A focus group study of accessibility and related psychosocial issues in diabetes education for people with visual impairment.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify accessibility and related psychosocial issues in diabetes care and education for visually impaired adults who have diabetes.
METHODS: Two focus groups of adults with visual impairment and diabetes were conducted; data were recorded and analyzed.
RESULTS: The 3 main issues identified were lack of access to up-to-date diabetes information in an accessible format, lack of understanding by healthcare providers of the needs and competencies of people with both visual impairment and diabetes, and lack of access to nonvisual diabetes self-management equipment.
CONCLUSIONS: This study provides qualitative support for the view that visually impaired people in the United States may, as a group, be systematically excluded from receiving high quality diabetes care and education. Equal access to diabetes care and education for visually impaired people requires increased accessibility of diabetes care and education programs, and increased professional and public awareness that the diabetes programs are accessible. Some specific recommendations are to make all patient education materials available in low-vision/nonvisual formats and to teach all diabetes education professionals how to work effectively with visually impaired people.