Health Care Professionals Fighting for Their Patient's Rights:

A kindergartener’s parents tell their Certified Diabetes Educator that they need to change their daughter’s insulin regimen because no one will administer insulin at school.

A type 1 patient tells her endocrinologist that when she mentioned her type 1diabetes at a pre-employment physical the company’s doctor told her she wouldn’t be hired.

Despite your advice, a type 2 patient refuses to begin needed insulin therapy because he fears he will lose his job as a truck driver.

Each month, over 300 people from around the country contact the American Diabetes Association seeking help on discrimination matters. While the most common requests concern problems in employment and education, other problems involve police custody, correctional institutions, licensing, and access to places of public accommodations.

The Association provides comprehensive materials to help people understand their legal rights and how to pursue remedies. Since a good deal of the discrimination is based upon ignorance of diabetes and modern diabetes management, our strategy is to start by education and, when needed, move on to negotiation. When legal action is required to resolve a problem, the Association helps people with diabetes find lawyers and sometimes becomes involved in legal actions. When laws stand in the way of fairness for people with diabetes, the Association initiates, and has passed, legislation on the federal and state levels. Health care professionals have played an important part in each of these areas, teaming their expertise with the legal expertise of our staff and volunteer attorneys.

Visit our legal advocacy section and learn more about our programs and information on the major areas of diabetes discrimination including our successes.

Today, scientific and medical knowledge enables people with diabetes to fully participate in all aspects of life. They should participate without facing discrimination from diabetes myths, misinformation, and prejudice. Our advocacy health care professionals have made that happen for many people with diabetes. But every day brings new issues and challenges that we can meet with your help.

Become a part of a team making a real difference in the lives of people with diabetes. Join the ADA Health Care Professionals Legal Advocacy Network today.

For more information and how to join the Network contact Steve Bieringer at sbieringer@diabetes.org.