[accesscomp] fyi from Nancy

From: "Bob Acosta" <boacosta@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Bob Acosta" <boacosta@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 10 Mar 2013 22:20:39 -0700
Hi Bob, 


Jerry said we should get together and I could bring you up to speed on the new 
releases of Digit-Eyes.


I'd love to do that if you are interested!    There is an additional issue that 
I think will probably be of great interest -- the public hearing at the US 
Access Board a week from Monday (March 18) on accessible prescription labeling 
for people who are blind and low vision.


    What: The US Access Board Working Group on Accessible Prescription Labels 
is holding open meetings to determine best practices for labeling 
prescriptions for the blind and visually impaired.  

 

When:  Monday, March 18 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm Eastern Time

 

Where:  Telephone 888-603-7094, passcode 6317703.  Dial in any time during the 
meeting; the public comment period is anticipated to start between 4:15 and 
4:30 pm Eastern time.

 

Why:  Prescription information should be accessible to everyone, regardless of 
vision condition.  

 

The board is not, at this time, considering codes that can be read by mobile 
devices such as the iPhone or Android and it is not considering mobile 
technology as an option for label reading or recording.  We believe that this 
is an option that should be included in the recommendations because of its 
convenience, low cost of implementation, power and portability.

 

We encourage you to find out more about this committee and to consider giving 
some input on the topic because the results almost certainly will determine how 
your prescriptions are labeled in the future.  

 

For more information, read on!

 

How does the Working Group affect you?

The US Access Board Working Group on Accessible Prescription Labels is holding 
hearings to determine best practices for labeling prescriptions for the blind 
and visually impaired.  

 

The working group is a public body and meetings are open to the public.  So, if 
you want to participate and make your opinions known, you have a chance to do 
so!

 

The next meeting is scheduled Monday, March 18 from 1:00pm to 5:00pm ET. The 
Access Board will be specifically discussing audio labeling of prescriptions.  
The document they are working from is here:

http://www.access-board.gov/drug-labels/practices-summary.htm

 

And the hearing will start with the line titled "Practice of Providing Audible 
Labels -- Digital voice recorders attached to a prescription drug container"

 

The committee typically discusses their document and then saves the last 30 or 
45 minutes for a "Public Forum" and open the phone lines for public comments. 

 

The dial-in number is 888-603-7094 and the pass code is 6317703.  You can dial 
in any time.  

 

We'd like to encourage people who are interested in mobile solutions to 
attend the next meeting by phone and speak up for the option of including 
mobile technology as one of the audio options.

 

We recommend that you prepare a short statement to read to the committee that 
says something to the effect:

 

"My name is _____________ and my vision condition is ________________.   I use 
the iPhone and other mobile technology in my daily life (give examples as to 
why it is useful).  I believe that the commit should include the use of 
labeling that can be read and voiced by mobile devices such as the Android or 
iPhone because (state your reason for wanting mobile technology included - we 
believe it is a useful solution because it means we don't have to carry around 
a bulky reader or use a special recorder and can just use the same convenient 
prescription bottles that everyone else uses!)
 

It is not all that common for us, as citizens, to be able to influence the 
course of legislation, but this is a great opportunity to speak up and say what 
we want and how we want it!

 

Using Labels Readable with Digital Technology

At this time, the committee is considering only existing solutions such as 
bottle recorders and ScriptTalk. We believe that it is in everyone's best 
interest to understand that there is no single good solution to making 
prescription labels accessible and that the range of solutions should include 
the use of labels (QR code and other) that can be read by devices such as the 
iPad, iPod, Android or iPhone.

 

Here is a sample pharmaceutical label that can be printed on a simple, 
inexpensive round label and fitted on the bottom of a standard 40ml 
prescription bottle.   
http://www.digit-eyes.com/graphics/pharma-see/sampleLabel1.png 

 

<!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This code can be scanned and voiced with any QR code scanning app on the 
iPhone, Android or other device that can read and voice QR codes.  You can, for 
instance, read it with the free version of Digit-Eyes:

https://appstore.com/digiteyeslite 

 

As shown in the sample label, the content can include personalized information 
about the prescription as well as a link to the authoritative source of 
information about the medicine in the bottle (in this case, a sample penicillin 
label, a link is included to the Medline Plus page for the specific formulation 
in the bottle.) http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a685015.html

 

The advantage of this type of labeling is straightforward:  for people who have 
a phone that can scan codes, no bulky reader or awkward addition to their pill 
bottle is needed.   The "reader" is where the person is - it won't be 
accidentally left behind and the phone is easily charged and highly reliable. 

 

 

More information about Our Porposal

We have been attending the meetings both in person and by phone and we will 
continue to do so.  We presented Digit-Eyes to the board and described a new 
product titled "Pharma-See" that we are proposing to give away as a free app to 
consumers.   This new product uses the existing Digit-Eyes scanning, recording 
and playback technology or the existing text technology (as best suits the 
customer and pharmacy) and it is set up to allow pharmacies to do a simple 
one-time recording on a label on the bottom of the bottle.  

 

More information:   http://pharma-see.com 

 

 

About the board

The charter of the board:

http://www.access-board.gov/news/drug-labels-working-group.htm 

 

The overview and minutes:

http://www.access-board.gov/drug-labels/index.htm 

 

The recommendations from the meeting of the Access Board on January 10-11:

http://www.access-board.gov/drug-labels/practices-summary.htm 



Robert Acosta, President
Helping Hands for the Blind
Email: boacosta@xxxxxxxxxxx
Web Site: www.helpinghands4theblind.org

You can assist Helping Hands for the Blind by donating your used computers to 
us. If you have a blind friend in need of a computer, please mail us at the 
above address.
[accesscomp] fyi from Nancy

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