[Diabetes-Talk] Medtronic sharing site

Sat Jan 23 02:25:11 UTC 2021

Yes, it's called inclusive design, and usually, once companies switch to an inclusive design model, even when it initially happens under duress, they realize it broadens market reach, meaning they make money. 25% of the population is disabled, and it's the largest growing minority, because disability intersects with all groups. This is 61 million more potential consumers a company can make money from. 26 million of these people experience some form of vision loss. These companies care about money. That's how you reach them. On average, about 40 lawsuits are filed a week that involve accessibility issues. These companies are having their hands forced into complying with ADA, but there's also the potential to reach companies when they understand how much money they can make. The reality is that they don't care about the human interest angle or the human rights angle. In-and-of-itself, they won't even care about stats or list of why people want something; they want to know what the bottom line is, how much money they will make from something. That's the push that needs to be made. And again, likely involve some legal action.

Bridgit

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Sandi Ryan via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Friday, January 22, 2021 5:18 PM
To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind' <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: sjryan2 at gmail.com
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] Medtronic sharing site

Hi Veronica,

I don't disagree with anything you've said, but what we're talking about here is having the manufacturers include accessibility in every item, which doesn't force them to make a different unit for each audience depending on needs, and doesn't cost one audience an arm and a leg and everybody else a lot smaller amount. It's the Apple model of things, and all I can say is, they did it under duress, but they went all out and did it, and it has worked very, very well. I have, a couple of times, asked to borrow a friend's iPhone, and they are always impressed that I can take their phone and use it, just like a sighted friend would. And because there are accessibility features for several different kinds of disabilities, people who have multiples don't have to choose one kind of accessibility over another one. It's all there. And that can be done with pumps. 

If we're going to work toward accessibility, we might as well go for what we really want and then do our best to work with what we get. But if we just say "We're a tiny audience, and they'll never do" this or that, we're shooting ourselves in the foot. It's our job to make them think outside their very sturdy and impermeable box!

Sandi
-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Veronica Elsea via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Friday, January 22, 2021 4:56 PM
To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind' <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Veronica Elsea <veronica at laurelcreekmusic.com>
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] Medtronic sharing site

Actually, Apple created VoiceOver because it was being sued. They also had a much larger user base. What would we say the number of blind people using their pumps would be. It's about money when all is said and done and if there aren't enough of us, they're not going to invent a new system. And if they have their own operating system, they would pretty much have to invent from the ground up. And then there would be the models already out. And then there's the FDA. Of course if they really wanted to, they could work with these hurdles. But then, they could have done that decades ago while they were spouting all of those empty promises. Part of what we really have to do with all of these companies is to convince them that there's something in it for them. That's one of the problems with for profit medicine. Not saying we shouldn't go after them, but we need to really understand where they are and what we're up against.
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: Friday, January 22, 2021 2:43 PM
To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind'
Cc: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] Medtronic sharing site

Well, obviously, this is not the same as other digital devices. And not necessarily every program will work for every device. But the concept is the same. Medtronic just has to code a text-to-speech program that works with its platform. It does not have to build up from ground zero.

When Apple first created smart devices, it did not include Voiceover. When it finally realized accessibility was an important feature and discovered it would broaden its market reach, Apple programmers created a text-to-speech feature to work for its smart devices, as we all know. It didn't have to create a new phone; it just added the new feature into its existing platform.

No reason Medtronic can't do the same.

Bridgit

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Veronica Elsea via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Friday, January 22, 2021 2:58 PM
To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind' <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Veronica Elsea <veronica at laurelcreekmusic.com>
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] Medtronic sharing site

Medtronic can't include a TalkBack feature because they don't use that sort of operating system. They'd have to invent something from scratch and they sure aren't going to do that.
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 Patricia Maddix via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2021 5:03 PM
To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind
Cc: Patricia Maddix
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] Medtronic sharing site

I just filled out the Medtronic idea request encouraging them to update their software on their pumps to include a talkback feature and two create an app that allows the user to control the pump from the app in an accessible way for the blind.
I encourage as many people as possible from this list to do the same and who knows they might actually take notice. I think there is power in numbers.  I am not holding my breath however it can’t hurt.
Patricia

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jan 21, 2021, at 3:40 PM, Jamie Gurganus via Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Here is the link to the share your ideas page.
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/share-your-idea?utm_source=Eloqua
> <https://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/share-your-idea?utm_source=Eloqua&u
> tm_med 
> ium=Email&utm_campaign=NTIJan_01302021&utm_content=ShareNow&elqTrackId
> =bbd5d
> c92b63c4ff7ad19fee1956b9320&elq=5430f22d0e8948b8bcbd8a9448f7a9e7&elqai
> d=3784
> &elqat=1&elqCampaignId=1853>
> &utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=NTIJan_01302021&utm_content=ShareNow&el
> qTrack 
> Id=bbd5dc92b63c4ff7ad19fee1956b9320&elq=5430f22d0e8948b8bcbd8a9448f7a9
> e7&elq
> aid=3784&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=1853
> 
> 
> 
> Jamie Gurganus, Resource Coach       
> 
> Phone:  515-291-8451
> 
> 
> 
> "be Yourself;  Everyone else is already taken."
> 
>                                  Oscar Wilde
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
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