Have any of your patients been denied jobs because they use insulin? Has a patient been fired because of the need to manage diabetes during the work day? Has a pediatric patient been refused the ability to participate in a school field trip or extracurricular activity because there is nobody available to care for diabetes needs?

Sometimes people are treated unfairly at work, at school or in other aspects of daily life- just because they have diabetes. This is called discrimination, and it occurs regularly. These unfair situations also prevent individuals from reaching optimal health outcomes. However, the good news is that help is available from the American Diabetes Association. As a health care professional, you can play a role in fighting diabetes discrimination by helping to identify people at risk and refer them to 1-800-DIABETES (342-2383).