[Diabetes-talk] Guidance on talking glucose monitor

Fri Apr 2 17:11:35 UTC 2010

Oh I totally agree. And the suppliers or pharmaceutical companies mark them 
up so high I mean the PV sold at the Dallas convention in 2008 for $25 now 
they are what $75-90, everyone has to make a buck

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 11:41 AM
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Guidance on talking glucose monitor

> Cheryl:
>
> Let's keep in mind that the meters are the "cheap" part of this picture.
> Companies give meters away for free as promotions to get you using the
> strips that go with the meter. The real money is in the strips.  And that 
> is
> the strips for any meter talking or not -- they are all expensive.  All
> Electronics these days are made cheaply with the expectation they will be
> thrown away after some period of time and a new widget of any kind
> re-purchased.  I've said it before and will say it again that a speech
> component should be an easy enough build into the electronics ... talking
> phones, thermostats, watches, tape measures, scales, thermometers, color
> scanners, microwaves book/mp3 players computers, note takers.  How
> complicated can a little glucose meter be ... It has to announce a range 
> of
> numbers (date, time, and results -- all numbers plain and simple), a 
> limited
> number of errors, and a few expected or anticipated events.  Much less 
> than
> what a talking screen reader has to deal with.
>
> Eileen
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "cheryl echevarria" <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com>
> To: "diabetes-talk" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, April 02, 2010 10:17 AM
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Guidance on talking glucose monitor
>
>
> > 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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> >>
> >
> >
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