[NFBMI-Talk] At-Home COVID Testing Available To The Blind

[Kane Brolin]

Hi, everybody.

Yesterday, I was doing some research intended to boost my  competency
for talking about accessible medical devices with Congressional
representatives at next week's NFB Washington Seminar.  In doing so, I
ran across a site for Accessible Pharmacy, which says it has a DIY
COVID-19 testing kit that we can use at home and send back in order to
get a private, accurate result within 72 hours.  Their phone number is
(215)799-9900. https://www.accessiblepharmacy.com/covid-testing-for-the-blind/
I would love to hear a review of this service from someone's personal
experience with it.

More broadly speaking, the American Foundation for the Blind has a
page devoted to home medical monitoring devices of different kinds,
with links to reviews of those devices.
https://www.afb.org/blindness-and-low-vision/eye-conditions/diabetes-and-vision-loss-guide-caring-yourself-when-you-2
 Not everything here seems up to date; but it's more detailed than
anything else I have been able to find.

Ron Brown, president of our Indiana Affiliate in the Federation,
points out to me that even in instances when a home medical monitoring
device is said to be accessible, it is frequently found that not all
functions on such a device are accessible.  I also see from the AFB
site that Medicare does not necessarily pick up the cost of an
accessible medical monitoring device even if it may be shown that the
one using it is blind.  This is another problem that needs a
regulatory or legislative fix at the federal level.

Respectfully,

-Kane