Web Site Accessibility Blog

I never realized diabetes was on epidemic levels until reading this article from the New York Times, here re-printed at The Amherst Times. The story focuses on the growing numbers of diabetes patients in the New York hospitals, and the different ailments and afflictions that are the results of this disease.

The estimates are as high as one in 8 adult New Yorkers have diabetes, which is about 800,000 people. Diabetes is growing in new cases and fatalities in the city, while other major diseases are in decline.

One of the major issues in Accessibility is low-vision, of which diabetes is a significant contributing factor. Dr. Daniel Lorber, an endocrinologist in Queens stated the problem succinctly:

“At a time when we are trying to shift health care out of hospitals, with diabetics you don’t have a choice,” he said. “Nursing homes are going to be crammed to the gills with amputees in rehab. Kidney dialysis centers will multiply like rabbits. We will have a tremendous amount of people not blind but with low vision. And we have lousy facilities in this country for low-vision problems. These people will not be able to function in society without significant aid.”

According to this analysis, low vision problems and accessibility issues are only going to increase as the population continues to struggle with this disease. Not an inspiring outlook.