Insulin pumps, because they more closely mimic the normal pancreas than multiple insulin injections, have revolutionized diabetes care. Regulating the flow of insulin automatically day and night from a case that fits in your pocket, insulin pumps can lead to a freer lifestyle, improved flexibility in meals, and worry-free exercise and travel. Unfortunately, the visual displays on these devices make them almost impossible for people with vision loss to use. Lack of speech output prevents over 5.3 million people with diabetic retinopathy, the major cause of blindness for the 17 million diabetics in the United States, from reaching the next stage in the management of diabetes.
Product Evaluations
Diabetes and Visual Impairment: Are Insulin Pumps Accessible?, AccessWorld®, Vol. 5, No. 2, March 2004.
Uslan, M; Burton, D; Chertow, B; Collins, R. Accessibility of Insulin Pumps for Blind and Visually Impaired People. Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics, vol. 6, no. 5, 2004: 621-634.
