When is best to speak up

It's a question that I often wrestle with as a blind person and trust me when I tell you that as a rule, blind persons are often faced with this dilemma.  Speak up too strongly and society may misunderstand our reasons and they may even be uncomfortable with us.  Not speak up and more often than not our feelings are ignored and our rights are inadvertently trampled upon.

 

I do not believe that there is any right or wrong time to speak up.  It all depends on the circumstance and/or situation and why it needs to be done.  Speaking up on the whole is not a bad thing by any means, but it needs to be executed precisely and appropriately.  It's not what you say, it's how you say it.  Keep a hold of your phrases and words and make sure that you are in control of your tone of voice at all times.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day.

Sewing without sight

Yes, that's what I do now that I am unable to see what I am doing.  I literally sew in the dark so to speak.  I can sew buttons, seams, and rips.  I can cut with my scissors; a regular one and I use self threading needles.

 

Self threading needles have become more popular over the years especially so for older persons who have difficulty seeing their way to thread a needle and many others use it as well.  I keep my threads all in a very organized way; by color of course but in alphabetic order and for good measure I put Braille labels around the bobbins to mark them. 

 

Sometimes, I may be a bit off in the matching of colors but most of the time I am pretty accurate.  It sure helps that I was able to see before because I have a fair grasp of what colors are and what color of thread would match the clothing that I wish to perform sewing surgery on.  It could be a challenge but I do not let it get the better of me.

 

Blind persons can be taught to sew and if you would like to learn more then you can visit www.perkins.org and there you can see for yourself.

You can also purchase sewing aids for the blind at www.independentlivingaids.com.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day.

Socializing in the dark

That's what it is for a blind person like me without very much vision now.  When I had more vision, it was much easier because I could make out where people were sitting or standing and I could see their outlines.  Now it is different.  I have to depend on the sound of one's voice in order to get my bearings. 

 

If the room is noisy then my job of getting my bearings is made even more difficult because I have to work harder to hear voices.  I prefer smaller groups because I feel more comfortable.  Larger groups mean that I need to pay closer attention to more voices.

 

The one thing that I can tell you is that for me, it is a heck of a lot easier to socialize when you have some vision.  I need to ensure that I am speaking to someone and that I am not speaking to an empty chair or space.  That's embarrassing for me.  I also need to ensure that I am with who I want to be; not in a group that I don't want to be with.  All in a day's work but it can be fun if you relax and let the chips fall where they may.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and socialize with blind persons.  It can be lots of fun and very rewarding.  Visit www.nfb.org to learn more.

 

On the Streets Without Vision

Trust me when I tell you that this is one of the scariest things for me.  When I had enough vision to see lights, cars, and persons, it was not too bad but still a bit scary at times.  Now that my vision has been reduced to shadows and light, it is even scarier.

 

Just imagine having to cross busy streets and not always be able to tell when a speeding car is trying to zoom around the corner.  I always cross with parallel traffic; that is, I cross when the cars parallel to me start moving off but so many times there are crazy drivers who try to beat the traffic by either zooming ahead or sneaking into my way. 

 

Then there are the drunk drivers who make matters worse by even being on the streets.  It's bad enough having to deal with them when you have normal sight but think what it is like when you can't even seem them coming at you as you walk along the sidewalk.  Then there are the crazy cyclists to deal with.  Those who do not have any respect for pedestrians and they simply either ride into you or scare you out of your wits.  Ah!  A challenge for me as a blind pedestrian.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and help educate the rest of the world about what it is like to be a blind pedestrian on the streets.  Visit www.afb.org to learn more.

My Commitment to the Kids

My commitment is absolute!  There is no turning back and there is no compromise!  For if I don't commit to blind kids of the future then who am I?  I am the person who is here today because of others!  Throughout all of my life I have been fortunate to have had great folks helping me and committing to me.  Starting with my parents and family and expanding out to my friends and associates!  Now it's time for me to step up to the plate and do what is needed and expected of me.

 

We need to make our kids the priority and in the case of all blind kids of the future, this priority has to be the top one.  If we don't then what can they expect to look forward to?  It is up to us to ensure that they have access to their legitimate rights; what is rightfully theirs and what they are obligated to receive.  Their right to access; to all websites and related content on all websites.  Their right to technology.  Their right to all services that are available to everyone else.  Their legitimate right to education; from kindergarten to university and beyond.

 

Their write to read and enjoy all books.  Their right to enjoy the sporting activities that all other kids are able to enjoy.  Their right to live as kids and be kids.  In short, we need to work together to ensure that all blind kids of the future can be what they want to be without anyone telling them no!

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and asking you to join me in helping to protect and preserve the future of all blind kids.  You can write to me anytime at donnajodhan@sterlingcreations.ca.

Are Blind Persons Spoken to Differently?

I am going to let you be the judge with regard to this matter but I'll also give you some examples to chew on.

 

In so many cases, when there is interaction between a sales person and a blind person, it is often reported that the sales person finds it necessary to speak more loudly to the blind person. 

Some sighted persons feel more comfortable addressing a blind person using such prefixes as:  Dear, Honey, and so on.  I often wonder if they would use the same words when talking to a sighted person.  In addition, they alter their tones to sound as if they are talking to a kid. 

 

I guess that you can't win them all!  If they speak to us too loudly then we find it offensive; as if they believe that we are also hard of hearing and if they speak to us using tones and words that they would normally use when addressing kids then we are also offended.  I'll let you be the judge.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and visit the www.nfb.org website to learn more.

Too Many Objects Often Confuse Me

Whenever there are too many objects either on my desk, on my kitchen counter, or even in a room, I get totally confused.  I am pretty sure that this is probably the case for most of the mainstream world but without enough vision to help me, it is a real challenge for me.

 

I do not like clutter.  I do not like things and objects scattered around me because it means that I will have to spend more time deciphering what they are and trying to place them in my mind.  I am probably considered to be a very organized person.  So no clutter for me. 

 

I sometimes wonder whether this is due to my blindness and I really do not have an answer.  All I know is that I really dislike too many objects in my way or anywhere near me.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day.

My Poor Little Toes

 

For most of us, it is always our poor little toes that bare the brunt of the pain whenever we fail to avoid objects at ground level but for a blind person it is even more painful.  I can tell you that without a doubt, whenever I bump into objects at ground level, it is almost always my toes that are the victims of pain.  In addition, it is often my poor little toes that I use to scout things out whenever I am either looking for a fallen object or when I am attempting to navigate my way around the house.

 

Yes, whenever I need to find fallen objects or navigate my way around, I use my feet, mainly my toes to do the finding and navigating.  Maybe I am a bit too lazy to feel around for fallen objects with my hands, but I use my toes.  Most of the time it works quite well but whenever I encounter unexpected objects or obstacles, it is my toes that have to face the pain. 

 

I have developed a thick skin so to speak but nevertheless, it sometimes hurts more than I would like.  In essence, I use my toes more than my hands to feel around at ground level.  If you would like to learn more about how blind persons locate fallen objects and/or navigate their way around, then please visit www.nfb.org. 

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day.

My Medicine Cabinet

You got it!  My medicine cabinet is super organized and when you are blind, it makes it even more vital for things to be organized.  I have specific spots for specific things; pills on one shelf, liquids on another, and other things on another.

 

When I had sufficient vision, things were still well organized and I used to use color of bottles and boxes to help me identify but now that my vision is so bad, I use labels to help me.  Or, I use shapes and sizes of bottles and boxes to help me navigate.  Everything is carefully placed.  Liquids by themselves and pills far away in another spot.  My sense of smell also helps to make things easy and smooth running.  Yes, sometimes when I am not sure of what a liquid is, I sniff it in its bottle.  You would even be surprised to know that some pills have a unique smell.

 

If things are well organized then everything is great but if anything either falls out of place or is moved around on me by someone else, then all hell breaks loose!  I label things either with Braille labels or by placing one of those label dots or squares on the bottle or box.  This latter way of labeling is done through a product called the Pen Friend; a product that was developed in Britain some time last year.  It is a lot cheaper than its competitor the bar code reader and if you would like to learn more about it you can visit www.rnib.org.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and tell the rest of the world how blind persons navigate their medicine cabinets.

How Clean is My Carpet?

How clean is my carpet?

This is one of the most difficult tasks for me. There is really no hard way for me to tell; except if something spills onto my carpet and leaves either a wet or sticky spot. Otherwise, I am in trouble. So, I have to be extremely careful when I am on my carpet.

When I vacuum, I do it methodically; going slowly back and forth with my vacuum cleaner and making sure that I cover as much of the carpet as possible. I am very slow with this task. I can hear when the vacuum picks up any particle because it makes a noise like something being picked up; like tiny pebbles being picked up. I am mindful not to run into my furniture and it takes up a lot of hard concentration on my part to be aware of my surroundings.

Having had vision before makes it a bit easier for me to visualize my rooms and what is located where. I am careful not to go too close to my plants and to wires and chords. All in a day's work; not my favorite task.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to go out there and share my blogs with others. If you would like to learn more about how blind persons go about cleaning their homes then visit http://www.independentlivingaids.com.

Finding the Mold and Moss

Whereas the mainstream person can do this with their eyes, I do it with my fingers and with my sense of smell. Mould and moss are very unique to the touch. Mold feels a bit rough and moss is slimy. They also have a distinctive smell.

When it comes to mold and moss, I have to be on a constant watch for them around my food and in my bathroom. I am constantly sniffing my refrigerated food to ensure that these two evils have not invaded and I use my fingers to confirm any suspicions of their presence.

When I had enough vision, it was easier to spot mould and moss but now that my sight is so bad, my fingers and my nose have to do the detecting.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to go out there and tell others how a blind person goes about detecting mold and moss. Visit www.nfb.org to learn more.

Bank books and Passports

Two very important little books for me to guard with my life. People often ask me how can I tell the difference between the two and it's very simple. The bank book is noticeably smaller than the passport.

I keep these two little gems very close to me and hidden away from prying eyes. I have memorized my account numbers as well as my passport number so that at a moment's notice, I am able to rattle them off without having to ask someone to read them. This ensures that I only have to show these two important books whenever it is absolutely necessary.

When you are blind, you need to make doubly sure that at all times, your important documents are well protected; just like the mainstream person but in my case I need to ensure that my important details are never made known to strangers.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and share my thoughts with the rest of the world. Visit me anytime at http://www.sterlingcreations.ca.

Learning the Way

For me, learning the way is always one of my best techniques when it comes to dealing with unfamiliar territory. It is best for me because it makes me more independent. When I had enough vision, I used to depend on such landmarks as counting pathways and driveways; counting doors and cubicles; using color and contrast to help me identify places; and even using contrast between sidewalks and grassy embankments. I also used to count hallways and corridors and use contrasts between carpeting and bare floors. In short, I used a combination of my limited vision and my sense of direction to do it all. I also used sounds and my sense of smell to help me.

That was then and this is now. Today, I use my cane a lot more to help me count doors, corridors, hallways, and driveways and pathways. I am no longer able to use color and contrast to help me but that's okay. Having previously had vision enables me to picture layouts in a room because believe it or not, most rooms and hallways have similar layouts and if you have been lucky to have seen the physical layout of such things as a reception area, classroom, or office, it sure helps.

I use the so-called touch technique with my cane to help me locate carpeting and I trail the edge of carpets to help me orientate myself. I depend more heavily now on sounds and my sense of smell. Believe it or not, smell helps me to locate different places such as: Cafeterias, restaurants, and even certain offices and other areas.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and tell others how blind persons find their way. Visit www.nfb.org to learn more.