[Diabetes-talk] Iowa Diabetes Action Network Meeting andResolution

Mon Oct 14 17:04:31 UTC 2013

Congrats. Nebraska tried to pass a similar resolution a few years ago,
but we weren't able to pass it. Good luck. Iowa is lucky to have you.

Bridgit

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Debbie Wunder
Sent: Monday, October 14, 2013 11:03 AM
To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Iowa Diabetes Action Network Meeting
andResolution

Hello Sandy. Congratulations to you and your division.

This is a great resolution, I will take it to our division and
convention in 
March. Would you please mind sharing your agenda with me? I am looking
for 
topics for our seminar.

Thanks Debbie
President, Dan of Missouri
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sandi Ryan" <sjryan2 at gmail.com>
To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, October 13, 2013 7:19 PM
Subject: [Diabetes-talk] Iowa Diabetes Action Network Meeting and
Resolution

> Hi Everyone,
>
> I wanted to let you all know that the first official Annual Meeting of

> the
> Diabetes Action Network of the National Federation of the Blind of
Iowa 
> was a success.  Our meeting was held during the state affiliate 
> convention, on Friday afternoon, October 4, 2013.  Around 30 people 
> attended our meeting, with 24 paying dues for 2014.  We conducted a
little 
> business--talking about the history of the division, electing a new 
> secretary and Board member, and passing a resolution (see below).  Dr.

> Nancy Kane, a well-known Des Moines endocrinologist, spoke with us
about 
> diabetes basics, potential complications (including some hardly
mentioned 
> in the usual list), and answered audience questions.  We are very
happy 
> with the meeting's results.
>
> The resolution passed by the IDAN moved on to the Resolutions 
> Committee,
> where it was altered a bit and passed on to the Affiliate.  On Sunday 
> morning, October 6, the convention passed the resolution unanimously.
>
> Below is the resolution passed by the convention.  We look forward to
> working with DANs across the country and others interested in this
issue 
> at the national level.
>
> Sandi
>
> NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
>
> OF IOWA
>
>
>
> Resolution 13-02
>
> 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 Iowa in
> convention assembled this sixth day of October, 2013, in the city of 
> Altoona, Iowa, that the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa 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 into the design
and 
> manufacture of such items; and
>
>
>
> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Federation of the Blind of 
> Iowa
> 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 
> Iowa
> urge manufacturers of technology that provides information to the
blind 
> about diabetes management to recognize that creating technology useful

> only to the sighted creates a circumstance that discriminates against
the 
> blind, and urge such manufacturers further to recognize that the blind
of 
> Iowa will join with other blind people throughout the nation to take
such 
> action as may be necessary to end this discrimination; and
>
>
>
> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Iowa Diabetes Action Network 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 diabetics.
>
>
>
>
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