[Diabetes-talk] What can we do?

[Elizabeth Lunt]

Hello All,
I feel I must finally write in here. The cost of the Voice of the Diabetic
has not "skyrocketed" and I'm not sure where this information is coming
from. Even with the much-improved design and full color, the costs were
controlled, and money was coming in from ads and sponsorships. However, it
simply costs a lot to print and ship so many copies -- our circulation for
Voice of the Diabetic is over 300 thousand copies per quarter. It was very
popular among readers and diabetes educators and demand was high. Gathering
the information, selling advertisements and getting education grants, and
writing and editing the publication accounted for staff members' time, as
well as other diabetes advocacy activities such as pushing for accessible
diabetes technology. Dr. Maurer has made a decision to cut the entire
Diabetes Initiatives project, which included publishing Voice of the
Diabetic. He has said that some diabetes activities will be folded into the
duties of existing staff at the NFB, but the rest of us have been let go. We
did the best we could to present up-to-date, helpful and inspiring
information about both diabetes and coping with diabetes with limited or no
vision. There will not be another issue of the magazine, because Dr. Maurer
made his decision after the Winter issue went out, and he is folding the
project now, before another would have gone out in the spring.
Thank you for your support over the years. I have enjoyed working on this
publication. I hope you will get the full story, or try to, before
continuing this conversation with NFB leadership.
All the best,
Elizabeth Lunt
Editor, Voice of the Diabetic

-----Original Message-----
From: diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Blindhands at aol.com
Sent: Monday, February 09, 2009 1:17 PM
To: diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Diabetes-talk] What can we do?

Diabetes is the number 1 cause of blindness in the USA.  It ranks up  there 
throughout the world.  What can we do to stop or have them at least
consider 
another  way of continuing the Voice of the Diabetic  publication.
 
NFB is always asking us to contact our Senators and House of  Representative

members, how about calling or emailing our President of NFB  to "Voice" our 
opinion and thoughts on this?
 
The blind depend on word of mouth to learn about things, that is why we are

encouraged to talk about NFB to everyone blind and sighted.
 
I understand that the cost of the publication has sky rocketed, but do we  
need color photos and the new look of the Voice?  I am sure those are some
of 
the reasons that caused the price  to soar.  
 
I am disappointed with this decision.  I do know that there has been  
concerns in the past years about the  money going  out for this  publication
and the 
NFB covering the  cost.          the circulation of  this publication is
over 
three hundred thousand .
 
 Mike, do you know if there will be a notice put into the Voice and  will 
there be a final Voice sent out or is it just over like that ? 
 
Joyce 
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