At T1International, over a decade of grassroots organizing, storytelling, advocacy, and action have brought us to this critical moment. Our community has grown to include people with diabetes, caregivers, and allies from over 150 countries, all united by a shared vision: a world where everyone has the access to the insulin, supplies, and care they need to survive and truly live.

We are proud to release our Long-term Strategic Plan, a blueprint for how T1International will continue to lead the fight for insulin access, affordability, and care, available in English and French.

“Our new strategic plan reflects the voices, the courage, and the expertise of thousands of people living with diabetes around the world,” said Shaina Kasper, T1International’s Executive Director. “Together, we are defining a path towards affordability, accessibility, and care for everyone living with diabetes, no matter where they live.”

Developing this plan was a collaborative process. Over 100 people participated through focus groups, surveys, and interviews. They shared what’s working, what’s not working, and ideas for the future. These perspectives were critical in helping us define how T1international will focus its energy, both in confronting systemic inequities, changing laws and regulations around the globe, and building collective power.

The plan organizes our work around three bold goals: Access, Affordability, and Care. These goals are underpinned by multiple strategies designed to confront structural inequities, support grassroots leadership, and drive tangible outcomes:

• Access: Ensuring people can obtain the insulin, supplies, and care they need, no matter where they live.
• Affordability: Fighting for fair pricing, challenging corporate monopolies, and ensuring no one has to ration insulin or essential supplies.
• Care: Promoting equitable, high-quality healthcare, mental health support, and education for all people living with diabetes.

At the heart of this plan is people power – as a survey respondent said: “There is strength in numbers.” T1International believes that real change comes from those most affected by inequities taking action together. By providing tools, training, and community networks, we help people turn lived experience into leadership. As one focus group participant said: “T1International provides metaphorical fishing rods, not just fish.”

This ethos drives how we engage with partners, governments, and multinational corporations. Our independence from pharmaceutical funding ensures we can speak truth to power, challenge unjust systems, and center those most affected.

Our plan also recognizes that there are multiple, interconnecting ways of making change and that all strategies and tones are critical for achieving our goals. One survey responder said: “Collaborative advocacy… is important” while another interviewee said: “The direct confrontational tone to give eyes to those who do not have knowledge is what I like most about the work of T1I. Ceviche that does not sting is not ceviche.”

“Our new strategic plan reflects the courage and the vision of everyone in our movement,” said Melissa Passarelli, the chair of T1international’s Board of Trustees. “It is a guide for our collective action, ensuring that the voices of people living with diabetes are heard and that our work is accountable to them.”

We invite you to download and read our Long-term Strategic Plan to better understand where we’ve been, where we are headed, how you can get involved, and how the global diabetes community can work together to demand systemic change.