# I have cerebral palsy and I'm a doctor. Here's what policy cuts mean for patients like me.

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-podcast-by-kevinmd-449609/i-have-cerebral-palsy-and-i-m-a-doctor-here-s-what-policy-cuts-mean-for-patients-like-me
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-podcast-by-kevinmd-449609/i-have-cerebral-palsy-and-i-m-a-doctor-here-s-what-policy-cuts-mean-for-patients-like-me.md
Podcast: [The Podcast by KevinMD](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-podcast-by-kevinmd-449609)
Published: 2026-04-20T08:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://kevinmd.libsyn.com/why-policy-cuts-and-ableist-rhetoric-threaten-the-future-of-health-care
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/kevinmd/Why-policy-cuts-and-ableist-rhetoric-threaten-the-future-of-health-care.mp3?dest-id=2093345
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Duration seconds: 1054

## Resource

What happens to patients with disabilities when the government signals their lives don't matter, and what does that mean for the doctors fighting alongside them? Ashna Shome, a pediatrics resident with cerebral palsy, joins the show to discuss her KevinMD article, " The impact of policy cuts on ableism in health care ." She explains how proposed Medicaid cuts, the rollback of physical access requirements for federal buildings, and harmful rhetoric around autism and vaccines are compounding to create a more hostile environment for the one in four U.S. adults living with disabilities. You will hear how anti-vax discourse tacitly suggests that developmental disabilities are worse than death, why she now relies almost exclusively on the American Academy of Pediatrics as a trusted source of health information, and how her own experience navigating medicine with cerebral palsy has shaped her advocacy. Shome also makes a compelling case for physician unionization as a tool for disability justice, arguing that the artificial barrier between doctor and patient must be dismantled. If you care about disability rights, health equity, or the future of physician advocacy, this conversation demands your attention. Partner with me on the KevinMD platform . With over three million monthly readers and half a million social media followers, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story. PARTNER WITH KEVINMD → https://kevinmd.com/influencer SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

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