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Islets of Hope diabetes civil rights laws | ||||
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This article and the original publication PA-03-2006 were written by Lahle Wolfe; revised 12/2006 Free publications from Islets of Hope Diabetes and civil rights law: An overview of your legal right to equal access to programs, benefits, opportunity, accommodations, education, and employment. Covers legal rights to equal access to benefits, accommodations and opportunity, and the right to administer diabetes related self-care in public places and at work. Great for anyone who wants to know what the law says about diabetes accomodations, care, and descrimination at work, in schools, and in public places. Includes comprehensive information and examples. Covers the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act, and Individuals with Disabilities Education Assistance. Also, tells where and how to file discrimination complaints. IOH Publication PA-04-2006; 32 pages. Revised 12/06. Diabetes Legislative Headline News Your Child's Right to an Education Diabetes-Friendly Schools Schools That Discriminate |
Frequently asked questions about administering diabetes care in public and the work place This article contains excerpts from Islets of Hope publication PA-03-2006. You can view and print the publication in its original format at PA-03-2006. Download free Adobe software to read our publications in .pdf format 9. Still, what would happen if I accidentally pricked myself on a syringe or used lancet?To get a disease from a used syringe or lancet (“sharps”) the person who first used the sharps would have to have a disease, have transmitted enough blood onto the sharps so that when you were pricked their blood came into contact with your own blood stream. Even in the medical profession where workers are regularly exposed to blood and sharps, and even accidentally prick themselves on “dirty” sharps, disease transmission remains rare. The best course of action is to simply not touch another person’s medical supplies unless absolutely necessary and if you have to give an injection to another person whose health history is unknown, try to use gloves. If you do get pricked with a used (“dirty”) sharp, call your doctor immediately for advice. 10. I don’t want my children to see someone injecting. It’s rude and scary.According to the American Diabetes Association there are 20.8 million children and adults in the United States, or 7% of the population, who have diabetes.(2) Diabetes is becoming more common, in fact, at an epidemic rate. Society cannot hide 20.8 million people and we all need to work together to make living with diabetes easier. People with diabetes are not trying to be rude. They don’t have a hidden diabetes awareness campaign agenda that they are trying to push upon you. They are taking care of their own health needs. Without taking insulin a person with diabetes could go blind, lose a foot, or even die. Children are often afraid of things they don’t understand, or when they sense a parent’s apprehensions. Seeing someone inject insulin can easily be explained by saying that person has a disease that is not contagious and they need insulin to live. Insulin is not a drug – it is a hormone that is made by the body and a person with diabetes cannot make insulin so they must take it in a shot each day. Giving a shot takes only a few seconds and children can be easily distracted for that short amount of time. While an estimated 14.6 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, another 6.2 million people are unaware that they have the disease. And, according to the National Institutes of Health, about one in every 400 to 600 children and adolescents has type 1 diabetes.(3) Chances are pretty good that you or your children will be exposed to diabetes again in the future, maybe even because a friend or loved one develops diabetes. If you make the experience a negative one now and later down the road the child has a family member or friend with diabetes it will make it a harder adjustment for them. 11. I cannot stand to see blood or needles. How can I get my co-worker to stop doing these things in front of me?The best thing you can do is to simply talk with your co-worker. People with diabetes need to pay special attention to their care and may be so focused on what they are doing they might not realize something bothers you. If you have a specific objection, try to also have a possible solution in mind. For example, if your co-worker tests at his/her desk and tosses their used syringes into the trash, you can remind them of the health hazards and the need for safe and proper disposal. You might also let them know that under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) their employer must allow, or provide, a sharps container at work for safe disposal of syringes. If the issue is not health or safety related but one of personal discomfort caused by the site of blood or needles try to keep in mind that diabetes care is sometimes unpredictable. Testing cannot always be scheduled and a person’s life might depend on fast detection of low blood sugars (hypoglycemia) and fast treatment. In some cases, an employer may be willing to make minor accommodations for you (although this is not required by law) to help you deal with a co-worker who has diabetes. For more information about diabetes accommodations and conflict resolution in the work place read IOH Publication PA-01-2006, “Diabetes in the real world: A guide to diabetes etiquette, tolerance, and conflict resolution in the workplace and public social settings.” Download: http://www.isletsofhope.com/pdf/diabetes-in-the-real-world.pdf
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