[Diabetes-talk] Guidance on talking glucose monitor

Fri Apr 2 14:17:13 UTC 2010

Here! Here Eileen:

I think that the Glucometer companies in general should take into
consideration that diabetics has some kind of eye issues whether it is
losing their vision, just making them bigger to read, and not make them 
smaller and smaller.

It would be advantageous to the consumer and to the companies. To have voice 
etc in them and not just the ones specially made.

Should be standard practice for all companies.  But we don't live in the 
kind of world]

Cheryl Echevarria
Independent Travel Consultant
http://Echevarriatravel.com
1-866-580-5574

http://blog.echevarriatravel.com
Reservations at echevarriatravel.com
Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel CST-1018299-10

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "eileen scrivani" <etscrivani at verizon.net>
To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, April 02, 2010 10:03 AM
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Guidance on talking glucose monitor

> 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
>
>
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