in
advocacy
groups
.
I
mean
,
there
are
things
especially
with
how
interconnected
everybody
is
.
Everyone's
living
on
the
web
these
days
.
Be
creative
.
Speaker 1
22:17
Yeah
.
Speaker 2
22:18
Be
hopeful
and
understand
that
like
because
people
are
kind
of
like
sitting
back
and
watching
everything
like
it's
a
movie
that's
a
big
opportunity
for
you
to
be
a
character
,
and
so
I
think
you
know
every
day
if
people
can
make
an
effort
to
connect
with
other
people
,
to
then
make
other
connections
with
other
people
,
to
then
make
changes
in
attitude
,
to
then
,
make
changes
in
policy
.
Speaker 2
22:46
It's
an
approach
and
we
live
in
a
huge
country
.
You
know
,
there's
what
like
330-something
million
people
in
the
United
States
,
but
people
who
think
on
big
scales
are
just
needed
.
I'm
going
to
make
a
really
corny
reference
.
But
there's
this
great
movie
,
disney
movie
,
called
Tomorrowland
and
it
kind
of
focuses
on
this
whole
idea
that
I'm
trying
to
convey
is
that
people
are
just
kind
of
all
consuming
the
doom
and
gloom
side
of
things
and
in
each
and
every
moment
that
they're
doing
that
,
they're
giving
up
the
opportunity
to
actually
do
something
about
it
.
The
other
big
misconception
,
I
think
,
especially
when
it
comes
to
law
and
there's
a
lot
of
like
Hollywood
movies
,
that
kind
of
focus
on
this
there's
always
,
like
this
dystopian
you
know
top
down
,
heavy
handed
government
that
needs
to
be
overthrown
,
and
then
you
know
there's
this
hero
that
comes
along
and
they
take
over
,
and
then
it
never
talks
about
what
happens
after
that
.
But
you
don't
need
to
do
that
right
.
Speaker 2
23:53
What
I've
learned
really
in
my
experience
with
with
the
law
going
through
law
school
and
just
working
in
it
I
mean
,
it's
not
the
architecture
of
the
system
that's
the
problem
,
it's
the
people
that
are
the
problem
and
it's
the
money
that's
the
problem
.
I
remember
I
forget
what
class
it
was
somewhere
in
college
,
but
there
was
a
student
from
,
I
think
it
was
,
south
korea
.
We
were
in
a
political
science
class
and
she
just
raised
her
hand
.
She's
like
you
know
,
in
my
country
,
if
you
give
a
lot
of
money
to
a
politician
to
do
something
that
you
want
them
to
do
is
called
bribery
.
What's
the
difference
here
?
Well
,
the
legal
difference
is
in
the
United
States
,
if
you
give
money
in
the
form
of
a
bribe
,
it's
called
lobbying
and
it's
considered
free
speech
.
That's
protected
under
the
Constitution
and
the
First
Amendment
.
So
that's
an
an
issue
.
Speaker 2
24:46
But
if
people
can
overcome
the
feeling
that
they're
captured
,
these
systems
that
are
in
place
,
and
actually
be
open
to
having
a
conversation
with
somebody
and
like
working
together
and
finding
other
people
and
making
changes
I
mean
people
in
the
government
are
willing
to
listen
.
You
can
find
a
lot
of
people
that
are
willing
to
listen
.
You
can
find
a
lot
of
people
that
are
willing
to
listen
.
And
if
you
have
grassroots
movements
that
gain
enough
traction
,
then
that's
how
all
the
major
changes
in
law
have
happened
in
society
.
You've
had
large
,
small
,
then
large
groups
of
people
come
and
demand
change
,
and
that's
how
the
Civil
Rights
Act
was
passed
.
That's
how
the
Environmental
Protection
Act
was
passed
.
That's
how
society
progresses
from
a
legal
standpoint
,
but
I
think
the
change
in
attitudes
preliminarily
is
the
big
thing
.
Speaker 1
25:38
Right
,
that's
so
true
.
So
moral
of
the
story
today
is
it's
not
all
just
about
the
law
,
it's
about
the
people
who
change
the
law
to
help
others
.
I
think
that's
being
active
in
that
decision
making
I
think
is
key
to
changing
how
the
system
plays
out
.
And
I
do
think
there's
a
lot
of
red
tape
and
I
definitely
see
it
within
the
endometriosis
community
.
I
definitely
see
it
with
how
things
are
formulated
in
our
care
.
But
it
really
does
come
down
to
advocacy
and
how
we
as
patients
push
that
advocacy
to
the
point
of
change
.
And
I
want
to
encourage
people
.
If
you
don't
know
how
to
get
involved
in
advocacy
,
there
are
groups
everywhere
.
Speaker 1
26:17
I'm
part
of
a
nonprofit
for
endometriosis
advocacy
.
It's
important
to
be
part
of
that
so
you
know
what
change
needs
to
be
made
and
just
being
aware
of
it
can
be
impactful
.
Bryce
,
thank
you
so
much
for
taking
your
needs
to
be
made
and
just
being
aware
of
it
can
be
impactful
.
Bryce
,
thank
you
so
much
for
taking
your
time
to
sit
down
with
me
and
go
through
all
of
that
,
and
I
appreciate
your
passion
and
your
drive
for
people
with
disabilities
,
including
those
with
invisible
disabilities
.
I
appreciate
that
and
the
work
that
you're
doing
here
in
Colorado
will
impact
the
greater
areas
of
our
country
,
so
I
appreciate
what
you're
doing
.
Speaker 2
26:48
Yeah
,
thank
you
.
And
to
your
earlier
point
,
yes
,
there's
a
lot
of
red
tape
,
yes
,
there's
a
lot
of
legalese
that
you
have
to
get
through
to
make
things
happen
and
it
seems
insurmountable
sometimes
.
But
at
the
end
of
the
day
,
the
law
is
a
reflection
of
societal
values
,
plain
and
simple
.
And
so
there's
a
big
need
with
invisible
disabilities
,
mental
illness
,
it's
a
huge
need
,
and
I
think
the
burden
is
on
society
as
a
whole
and
on
people
without
disabilities
to
say
,
hey
,
let's
actually
make
some
change
.
And
it's
not
just
up
to
those
people
,
it's
up
to
all
of
us
.
And
I
think
the
law
becomes
a
lot
less
complicated
when
you
just
take
that
advocacy
outlook
and
act
.
I
mean
it's
really
just
that
simple
.
And
I
mean
we
have
the
internet
now
,
which
is
such
a
powerful
tool
of
connection
,
and
I
mean
,
if
you
want
to
find
an
advocacy
group
for
anything
,
you'll
be
able
to
find
it
pretty
quickly
.
So
it's
really
a
decision
of
you
know
,
wake
up
every
day
.
And
I
mean
do
you
want
to
consume
or
do
you
want
to
produce
?
Speaker 1
28:02
Right
.
Speaker 2
28:03
And
you
know
you
can
do
both
.
You
can
enjoy
your
TV
shows
and
your
content
and
all
that
.
But
I
do
think
that
one
of
the
dangers
is
don't
get
lost
in
that
.
I
mean
there's
a
lot
you
can
do
individually
and
I
wouldn't
discount
anybody's
ability
to
change
seemingly
insurmountable
obstacles
or
overcome
insurmountable
obstacles
.
But
thank
you
so
much
for
having
me
.
Speaker 1
28:26
It
was
a
pleasure
.
Speaker 2
28:27
It's
been
a
fun
conversation
,
so
thanks
,
Absolutely
Until
next
time
.
Speaker 1
28:31
Everyone
continue
advocating
for
you
and
for
those
that
you
love
.