[Diabetes-Talk] What Now?

Tue Aug 25 12:54:27 UTC 2020

And now that we have been thrown under the bus, for all practical purposes, I guess we’ll just have to MoveOn!! Of course come out one way or another, we will prevail. Everything will be all right. There are those Of us who knows the right people, one way or another. We will simply work with them and we will get what we want. You guys are great!! I know we can all count on each other.

Bern

Sent from my iPhone

> On Aug 24, 2020, at 4:06 PM, Sandi Ryan via Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> It seems to me, though, that there are quite easy ways to get speech, beeps and anything else we need into today’s technology, and to do it without lots of extra cost of production for just blind people. Apple has been producing their phones, tablets, etc. with accessibility built into every piece they sell since at least 2010. They figured out what axccessibility would take—and not just for blind people, but for deaf people, those with hands that don’t function normally, etc., and they put those accessibility features into every unit. People who don’t need the features just ignore them, people who need them pick and choose what they use, and everybody pays the same price and you just pick the unit you want off the shelf and use it, however it works for you. They added the cost of production across all their units, so that “how many will we need, and how will we get rid of them if they’re not liked by this population” are not valid questions. There may be glitches I’m not factoring in, but I’m thinking there are brilliant engineers working with all this who could take those glitches and make them no problem, and an insulin pump would be an insulin pump, not this one for the blind and this one for the sighted. 
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> Having addressed this with Anil Lewis and others at NFB, what they’ve come up with is the idea for a bill that would cover large home appliances, gym equipment and ... what was that other thing? ... Oh yeah! Medical devices! 
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> It seems to me we need to a) work with marketing experts to create a message or group of messages that clearly and succinctly express our needs for accessible devices; b) find out how to reach and talk with someone—anyone—who works on manufacturing equipment for diabetics and could think outside the box long enough to talk with us to discuss their needs and fears; c) Form a task force and work with technology engineers to come up with ideas for how accessible medical devices can be made using hardware, and possibly software already available on the market; d) work with financial experts to figure out how devices can be priced for everyone, instead of redesigning them for each population based on accessibility needs or lack thereof; and e) help our partners (endocrinologists, diabetes educators, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, researchers, nonprofit organizations, and others) understand our problems with caring for ourselves without the devices available to those who don’t need accessibility and why it’s important that they care about our issues.
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> Technology is much smaller and less expensive than when the Prodigy meter was created a long time ago. We used to hear the old line about there are so few blind people, how would things made for us ever make a profit? But I don’t think that’s valid any more. The Apple protocol demonstrates that. If a blind person, or a person with another disability, never bought an iPhone, Apple would still sell them. And I can’t imagine, if an insulin pump was made accessible, why anyone with diabetes not jumping at the chance to have one. It makes such a difference in the numbers of injections and the time you’d spend taking care of yourself! I don’t need one now, but when and if the day comes that I do, I certainly want it to be available!
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> So ... where do we start?
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> Sandi
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> From: Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Matt Davis via Diabetes-Talk
> Sent: Monday, August 24, 2020 11:56 AM
> To: Diabetes-Talk at nfbnet.org; alewis at nfb.org
> Cc: Matt Davis <mdavisforalternatives at gmail.com>
> Subject: [Diabetes-Talk] What Now?
> 
> 
> 
> Let me know your thoughts…I, Mary, currently wear a 530  G, Medtronic pump and too, am blind. In my past job position I had been invited to many Diabetic Fairs and demonstrated blindness related tools, alternatives and techniques. 
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> Because I wore an Acu Chek Spirit pump, I would demonstrate how it worked for me. Demonstrating how the tones and beeps allowed a blind person to navigate most of its functions.
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> interested participants  and many “representatives” of many companies would also learn about how pumps work, making it possible for blind people to use their equipment. 
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> Reps of diabetic equipment and companies would ask, “How many blind people would actually use a pump?”
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> I would repeatedly explain that the number would be skewed because the available pumps do not have the tones or beeps for navigating.
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> I would further explain to these reps, that if pumps were made with these simple tones or beeps, more blind people could decide if they were interested or not.
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> Since I am new to this list serve, is it possible to take a count at this time to know how many of us use a 530 Medtronic pump, second, how many would use a pump if tones and beeps were made available,
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> And Third, years ago, when Disatronic first manufactured a workable pump model then joined with Acu Chek who kept that upgraded models which were designed for a person to use the pump in their pocket, thus allowing blind users access. 
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> So, when Medtronic bought (or what ever terms Medtronic wants to use) Acu Chek’s pumps, Medtronic not only did away with a usable pump for the blind, they continue to upgrade, to a point that it is now, absolutely impossible for a blind consumer to use. 
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> What if their goal in continuing to upgrade as they Are, is specifically targeted against blind persons who receive Medicare and/or Medicaid.
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> And if so, now what?
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> It is a serious question for some! 
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> No one wants to sue, but what to do?
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> Thank you and sincerely, 
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> Mary
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