[Diabetes-talk] Diabetes resolution

[Sandi Ryan]

Jerry, this is just awesome!  Thanks for sharing, and for working to pass 
the resolution!

Sandi

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jerry Hathaway" <jerry.hathaway2 at frontier.com>
To: "blind ddiabetics" <blind-diabetics at yahoogroups.com>; "Diabetes-talk" 
<Diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2013 1:55 PM
Subject: [Diabetes-talk] Diabetes resolution


> The NFB of Oregon passed a resolution
> at our state convention on November 3, 2013 Regarding Advocacy to Make 
> Diabetes Tools and Technology Accessible to the Blind. The resolution is 
> listed below.
>
>
>
> Resolution 2013-01  Regarding Diabetes
>
>
>
> Regarding Advocacy to Make Diabetes Tools and Technology Accessible to the 
> Blind
>
>
>
> WHEREAS, The National Federation of the Blind has, since 1940, championed 
> the independence of the blind and worked to make the world accessible to 
> and safe for the blind; and
>
>
>
> WHEREAS, to help increase the independence of blind people, the National 
> Federation of the Blind has fought to make technology, readily available 
> to the sighted, accessible for the blind; and
>
>
>
> WHEREAS, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI) of the National 
> Institutes of Health (NIH), diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause 
> of blindness, affecting 4.1 million American adults over age 40, and
>
>
>
> WHEREAS, very little technology currently on the market for constantly or 
> periodically monitoring blood glucose, accurately delivering insulin, or 
> performing other tasks to control diabetes is accessible to the blind, and 
> insulin pens carry a disclaimer that they should not be used by the blind 
> without supervision; and
>
>
>
> WHEREAS, technology has been demonstrated to increase diabetes control in 
> the sighted, and the same technology, made accessible to the blind would 
> improve diabetes control among blind and visually impaired diabetics, and 
> increase independence in maintaining such control; and
>
>
>
> WHEREAS, the need for improved accessibility of lifesaving diabetes 
> technology has been largely overlooked: Now, therefore,
>
>
>
> BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon in 
> convention assembled this 3rd day of November, 2013, in the city of Salem, 
> Oregon, that the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon and its 
> Diabetes Action Network division work closely with companies developing 
> pens, pumps, glucometers, and other lifesaving diabetes control tools and 
> technology to integrate accessibility for the blind and deaf-blind into 
> the design and manufacture of such items; and
>
>
>
> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon 
> enlist the support of the American Diabetes Association, the American 
> Association of Retired Persons, the American Association of Clinical 
> Endocrinologists, and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to 
> establish and implement accessibility standards for diabetes technology; 
> and
>
>
>
> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon 
> urge manufacturers of technology that provides information to the blind 
> and deaf-blind about diabetes management to recognize that creating 
> technology useful only to the sighted creates a circumstance that 
> discriminates against the blind and deaf-blind, and urge such 
> manufacturers further to recognize that the blind and deaf-blind of Oregon 
> will join with other blind and deaf-blind people throughout the nation to 
> take such action as may be necessary to end this discrimination; and
>
>
>
> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Diabetes Action Network of the National 
> Federation of the blind of Oregon publicize widely the inaccessibility of 
> diabetes tools and technology as they are currently marketed, and the 
> unnecessary hardship their inaccessibility creates in the lives of blind 
> and deaf-blind diabetics.
>
>
>
> Jerry
>
>
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