Know Your Rights and Speak Up for Your Care
Kidney disease can affect work, income, transportation, and daily life. Many people living with kidney failure also have questions about disability rights, benefits, and how to speak up for themselves in their care. This section offers plain-language education to help patients, families, and caregivers understand their options and find the right place to get answers.
Marshall Kidney Foundation provides free education and help finding information. We do not give legal advice, medical advice, or benefits decisions. Each agency and program makes its own decisions.
Topics in This Section
- Kidney Patients’ Rights: Your right to take part in care decisions, to be treated with respect, and to raise a concern without fear of losing care.
- Disability Benefits and Eligibility: A plain-language introduction to SSDI, SSI, and Medicare for kidney failure, and where to confirm what you may qualify for.
- Workplace and Everyday Accommodations: How the Americans with Disabilities Act may help with work schedules and dialysis, and where to get free guidance.
- Transportation and Community Resources: Where to look for rides to treatment and local help in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties.
- Family and Caregiver Resources: Support for the people who help care for a loved one with kidney disease.
Why Self-Advocacy Matters
Self-advocacy means understanding your situation, asking questions, and speaking up for what you need. It can help you:
- Take an active part in decisions about your treatment
- Understand your options before you agree to anything
- Keep track of appointments, records, and paperwork
- Raise a concern early, before it becomes a bigger problem
- Know which agency or organization can answer your question
Simple Steps to Speak Up for Yourself
- Write your questions down before each appointment, and bring them with you.
- Ask for information in plain language, and ask again if something is unclear.
- Bring a family member or trusted friend if you would like support.
- Keep copies of letters, applications, and medical records in one place.
- Ask your dialysis or hospital social worker which programs may fit your situation.
Kidney Failure and Disability Programs: What to Know
Kidney failure can be a serious physical disability, and many programs consider it when deciding who qualifies. However, every program has its own rules, and no program covers every person with kidney disease automatically.
For example, the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) serves people with certain developmental disabilities that began before age 18, such as intellectual disability, severe forms of autism, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and Phelan-McDermid syndrome. Kidney disease by itself does not make a person eligible for APD services. Social Security disability benefits and Medicare have different rules, which are explained on our Disability Benefits and Eligibility page.
Our Training
Our founder, Kevin Marshall, has completed:
- The American Kidney Fund’s free online Kidney Health Coach training course, as a volunteer Kidney Health Coach
- The Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) Direct Care Core Competencies Course, completed October 11, 2026, through TRAIN Florida
This training supports our free education and community outreach. It is not a professional license, certification, or credential. It does not make Marshall Kidney Foundation an APD provider, and it does not mean a partnership with the American Kidney Fund.
Where to Get Help
- Disability Rights Florida: Florida’s designated protection and advocacy organization for people with disabilities. Phone: 1-800-342-0823.
- ADA Information Line: Questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act, from the U.S. Department of Justice. Phone: 800-514-0301. TTY: 1-833-610-1264.
- Social Security Administration: Disability benefits, including SSDI and SSI. Phone: 1-800-772-1213. TTY: 1-800-325-0778.
- ESRD Network 7: Help with concerns about dialysis care in Florida. Phone: 877-936-9260.
- Trusted Kidney Resources: National and Florida kidney organizations that offer education and support.
Before You Use This Information
This page is for general education only. It is not legal, medical, or benefits advice, and it does not decide whether you qualify for any program. Rules and phone numbers can change, so confirm details directly with the agency or organization. Please read our Medical Disclaimer.
Organizations listed on this page are outside resources. Marshall Kidney Foundation is not affiliated with them, and a listing here is not an endorsement.
Do you have a question about this topic? Contact us and let us know.
