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In Touch - Factsheet BBC Radio 4 |
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Tuesday 22 October 2002
Listen to the In Touch for 22 October RNIB ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL MEASURING DEVICES FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED DIABETICS Guest: Bill Hartnett, Diabetes UK Peter White asks Bill why the information about the devices is so poor. In today's In Touch we are going to have a report by Mani Djazmi who is finding out what blood sugar level measuring devices are available and how to get them. If you are a diabetic, the sugar level has to be counted frequently and visually impaired people ideally like to have a device, which allows them to read the sugar level independently, without any help from sighted people. BLOOD SUGAR TESTING DEVICES CAUTION NONE OF THE FOLLOWING DEVICES FEATURED ARE ENDORSED BY THE BBC Blood Glucose Meters Recommended by Diabetes UK Prestige Smart System By DiagnoSys Medical Customer Service Team: 0800 08 588 08 Price: £7.50 Large, easy to read displays with big, bold numbers - the largest on the market. Simple one button operation - the meter is operated by simply pressing the one big button on the front of the meter below the screen. Coding of the meter is done using a big rocker button situated on top of the meter. This button has a dip in the down side and a bump on the up side to assist those with poor sight. Easy to handle test strips - the Prestige test strips require only a small blood sample but the body of strip is large (the largest on the market, making it easy-to-handle. In addition, they are supplied in a Flip Top vial, making it easy to pick up a strip. Life-Scan Computer Room Services 77 Exeter Close Stevenage Hertfordshire SG1 4PW Tel: 01438 742286 Fax: 01438 759589 Mobile: 07956 334938 Email: Steve@comproom.co.uk MediSense The Soft-Sense costs £180 and the speech software from MediSense costs £30. To place an order call the MediSense order-line on: Tel: 0845 607 3247 Email: customerservices@diabetesnow.co.uk With Soft-Sense you no longer have to prick delicate areas like your fingertips. Instead you can take a blood sample from much less sensitive places, like your forearm. GlukiPlus Costs £450 with a free batch of 50 sensor strips coming with the machine. Thereafter, every batch of 50 strips costs £22.50. Dieter at Vis-ability (DK): Tel: 0135 465 6560 Fax: 0135 465 1373 Email: info@vis-ability.co.uk The Gluki Plus is a talking blood-sugar monitoring device. Only a very small blood sample is needed. After only thirty seconds the test result is announced by a clear voice, and shown on the display in large letters. The Gluki Plus is the size of a music cassette, and is powered by a standard 9-volt battery. VOICE SYNTHESIZER BLOOD SUGAR TESTING DEVICES FROM USA There are currently no companies in the UK manufacturing voice synthesizers for use with blood glucose meters, for people with visual impairment. However, Diabetes UK are working with the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) and relevant companies around the issue of these and other products for the visually impaired. Companies who distribute voice synthesizer systems in the USA are: LS & S Catalog P O Box 673 Northbrook IL 60065 USA Information & Customer Service: 001 847 498 9777 Fax: 001 847 498 1482 Email: lssgrp@aol.com Speech Module for One Touch Profile Model LHS-7 - $189 USD (AC Adapter included) Speech Module for One Touch II Model LHS-4 - $179 USD Vat Charges on Devices from America On delivery a charge for VAT is payable. To qualify for VAT relief the goods must be designed solely for use by disabled people and imported by The disabled person for their domestic or personal use; or Charities, for making available to disabled people for their domestic or personal use. To claim relief on goods imported by post it is important that you ask the sender to mark clearly on the package and its accompanying customs declaration (CN22 or CN23): "GOODS FOR DISABLED PEOPLE: RELIEF CLAIMED". Customs and Excise may send the importer a simplified form to complete and return. Prior to importation, one should obtain an National Import Relief Unit (NIRU) approval certificate and VAT Notice 701/7 by contacting: National Import Relief Unit HM Customs and Excise Custom House Killyhelvin Industrial Estate Enniskillen County Fermanagh Northern Ireland BT74 4EJ Tel: 02866 322298 Fax: 02866 324018 Alternatively, if the package is not clearly marked, the Post Office will only deliver it when the importer has paid the duty and VAT, which could be in excess of £60. One should pay these charges and then write to HM Customs and Excise at the Postal Depot where the charges were raised (this address should be on the label on the parcel). Enclose the original NIRU certificate, the VAT declaration from VAT Notice 701/7 and the Post Office charge label. If they are satisfied, the duty and the VAT will be refunded. CONTACTS DIABETES UK CENTRAL OFFICE 10 Parkway London NW1 7AA Diabetes UK Careline 020 7424 1030 Diabetes UK Customer Services 020 7424 1010 Email: info@diabetes.org.uk Diabetes UK is the new name of the British Diabetic Association - a charity working for people with diabetes, funding research, campaigning and helping people live with the condition. GUIDE DOGS ON FERRIES Guests: Ann Fry, Head of the Department for Transport's Mobility and Inclusion Initiative Julia Fordegill, head of marketing and holidays of Stenner Lines. The programme does an update on travelling with guide dogs on ferries. List of Ferry Companies Consulted Caledonian McBrayne Ferries Travels from the west coast of Scotland to the surrounding islands. They do not mind guide dogs. Tel: 01475 650100 Condor Ferries Travels between Britain, the Channel Islands and Western France. Passengers free to take their guide dogs on board but must give advanced notice. Tel: 01202 207207. Gosport Ferries Travels from Gosport to the Isle of White. Guide dogs have free access. Tel: 02392 524551 Hoverspeed Travels from Dover to Calaise; New Haven to Dieppe and Dover to Ostend. Dogs are allowed to stay with the owners on board. Owners can go where they like and there is no extra charge. Tel: 08705 240241. Irish Ferries Travels from Ireland to Wales. Guide dogs are allowed into the accommodation area. Tel: 08705 17 17 17 King Harry Travels between the Roseland Peninsula and Feoch (across the river Fal). Guide dogs have full access. Tel: 01872 862312. Lundy Island Travels from Bideford to Lundy Island in Devonne. Guide dogs have full access. Tel: 01271 863636. Orkney Ferries Travels between the Orkney mainland and 13 of the smaller Islands. Guide dogs are allowed "anywhere where there are no people", ie no catering or lounge areas. Tel: 01856 872044 Pentland Ferries Travels from Kathness to Orkney. Guide dogs have unrestricted access. Tel: 01856 831226 P&O Travels from Dover and Portsmouth to France Guide dogs are only allowed inside their owner's cabin. They are not allowed into any public areas. Tel: 0870 2424999 Scandinavian Seaways Travels between Harwhich, Amsterdam, Newcastle and Northern Europe. Do not allow dogs on board. Tel: 01255 241234. Seacat Travels from Liverpool to Dublin; Liverpool to the Isle of Man; Dublin to the Isle of Man; Heysham to Belfast; the Isle of Man to Belfast and Troon to Belfast. Allow dogs full access. Tel: 0151 2362061 Stena Line Travels from Harwhich to the Hook of Holland; Hollyhead to Dun Laoghaire; Hollyhead to Dublin; Fishguard to Rosslare; Stranraer to Belfast. They are quite happy for guide dogs to come on board with their owners. Only recently joined the Pet Travel Scheme. Tel: 01255 243333 Torpoint Ferries Travels across the Teymar river from Devonne Port to Torpoint. Guide dogs have unrestricted access. Tel: 01752 812233 Western Ferries (Clyde LTD) Travels from Gouroch to Dunoon. Guide dogs have unrestricted access. Tel: 01369 704452 White Link Ferries Travels from Portsmouth to Fishbourne; Lymington to Yarmouth; Portsmouth to Ryde Peer Head. Guide dogs have unrestricted access. Tel: 08705 827744 Yell Ferries Travels from Toft to Ulsta on Yell (Shetland). Guide dogs have unrestricted access. Tel: 01806 242551 CONTACTS Disability Policy Branch Department for Transport Mobility and Inclusion Unit Zone 1/18 Great Minster House 76 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DR Tel: 020 7944 8021 Fax: 0207 944 6102 For further information on the DfT policies on transport and the disabled. THE GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND ASSOCIATION Burghfield Common Reading RG7 3YG Tel: 0870 600 2323 Email: guidedogs@gdba.org.uk RNIB'S LATEST PUBLICITY POSTER - LISTENERS' FEEDBACK The RNIB's new publicity posters asks people to contemplate a number of enjoyable activities including hosting a party, making your child smile and then reminding them that they might be one of the 100 people a day who begin to lose their sight. People who contacted the programme thought there was a clear implication that this meant that if you did lose your sight you would no longer be able to do these things, an inference they found offensive. Colin Low, Chairman of the Rnib who came on the programme last week, stoutly maintained that this wasn't the message. He claimed the implication was that the RNIB would be there to help you get your life back on track. CONTACT RNIB 105 Judd Street London WC1H 9NE Tel: 0845 766 99 99 (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm) Fax. 020-7388 2034 Textphone users call via Typetalk 0800-51 51 52 The RNIB provides information, support and advice for anyone with a serious sight problem. They not only provide braille, Talking Books and computer training, but imaginative and practical solutions to everyday challenges. The RNIB campaigns to change society's attitudes, actions and assumptions, so that people with sight problems can enjoy the same rights, freedoms and responsibilities as fully sighted people. They also fund pioneering research into preventing and treating eye disease and promote eye health by running public health awareness campaigns Visit the In Touch Message Board Back to the In Touch page The BBC is not responsible for external websites |
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