[Diabetes-talk] questions from a fairly new list subscriber

Wed Mar 4 03:32:31 UTC 2009

Hi Chanelle,
Welcome to the diabetes talk list. This list is full of great people and I
think you will learn a lot here.
 My name is David anspach and I live in largo Florida with my wife Tammy. We
are both diabetics ad have been so for most of our lives, Tammy for nearly
42 years and I for about 34 years. Tammy has been using a Minimed insulin
pump since 2001. she has used several different models, none of which were
very accessible, of course. She is now using the Paradigm 722 pump with
pretty good success. I saw how well she was able to control her diabetes
through the use of an insulin pump and started using a Minimed Paradigm 712
pump in 2004. I'm now also using the 722 because my insurance company
covered the upgrade and I figured why not go for it. I have had reasonable
success using the pump as well.

I have remained very frustrated with the fact that Minimed is yet to begin
working on an accessible insulin pump. Tammy and I both have discussed the
development of an accessible insulin pump with various Minimed people over
the past four or five years. We continue to get the same basic answer of
"it's been suggested many, many times, but Minimed has not started looking
at ways to develop a pump that is accessible to the blind." Basically, I was
told just last week that it comes down to a matter of what sells the most
insulin pumps, making them accessible, or, adding other new technologies to
help the masses. I fear that it will take a smaller company to actually
develop an accessible insulin pump. In fact, it is my understanding that the
same people who developed the Prodigy Voice meter, DDI, are also looking
into the feasibility of developing an accessible insulin pump. I even
mentioned this to the Minimed people I met with a few weeks ago and they
seemed to be somewhat interested in learning more.

I think the best thing you can do as a blind pumper is to continue to talk
to Minimed about creating an accessible pump. You just need to be persistent
and ask anyone and everyone you talk to at Minimed who can take your request
and actually submit it to the proper channels. According to the sales rep I
spoke with a few weeks ago, they have received  quite a lot of requests for
accessible pumps, so, they are at least hearing our requests. In the end,
though, I think it will take a large number of blind diabetics to get an
accessible pump created. The manufacturers are certainly going to put their
research and development dollars into the technology that sells the most
pumps and benefits the largest number of diabetics out there. As the
population ages, blindness will be on the rise along with the rise in the
number of diabetics encountering some type of visual impairment.

In the end, I think it's sad that money drives the types of changes we now
see in insulin pumps.  I know this is just the way it is, but there are so
many blind diabetics out there who either use a pump now, or could benefit
from the increased  level you get through the use of a pump. I know the pump
isn't for everyone, but, for those who are interested in the increased level
of control it offers, I think it is a great option.

Have a great week,

Dave

-----Original Message-----
From: diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Chanelle Hill
Sent: Tuesday, March 03, 2009 4:27 PM
To: diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Diabetes-talk] questions from a fairly new list subscriber

Dear List Members,

I read an article about insulin pumps that someone from NFB wrote several
years ago, and so I thought I would join this list to see if anyone has had
improved accessibility with the pump and for other diabetes issues. I am a
Type I diabetic, and I have been using the Minimed Paradigm 512 insulin pump
and the Prodigy Voice meter. I know that NFB is heavily involved in
advocacy, but what has been done to inform insulin pump companies of the
need for more accessible pumps? Is there any way to become involved in
advocating for better accessibility? It would be wonderful to use the new
Minimed Continuous Glucose Monitoring system, but the meter needed to
calibrate the pump doesn't talk. It seems like that could easily be fixed
since there are already talking glucometers. I spoke with a rep from Minimed
about upgrading my pump and asked if Minimed was working on a pump that
would be more accessible. She thought that the company was, but no one has
gotten back to me.

It sounds like someone is having problems with the Prodigy Voice meter on
this list? After calling and waiting a few weeks to get some more strips, I
found out that Homecare Solutions is no longer carrying the strips for
Prodigy Voice and that they are carrying a new meter that is supposedly like
the Prodigy called the Clever Check. Have any of you heard of this new
meter? Hopefully it has all of the audible features and more accessible
software (that's almost too much to ask :-) ).

Finally my last question. I am checking out state rehabilitation centers in
Minnesota-one of which is Blind Inc. On the CD that SSB sent me containing a
BLIND cyber brochure, a class for diabetes management was mentioned. Do you
know if that is still taught? Apart from that, have any of you had
experience with the training programs at Blind Inc.?

Thanks in advance for answering my questions.

Chanelle

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