[Diabetes-Talk] AIRA & pump questions
gary-melconian
gmelconian619 at gmail.com
Wed Jun 26 03:54:59 UTC 2019
Veronica, you are in the google neck of the woods.why don’t you make some
noise about it if there are lots of these health products that will begin
to use google products in the future.just saying.
-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Veronica
Elsea via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2019 7:53 PM
To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind' <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Veronica Elsea <veronica at laurelcreekmusic.com>
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] AIRA & pump questions
I'm not sure what he's up to these days, but the NFB sure wasn't willing to
name him or use him. I wondered if he was retired by now. But I as an
individual sure don't have his ear. <grin> However, I know what bus and
train people take to get to their campus. Heh heh heh heh heh! Don't think I
won't. <grin> Veronica
"Guide Dogs, First Hand", Veronica Elsea's classic album is now available on
iTunes, along with other music from her and from the Guide Dog Glee Club.
To learn more, visit:
http://www.laurelcreekmusic.com
Veronica Elsea, Owner
Laurel Creek Music Designs
Santa Cruz, California
Phone: 831-429-6407
-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2019 7:38 PM
To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind'
Cc: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] AIRA & pump questions
Voiceover, yes, is what Apple calls its screenreading program. But voiceover
is also a generic term given to any text-to-speech program. But perhaps
text-to-speech works best.
Uh, yeah NFB has connections at Google. Dr. Kurzweile is creative director,
last I checked. Don't tell me contacting him is the "wrong" department. Like
he doesn't know who to contact or what to say to get the ball rolling.
I love the mob idea. Tell me when and wear, and I'm there! LOL!
Bridgit
-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Veronica
Elsea via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2019 9:25 PM
To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind' <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Veronica Elsea <veronica at laurelcreekmusic.com>
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] AIRA & pump questions
Bridgit, I did make a very valid proposal last year which I have mentioned
here.
Many devices are now coming out based on an Android phone, taking out the
phone part. I wanted to establish a connection with Google's health division
so that someone could be in a good position to mandate installation of
TalkBack into every medical system so that the pump programmers could make
use of it. But personally, I haven't landed on the right contacts yet.
Anil Lewis bragged, oh we know people at Google, but it wasn't the right
division and of course, he never followed up and won't.
But you need to be careful about saying installing VoiceOver on pumps.
VoiceOver is a specific Apple product and unless someone leases it from
Apple, someone else would have to write the entire speech and gesture
program from scratch. Even if the basic TalkBack module were installed in
the pumps, someone would have to program the gestures to match the specific
functions we need from the pump, all of them. That's not a teeny itty bitty
task. Someone would have to make sure that it stayed updated as they changed
the pump, which is proving challenging at times, even with Apple. I'm not
saying don't do any of these things. I just find it helpful to think about
the possible gotchyas ahead of time, insuring that the final product would
work as well as possible. That's why I listed my points to consider with
Aira. He would know exactly whom to contact and what to say to get the ball
rolling on something.
But honestly, sometimes I fantasize about organizing a flash mob at some of
these companies or something wild. But partly for my own selfish reasons,
I'm certainly not giving up on getting access to the information and
features of the latest diabetes management technology, however it happens. I
think it's imperative that we have interim solutions while we're working on
the ultimate goal. We just have to help these companies distinguish between
interim and final solutions. <grin> Veronica
"Guide Dogs, First Hand", Veronica Elsea's classic album is now available on
iTunes, along with other music from her and from the Guide Dog Glee Club.
To learn more, visit:
http://www.laurelcreekmusic.com
Veronica Elsea, Owner
Laurel Creek Music Designs
Santa Cruz, California
Phone: 831-429-6407
-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2019 6:26 PM
To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind'
Cc: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] AIRA & pump questions
Joyce,
AIRA is a 24/7 service, grin.
I'm not saying AIRA doesn't have its uses and should not exist at all. And
of course, since companies do refuse largely to make products accessible, a
service like AIRA works for a lot of people.
My point is that we can't become complacent because of AIRA and Be My Eyes.
We need to push for true accessibility more than ever before. Both can
coexist, but we need to ensure us and companies arent' content to just rely
on AIRA, which does have its limitations. Why have to call AIRA every time I
need to do something with my pump if I could just do it myself with
voiceover? Yes, for now, AIRA is here for us, but we need to fight to have
accessibility with our devices too.
Computer programmer after computer programmer has said that placing a
voiceover on insulin pumps wouldn't be difficult at all, and it wouldn't be
as costly as companies want to complain about. The point is that companies
will find any excuse to avoid accessibility. Artificial pancreases are
supposed to be a game changer for diabetics, more so than pumps, but as you
state, blind diabetics are completely excluded from this device. I think the
NFB should consider legal action specifically for artificial pancreases,
just as we have done with kiosks, online banking, BAR exams and a hundred
other things. Why should our health suffer because we can't access the most
current technology that will change diabetes?
-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of
blindhands--- via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2019 6:15 PM
To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind' <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: blindhands at aol.com
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] AIRA & pump questions
As far as I know AIRA is not available 24 hours a day. I basically live
alone. So a good portion of the day I have no sighted help. My son drops in
at Supper time and he is available for 30 - 45 minutes a day. I don't feel
dependent on using AIRA, but it is great to know it is there if I need it.
Bridgit
I have been using a pump only the last 2 years and the Dexcom for the last
year. It is the Medtronics pump, but I can tell you it took getting both of
these devices working together for me to feel at ease. Now as what was said
on this list after juggling insulin for 60 years my Hemoglobine AC1 finally
are at numbers that my Endourologist and I are happy with. Since I am a
brittle Diabetic there is always room for improvement, but I had never been
down in the 7 or as low as 7.6 in the past.
With as far as this division has gone and accessibility isn't happening
with the pump manufacturers where does that leave us blind pump users.
I have heard about some day the artificial pancreas will be available from
my doctors in Yale New Haven for the last 50 years. Well now that it is
here and only to find out it isn't accessible to a blind Diabetic, I am not
going to take this sitting down. I really don't care how it becomes
accessible, I will take the accessibility any way I can get it. Technology
has jumped insulin pumps ahead and left us blind people behind. The DAN
Board has been trying to convince the pump companies to make their machines
accessible for more than 15 years and it has fallen on deaf ears.
One way or the other we need to demand that we have accessibility as the
sighted world. After all don't we have the right to reach for keeping
ourselves as healthy as we can be since Diabetes is the cause of so much
more effecting other parts of the body.
Joyce Kane
-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Bridgit
Kuenning-Pollpeter via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Monday, June 24, 2019 9:31 PM
To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind' <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter <bkpollpeter at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] AIRA & pump questions
AIRA isn't the best way to make us independent. It's 24/7 help, but it's
still sighted help for things that mostly could be made accessible in a way
that blind people could do it without any sighted help. Forms can be
formatted for online use; websites can be made accessible; devices can be
accessible, etc. Sure, until companies get a fire lit under them, AIRA is
here, but what's the incentive for companies to work on accessibility when
services like AIRA exist? It's a catch 22. We need accessibility now, but
now that we have AIRA, companies no longer think they need to think about
accessibility.
-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of d m gina
via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Monday, June 24, 2019 8:05 PM
To: diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
Cc: d m gina <dmgina at mysero.net>
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] AIRA & pump questions
Joyce,
I won't be at convention,
Mike Henson wrote to me on ira list sharing that what we can't read, ira is
there for us, and does help us stay mobile in anything we want to do.
At no time does it make us less independent, if anything it makes us more.
I do hope and know we will do our best to try to et companies to put in a
chip for talking meeters.
If they can do it for devices then what is one more device.
Do let us know how the conversation works out.
Thanks again,
Original message:
> When this topic came up there seemed to be some chatter along with
So... In my opinion, it's not the best tool to give us independence. True
independence would be possible if companies gave a shit (excuse
BTW, this is not a negative comment on AIRA but on society in general.
Bridgitmy French) and worked to make products and devices accessible. And
now with AIRA, it's not as likely they will.
> opinions regarding the use of AIRA with a pump. I said I would make
> contact with AIRA and I did.
> I contacted Glenn Takemoto, , Account Executive andhe told me that
> there has been some mention of insulin pumps. He told me he would be
> at Convention in Vegas and he would be interested in speaking to some
> of the people who have been working for us blind Diabetic pump users
> to get insulin pumps accessible.
> If anyone is interested in making contact while at Convention, please
> send me a note off list and I will send you my conversation with him.
> Joyce
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