00:00Blind persons living with diabetes face an often invisible struggle of monitoring blood
00:06sugar without being able to see the numbers. Traditionally, glucose meters rely on visual
00:12cues, something inaccessible to many visually impaired persons.
00:17Today, Kenneth Surat tells The Morning Edition this not only undermines their independence
00:24but endangers their health. He believes the continuous glucose monitors will provide
00:30significant relief.
00:32This equipment will tell you your level of what the sugar is reading. Say if it's reading
00:36too high, you know not to involve in your sweet. You know how to manage your insulin or your
00:41oral medication. So you are getting real time access to this information than having to go
00:48and stick your finger and say it takes an effort. This is on you all the time. Your smartphone
00:54is with you all the time. So you could get that continuous monitoring on what you eat, how
00:59to manage your diabetes.
01:01Surat is also urging government to ensure that children with visual difficulties have access
01:07to equipment and early diagnoses. He says the sooner the better.
01:12Because there is a window up to probably age eight and if you pass that age eight and you
01:17don't correct that visual impairment, it is difficult to treat with teaching the brain how to see.
01:22So we are suggesting to the government early intervention based on by other persons with disability group.
01:29Persons have to wait something 24 months or more to see a specialist. We are calling upon
01:34the government when it comes to children. It is important that urgently within 90 days someone
01:40with a disability and need proper diagnosis from a specialist, that person should have that
01:45opportunity.
01:46The Blind Welfare Association Executive Officer is pleading for consideration to be given to
01:52this in the upcoming fiscal package.
01:55Please don't forget the blind, the persons who are blind in our community. We want access
02:00to continue glucose monitoring. Please provide it for us because Trinidad is a blessed country
02:06and God put all of us here. He takes us from all over the world and we are here in a special
02:11place. So I am calling upon the government and in particular the Minister of Health. Please
02:15when you are considering this proposal for the 2026-27 budget, please factor in persons who
02:21are blind.
02:22Paul M. Romany TV6 news .
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