[Diabetes-talk] Guidance on talking glucose monitor

[eileen scrivani]

Mike:
I will address 2 of your messages in this one reply.

First, the PV was promoted all over this list as having the NFB's input into 
the design and development of it if I am recalling correctly.  DDI, if I am 
not mistaken, also were given some kind of acknowledgement/award  at a 
national NFB convention.  I did not say the NFB was given any form of 
funding or monies by DDI, but if the NFB is promoting themselves as having 
played a large part in the PV's development, doesn't it set up in the minds 
of many people how wonderful the NFB is and that they  do so much good?  It 
does work as an excellent public relations promotion and image builder for 
NFB.
I would think, since you've been the one to bring up the subject, the two 
images I stated could possibly prompt people to make more donations to NFB 
chapters/divisions and that's okay because that's good smart business for 
either a for profit corporation or a non-profit charity like the NFB.  Any 
company/organization will play these things to the utmost for their own 
benefit & promotion.  That is, however, a very different thing than being 
given money by the company developing the meter and I never, never said that 
happened!  I did say it makes the NFB look good and it does.

ACB, Huh?  What does that have to do with anything in this conversation? 
Did I mention the ACB in any of my emails?  Do you have some kind of issue 
with me that I am not aware of?

Going back to some of your other remarks , you seem to have issues with the 
new Solo meter, because it wasn't done "under your watch!"  Are you the only 
blind diabetic??  I think not.  From what I have read here both Cheryl and 
Vinny have had contact with ADS and would think that both these people with 
long-term diabetes would have some excellent input on the Solo meter's 
design/development.  They too are not the only other blind diabetics, but 
seem to be open to giving encouragement to companies that want to bring new 
accessible meters to us.

Isn't it possible that other blindness organizations have had input into the 
development of the Solo.  There are medical providers that have blind 
patients and could have also had some good input into the development of 
this meter.  The NFB does not know all that has gone into the design of the 
Solo.  Frankly, so long as I have an accessible glucose meter that is both 
accurate and easy to use I could not care less how it came about.  Do you 
know for a fact if the Solometer company has blind/vi/disabled employees? 
Does it really matter if a blind or sighted person programmed the meter? 
What is important is that we, the end-users of the product have a quality 
device that does not impact our health negatively.  It would be a good thing 
to have some say into how a meter works or what it does, but I have the 
impression that ADS & Solo are open to input from people who are using the 
new meter.  What more can we expect with any accessible meter?

Oh, excuse me, but since I am only a mere mortal and not an NFB Division 
President, I'm only a diabetic of 41, almost 42, years, I can't know as much 
as you about these issues and the frustrations a blind diabetic faces in 
living with the disease as a blind person for the past 29 years, right? 
And, yes, it is my personal opinion that it is a very great disgrace that 
the number of accessible meters to blind diabetics has in the time I've been 
blind remained at negligible numbers.  Again, diabetes is more often than 
not promoted in numerous studies, advertisements, and articles as being the 
leading cause of blindness.  Taking that into consideration, it remains 
shocking to me that there's only 2, maybe 3 companies taking this into 
account when developing meter after meter.  Sighted diabetics even have 
choices into what color they want there glucose meter to be.  In today's 
business world, both economic consciousness and  political correctness are 
driving factors in what companies do and how they act.  Decisions to make a 
product that may not have high market demand,in a case like this is just 
"good business" practice.  An accessible meter would help blind diabetics to 
maintain good health, & reduce further complications.  Thus, costs to 
insurance companies, medicare and tax payers would also be reduced.

Eileen