Kathryn Sorensen
Physical Rehabilitation & Chronic Conditions | Audience Level: Introductory
Drawing on decades of lived experience with Osteogenesis Imperfecta and over fifty surgeries, this talk offers a practical guide to navigating the healthcare system as a patient with a disability. Topics include health literacy and its impact on outcomes, concrete strategies for communication, organization, and self advocacy with providers, and the financial realities of disability, including earnings gaps, out of pocket costs, and disability benefit programs. The presentation also examines the link between mobility disability, social isolation, and loneliness, supported by current research. Attendees will leave with actionable tools to better support patients navigating similar challenges.