[Diabetes-talk] Guidance on talking glucose monitor

Sun Apr 4 04:13:56 UTC 2010

It is also on the NFB.org website

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: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, April 03, 2010 1:00 PM
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Guidance on talking glucose monitor


> Eileen:
>
> You can find it on Congress's Thomas web site. I believe the URL is
> http://thomas.gov or http://thomas.loc.gov.
>
> Mike
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "eileen scrivani" <etscrivani at verizon.net>
> To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, April 03, 2010 7:21 AM
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Guidance on talking glucose monitor
>
>
> > Hi Joy:
> > I will not ask my congressman to pass the bill without first knowing
> > exactly what the bill is asking for.
> >
> > Do you know if the bill (H.R. 4533) is anywhere on line in an accessible
> > format for us to read?
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> > Eileen
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "Joy Stigile" <jstigile at sbcglobal.net>
> > To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> > Sent: Friday, April 02, 2010 6:44 PM
> > Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Guidance on talking glucose monitor
> >
> >
> >> Dear Eileen,
> >>
> >> Right now the National Federation of the Blind has a bill in
> >> Congress"Technology Bill of Rights" (H.R. 4533) that is looking for 
> >> more
> >> cosponsors.  Please call your Congressman/Congresswoman to urge them to
> >> support the bill.  It covers everything that you were talking about in
> >> your previous email.
> >>
> >> Joy
> >>
> >> ----- 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 8:41 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
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>>> 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
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> >>>> Diabetes-talk:
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> >>>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
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> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
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> >>
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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>
>
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