The Impact of the Current Accessibility of Insulin Pumps on the Lives of the Visually Impaired in Canada

By Michael G. A. Trolio, Kat Hamilton, and Mahadeo A. Sukhai

Preferred Citation

Trolio, M. G. A., Hamilton, K., & Sukhai, M. A. (2022). The impact of the current accessibility of insulin pumps on the lives of the visually impaired in Canada. Journal of Blindness Innovation & Research12(1). Retrieved from https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/jbir/jbir22/jbir120105.html. DOI: http://dx.doi/10.5241/12-233

Abstract

Over 1.5 million adult Canadians identify as living with some degree of sight loss, with an estimated 5.59 million diagnosed with an eye disease that may result in sight loss. Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness in Canada, with the risk of blindness being 25 times greater for individuals with diabetic retinopathy. Vision challenges and blindness associated with diabetic retinopathy can be prevented or mitigated with the proper management of blood glucose and blood pressure, yet established methods for measuring and mediating such physiological states have proved inaccessible for individuals with sight loss and diabetes. Herein, we examined the accessibility barriers experienced by Canadians with sight loss and diabetes in use of insulin pump devices. We also identify the current inaccessibility of insulin devices experienced by Canadians with sight loss and diabetes and the impact these gaps in accessibility have on their physical and emotional quality of life.

Keywords

Insulin pump accessibility, persons with sight loss and diabetes, insulin device accessibility, insulin pump


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DOI: http://dx.doi/10.5241/12-233

The Journal of Blindness Innovation and Research is copyright (c) 2022 to the National Federation of the Blind.