To educate members of the blind, low-vision and diverse needs communities on the pathogenesis of the chronic autoimmune disease, type 1 diabetes, members of our team with research expertise in immune-mediated diseases, participated in the 2023 Monash Sensory Science (MSS) Exhibition. Using QR code linked audio commentary, participants were guided through tactile displays demonstrating normal insulin action in the regulation of blood glucose levels and its vital role in providing energy to tissues, followed by displays describing the various stages of the immune system's aberrant attack and the eventual complete destruction of the insulin producing beta-cells of the pancreatic islets in type 1 diabetes. These models conveyed to the participants the huge effect that this autoimmune-mediated disease has on the quality of life of affected individuals including the subsequent lifelong reliance on insulin injections to maintain glucose homeostasis. This MSS Exhibition provided a unique opportunity for our researchers to engage with under-represented members of the community and to raise awareness about such a debilitating and common autoimmune disease.

中文翻译：

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通过感官刺激向盲人、低视力和多样化需求群体传达1型糖尿病的发病机制

为了向盲人、低视力和不同需求群体的成员介绍慢性自身免疫性疾病、1 型糖尿病的发病机制，我们拥有免疫介导疾病研究专业知识的团队成员参加了 2023 年莫纳什感觉科学 (MSS)展览。使用二维码链接的音频评论，参与者通过触觉显示器进行引导，展示了胰岛素在调节血糖水平中的正常作用及其在为组织提供能量方面的重要作用，然后显示器描述了免疫系统异常攻击的各个阶段以及最终的结果。 1 型糖尿病中产生胰岛素的胰岛 β 细胞被完全破坏。这些模型向参与者传达了这种自身免疫介导的疾病对受影响个体的生活质量的巨大影响，包括随后终生依赖胰岛素​​注射来维持葡萄糖稳态。这次 MSS 展览为我们的研究人员提供了一个独特的机会，可以与社区中代表性不足的成员进行接触，并提高人们对这种使人衰弱的常见自身免疫性疾病的认识。