The Cody Unser First Step Foundation
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Dedicated to raising awareness of Transverse Myelitis and advocating for people with disabilities.
06/26/2026
đ We Crossed the FINISH line. We are Published! đ
Today, our iGRACE study, âComparative Perspectives: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Key Stakeholders Regarding OB/GYN Accessibility for Women with Disabilities,â was officially published in Frontiers in Public Health.
Looking at this publication, I can't help but think about where this journey began.
About 3 years ago, my friend and colleague, Ashley Hilton, attended one of my "Wheelchair Barbie Goes to the Gynecologist" Grand Rounds lectures. After hearing firsthand about the barriers women with disabilities face in accessing reproductive healthcare, she reached out with a simple but powerful idea:
âLetâs study this." That conversation became a partnership.
Together, we built a survey, assembled an incredible interdisciplinary team, recruited participants from across the country, collected the data, revised the manuscript (more than once!), and today, our work is published!!!
If you recognize the iGRACE recruitment flyer in this post...THANK YOU.
You helped make this happen.
Your lived experience is now part of the scientific literature and will help educate the OB/GYN community about improving healthcare for women with disabilities.
Women have historically been underrepresented in medical research. Women with disabilities have been even more overlooked. And if you are a woman of color with a disability, your voice has too often been left out entirely. We hope this research helps change that.
A heartfelt thank you to my amazing co-authors: Ashley Hilton, Rishika Kartik, Ashira Greenberg, Amy Ewing, Murphy Kaphing, Lizbeth Grado, Jeanelle Sheeder, and Marsha Guess. It has been an honor to work alongside each of you. đ
We're excited to share these findings with medical schools, residency programs, healthcare organizations, and conferences committed to improving reproductive healthcare for women with disabilities. If your organization is interested, we'd love to connect.
As Christopher Reeve, Marilyn Hamilton, and Judy Heumann taught me: One voice has power. Harness it.
This is for every woman with a disability who has ever felt unseen.
Your lived experience has value. Rock ON đ€đđ
Link to Article: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1812493
Medicaid isnât a handout.
Itâs the difference between living in your home and living in an institution.
Itâs the wheelchair, the attendant, the rehabilitation, the medication, and the support that makes independence possible.
This isnât fearmongering.
This is survival.
Across the country, disability advocates, physicians, caregivers, and families are warning about the impact the so-called âBig Beautiful Billâ could have on people with disabilities.
This isnât a partisan issue to me.
Itâs personal.
Disability doesnât care who you voted for. It doesnât care whether youâre Republican or Democrat, Black or White, rich or poor, gay or straight, young or old.
Disability doesnât discriminate.
And if you think it doesnât affect you, remember:
You are one diagnosis, one accident, one aging parent, or one unexpected tragedy away from understanding exactly whatâs at stake.
đ„ Call your elected officials.
đ„ Protect Medicaid.
đ„ Share this post.
đ„ Hereâs a radical ideaâŠListen to disabled voices!!!
The disability community isnât asking for shortcuts on the track we all call life. Weâre asking policymakers to stop removing pieces of the track while this race is still being run.
Every cut to healthcare, attendant services, rehabilitation, and community supports makes the race less equitable and the finish line harder to reach.
Health equity isnât won in the hospital. Itâs built through policy.
History will remember who listened.
And who looked away. I certainly will.
The question is: Who is listening? đ
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