A story of ingenuity, collaboration, and the simple truth that people need people.
When Robin first reached out to share this case, I was genuinely blown away. Not because it was unusual, but because it was exactly what diabetes care should look like when people refuse to let someone fall through a gap that should never have existed in the first place.
This story sits at the intersection of science, humanity, and sheer persistence. It shows what becomes possible when a clinical team thinks creatively, when a person with type 1 diabetes refuses to accept exclusion as a given, and when “accessibility” stops being a box to tick and becomes a driving principle.
This case has changed Roger’s life — and it speaks directly to what we are trying to build with Glucose Never Lies®: clarity, equity, and the recognition that people need people.
A life lived in total darkness — and a door that wouldn’t open
Roger has lived with type 1 diabetes for almost his entire life, diagnosed at age two and blind for more than 35 years. For decades he operated insulin therapy purely by touch and routine. His old pump was tactile enough to manage, even long after it had been discontinued.
Then automated insulin delivery (AID) systems entered the mainstream. For many people, they promised fewer dangerous lows, smoother glucose profiles, less cognitive load, and improved safety.
For Roger, they delivered something different: a locked door.
Every commercial system required sight. The very technology that increases safety for most people excluded him entirely. That is where many stories end. This one did not.
The team who refused to accept “impossible”
Roger did not do this alone. He worked with a small, determined team:
- Robin Lucciantonio – Diabetes Educator, Garneau Endocrinology
- Dr Anna Rogers – Endocrinologist, Garneau Endocrinology
- BC Diabetes – maintaining the Loop algorithm used in Roger’s setup
Together, they set out with a clear goal: not partial assistance, but full autonomy. They rebuilt modern diabetes therapy in an accessible form.
Roger demonstrating his fully tactile AID workflow
The team presenting their work
The handcrafted tactile pod-filling station
Reinventing AID for someone the system forgot
The open-source DIY Loop app opened the first door. Running on an iPhone with VoiceOver meant Roger could access the full interface non-visually. But the hardware was still a barrier until the team rebuilt the process around his needs.
- A tactile pod-filling station – a simple but brilliant wooden fixture with carved wells that hold the pod and insulin vial in fixed positions. Every contour acts as a tactile landmark, removing guesswork. Roger made this himeslf, what a legend!
- Switching from syringes to insulin pens – standard syringes offered no consistent tactile feedback. Insulin pens did. Two full twists reliably deliver 120 units, creating a safe, repeatable movement he can trust.
- Hand-over-hand training – Robin and Dr Rogers used touch, orientation, and repetition to teach every stage of pod and CGM placement, turning what is usually a visual process into a fully tactile one.
- Simulator → saline trial → full Loop – they moved stepwise: practice on a simulator, then a saline trial, then full AID. No leaps of faith, just structured, safe progression.
This was not a minor adaptation. It was accessible engineering, built from first principles around Roger’s reality rather than expecting him to fit the technology.
The outcome: independence in the fullest sense
When Loop finally integrated into Roger’s daily life, the impact went far beyond glucose metrics. He gained something that many of us take for granted: full autonomy over his diabetes management.
No longer dependent on someone else’s eyes, no longer excluded from the benefits of AID, Roger describes the result in one word: “freedom”.
For many people, AID is a powerful convenience. For Roger, it restores dignity. That difference matters.
A message for diabetes technology and care
Roger’s story should not have to exist. The fact that it does highlights a systemic gap: if a therapy is genuinely life-changing, it must be accessible to those who need it most, not only to those who can see and use a touchscreen.
Accessibility is not an optional extra. It is a design responsibility.
Until industry meets that responsibility, it will be innovators like Roger, Robin, and Dr Rogers who push the boundaries of what is possible. Their work shows how far we can go when we start with the person in front of us and build outward from their reality.
Living with diabetes is hard enough. Fighting for access should not be part of the burden.
Their abstract and future presentations
CSEM-Looping-Blind-Download the abstract: “Looping while blind” (PDF)
This work has been accepted for presentation at ATTD 2026 in Barcelona. I will be there, and I will absolutely be visiting their abstract to say hello to the team and to recognise this achievement in person.
Individuals involved
- Roger Moore – Person living with type 1 diabetes and total blindness
- Robin Lucciantonio – Diabetes Educator – Robin.lucciantonio@ahs.ca (contact for more details), Garneau Endocrinology
- Dr Anna Rogers – Endocrinologist, Garneau Endocrinology
Stories like this remind us why inspiring stories matter: they show what is possible when evidence, creativity, and human care align. When the community shares its stories, the whole community becomes stronger.
