[Diabetes-Talk] Introduction and a question on glucose monitoring devices

[Patricia Maddix]

Here is a bit of information that I know about this sensor and the Medtronic pumps. The instinct sensor is actually a sensor manufactured by Abbott, who is also the maker of the Libre sensors and it was designed to be used only with Medtronic pumps in a collaboration between the two companies. The Medtronic 780 pump is not really accessible for people who are blind, although a few people are using it by counting button presses, but it is by no means fully accessible as it would require many workarounds. Minimed has just released and is selling a new pump called the Flex. This pump is half the size of the 780 pump and is shaped a bit like a long thin highlighter pen and is operated entirely through an app on the phone. There is no longer a screen on this pump. as a result of this new way of interacting with the pump, it has the possibility of being completely accessible using  the phone screen reader. there is a member on this List Serve that posted recently that he was going to be getting one of these pumps and letting us know about its accessibility. The Instinct sensor by Abbott apparently works with this new pump along with one of the new Minimed sensors as well.
Patricia

Sent from my iPhone

> On Sep 2, 2026, at 3:07 PM, everett everettgavel.com via Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi Debbie, and all,
> 
> I don't think the Medtronic 780G insulin pump is at all accessible. However, there are a couple of people on this list I've been meaning to ask if they use it and change it themselves, as they have I think, on their pumps in the past. I haven't bothered yet to learn if it's possible to do myself. So it seems inaccessible to me, right now. My wife is kind enough to change it out for me when it's needed.
> 
> The sensor is an Instinct sensor, by Medtronic. It lasts about 2 weeks. They send me 2 per month. It is a lot better than the previous sensors they were sending me. Those ones, the Guardian 4's  if I'm remembering correctly, were a pain in the butt, seriously. They had probably half of them going bad or not even connecting, every shipment. They kept saying it was due to scar tissue from decades of taking shots. But these Instinct sensors have been working just fine.
> 
> Sorry I don't have more details on the Medtronic 780G Pump.
> 
> 
> Everett
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: debbiewunder at socket.net <debbiewunder at socket.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, September 1, 2026 4:37 PM
> Subject: RE: [Diabetes-Talk] Introduction and a question on glucose monitoring devices
> 
> I would like to hear more about this sensor, I am not familiar with it. Is your insulin pump fully accessible?
> 
> Warm Regards,
> Debbie  Wunder
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> Sent: Tuesday, September 1, 2026 2:27 PM
> 
> I have been using the Instinct sensor with Medtronic's Mini-Med app. It reads me my blood sugar levels easily enough, but I haven't dove into it yet to see if anything else is or isn't accessible with my Voiceover on my iPhone. It tells me BS levels, lol, and it tells me any active insulin I have going. It tells me that simply by bringing the already opened app into focus.
> 
> 
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