[Diabetes-talk] What can we do?

Wed Feb 11 02:46:26 UTC 2009

Hi Eileen and all,
I think that asking the medical professionals who receive the Voice to pay a
moderate subscription fee is definitely a good idea. If the circulation of
the Voice was truly at approximately 300,000, then charging even $10 per
year would bring in an extraordinary amount of money to help offset any
costs associated with the production of the Voice. If you do the math, you
would end up with $3,000,000! I would think this would far outweigh any
costs associated with the production of the Voice. Heck, you could even
charge a mere $5.00 per year for a subscription for the Voice and still
bring in over a million dollars. I also agree with you Eileen in that the
medical professionals who receive the Voice could simply write off the
subscription cost as a business expense. In fact, I would even be willing to
pay $5 or $10 a year to get the Voice. It's simply worth it to me as the
Voice was always full of great information.

I think that the decision to just cancel the Voice without any thought into
means to help offset production costs was not fair to this great
publication. 

I'm sure there was more to it than what we now know. But it sure would be
nice if we could  get an exact reason as to why the Voice was cancelled so
abruptly. With diabetes being one of the leading causes of blindness in the
United States, you would think that the NFB would be leading the way in
getting information out to those diabetics who have recently lost their
sight with the production of the Voice.

Furthermore, why couldn't the Voice be made available on news line? Perhaps
it is already on there and I'm just not aware of it. But why not put it out
there on news line if it is not already there to save money?

Dave

-----Original Message-----
From: diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Eileen Scrivani
Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 7:02 PM
To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] What can we do?

Sheryl:

I'm not saying to not send it to medical professionals, just that I think
it's fair to have them pay for the subscription.  More than likely, they can
even write it off as either a business expense or charitable contribution. 
And then to, if it was in a down-loadable version they could print it out or
copy onto CD for those patients who would find it helpful.  I only raised
the question because the negative amount quoted was so huge, and I am
wondering how it got so out of control!

Eileen

----- Original Message -----
From: "cheryl echevarria" <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com>
To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 5:33 PM
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] What can we do?

>I found out about DAN through the voice at my dialysis center, and that is 
>how I found out about the NFB, if they want more members, you have to have 
>it out there.
>
> Cheryl Echevarria
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Eileen Scrivani" <etscrivani at verizon.net>
> To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 1:10 PM
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] What can we do?
>
>
>> Debbie:
>>
>> This raises a few more questions.  I understand that people who are blind
>> are on limited incomes and may not be able to afford to pay for a
>> subscription to the Voice, but what about Doctor's, hospital's & other
>> medical professionals?  Certainly, they can afford to pay a subscription
>> fee.  Out of the circulation numbers, how many go to people who are blind
>> and may not be able to cover the cost of a subscription & how many go to
>> medical professionals?  Do doctor's give away services for free?  I think
>> not.
>>
>> And, why increase the cost of the publication with color pictures?  Isn't
>> the mag primarily for those who are blind?  Perhaps the focus has changed
>> somewhere along the line from presenting good information to the blind/vi
>> community to trying to attract sighted readers?
>>
>> Eileen
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "catdancing" <catdancing at sbcglobal.net>
>> To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 12:11 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] What can we do?
>>
>>
>> > this just seems to figure as far as diabetes and anything related to 
>> > the
>> > disease that doesn't bring in a lot of money to support the disease. 
>> > The
>> > Voice is a great magazine the reason it is being eliminated is because 
>> > it
>> > is helpful and no one in the medical field is making a huge profit from
>> > it.
>> > Debbie
>> > ----- Original Message ----- 
>> > From: "Elizabeth Lunt " <boo.lunt at verizon.net>
>> > To: "'Diabetes Talk for the Blind'" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> > Sent: Monday, February 09, 2009 4:49 PM
>> > Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] What can we do?
>> >
>> >
>> >> 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
>> >> **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2
>> >> easy
>> >> steps!
>> >>
(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1218550342x1201216770/aol?redir=htt
>> >>
p://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072%26hmpgID=62%26bcd=fe
>> >> bemailfooterNO62)
>> >> _______________________________________________
>> >> Diabetes-talk mailing list
>> >> Diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
>> >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org
>> >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> >> Diabetes-talk:
>> >>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org/editor%40nfb.
>> >> org
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> _______________________________________________
>> >> Diabetes-talk mailing list
>> >> Diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
>> >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org
>> >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> >> Diabetes-talk:
>> >>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org/catdancing%40
sbcglobal.net
>> >
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > Diabetes-talk mailing list
>> > Diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
>> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org
>> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> > Diabetes-talk:
>> >
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org/etscrivani%40
verizon.net
>> >
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Diabetes-talk mailing list
>> Diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>> Diabetes-talk:
>>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org/cherylandmaxx
%40hotmail.com
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Diabetes-talk mailing list
> Diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> Diabetes-talk:
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org/etscrivani%40
verizon.net
> 

_______________________________________________
Diabetes-talk mailing list
Diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
Diabetes-talk:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org/danspach%40ta
mpabay.rr.com