[Diabetes-talk] Iowa Diabetes Action Network Meeting and Resolution

Tue Oct 15 00:07:19 UTC 2013

Yes, I plan to discuss at our convention.

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
COLLEEN ROTH
Sent: Monday, October 14, 2013 10:32 AM
To: diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Iowa Diabetes Action Network Meeting and
Resolution

Hello Everyone,
I think this is a great Resolution.
I am hoping that we can get this Resolution passed by Ohio DAN and the NFB
of Ohio State Convention.
To that end, I have sent it to our DAN President and the Resolutions
Committee Chair.
This would be a great Resolution for States to pass.
Colleen Roth

----- Original Message -----
From: Mike Freeman <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "'Diabetes Talk for the Bl'" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Date: Sunday, October 13, 2013 9:08 pm
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Iowa Diabetes Action Network Meeting and
Resolution

>
>
> Excellent.
> 
> Mike
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
> Behalf Of Sandi Ryan
> Sent: Sunday, October 13, 2013 5:19 PM
> To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind
> 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 businesstalking 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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