Both sides of the fence

Yes, I have been on both sides of the fence so to speak.  I was born with very little vision which meant that I could not find my way around independently.  I could barely see colors and light.  I could see shadows and when I came into a room I could tell if the light was on or off.  Enough vision to keep my head above water but I was blind all right. 

 

People were quick to help me.  They saw my cane and usually came rushing over to help me avoid hanging objects or barriers.  They were very quick to offer me help whenever I seemed lost on the sidewalk or in a building.  They helped me so much but then I crossed over to the other side of the fence and things were somewhat different.

 

I crossed over to the other side of the fence when I received a cornea transplant that gave me a lot of vision.  I could read and write with special magnifying glasses and close circuit TVs.  I used a small cane to tell the rest of the world that yes I was blind but at the same time I could function somewhat independently.  I found it easier to find my way around, find things in stores, and avoid hanging objects and barriers.  As a result, the help was not as forthcoming as many persons felt that I did not need help.  This often turned into frustration for me because I could have done with the extra help at times when I could not easily find stuff.  

 

So you see I have been on both sides of the fence so I have many stories to tell.  You can learn more about both sides of the fence by visiting www.nfb.org or www.rnib.org.

 

I' Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and asking you to go out there and share my blogs with others. 

Acceptance is the key

Whenever I find it difficult to deal with those persons who have difficulty interacting with blind persons, I tell myself that acceptance is the key.  Whenever I run into circumstances that frustrate me I tell myself that maybe and just maybe, acceptance is the key.  I am not going to say that acceptance always works.  No, not at all but sometimes this strategy does work.

 

I know that there will always be things that I myself will be unable to change.  Some things are changeable but others are not.  Some attitudes can be changed but others cannot.  As a Blind person, I know this only too well and in order to keep my sanity, I have to determine when acceptance should become the key.  I don't usually back down very easily but at the same time, I don't go looking for unnecessary fights.  Instead, I try to determine my chances before taking on anything and it's the same for almost everyone. 

 

I always think of one of the more quoted proverbs from the Bible which tells us to have the courage to change the things that we can, to accept the things that we cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference.  This is one of my favorite mottos for what it is worth. 

 

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

Out of sight out of mind

Someone recently put forth the following argument to me.  Out of sight, out of mind; could this be the reason why society often forgets about blind and sight impaired persons when it comes to ensuring that they receive such things as:  equal access to job opportunities, education, health services, equal access to sporting and recreational facilities, and everything else that the mainstream person has access to?

 

I listened with bated interest to this person's opinions and arguments and after our encounter I decided to take a bit of time to contemplate.  It did not take me too long to formulate my own opinion.  There definitely seems to be a common thread when it comes to blind and sight impaired persons being either forgotten or left out of many every day matters. 

 

When it comes to sporting activities, I have found that in my home city of Toronto Canada, there is a definite lack of accommodation when it comes to sporting activities.  Over the last decade, I have tried so many times to catch the interest of the Parks and Recreation folks in Toronto to raise the issue of blind persons being left out of sporting events and they have sheepishly admitted that more needs to be done but to date not much has been done.

 

A few months ago I had a meeting with some officials of a financial institute to discuss making more financial planning services available to blind and sight impaired persons and at that time I raised the issue of making information available in alternate formats such as Braille, large print, and electronic text.  To my chagrin but not to my surprise, the officials admitted that they had never thought of doing so.  I also had a similar meeting with a major supermarket chain in Toronto to discuss making their weekly specials more available to their blind and sight impaired customers either online or through a phone service and again, I was told that this had not been thought of up until now.  

 

So the question of the day would be this one:  Why is  it that so many companies, cities, and even governments seem to often forget about the blind and sight impaired?  Out of sight out of mind?  Because the blind and sight impaired community is just too small to be considered or could it be something else?  This is not just a Toronto Canada problem; it is Canada wide, North American wide, and even global wide. 

 

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and asking you to go out there and tell others about my blogs. 

Visit www.acb.org to learn how blind persons interact with the mainstream world.

The benefits of Braille

Statistics show the use of Braille has decreased over the last few years and we can attribute this to the era of computers and technology.  Many of today's generation use Braille sparsely and this is because they depend on their trusty computers with screen reading software to get by.  In addition, there are those who were born with sight and have lost it later in life and have chosen to go the computer way rather than learn Braille. 

 

For me, I was born sight impaired and grew up learning Braille.  Even after I received enough vision to enable me to read and write using the mainstream way; that being pen and pencil and magnification equipment, I still kept Braille as a backup and am I ever glad that I did.  Braille saved me from sure disaster when I found myself without most of my vision almost seven years ago.

 

When it happened, I was able to use Braille to do such things as:  Label file folders and CDs, take scrap notes, and write points for presentations.  I truly believe that Braille has its place in the life of a Blind person. 

 

If electricity goes or if the Internet goes down, I have Braille as a backup.  I don't have to turn on lights to read Braille; I can do it in the dark.  I can use Braille to label things; I don't have to use a device that depends on batteries or power to do it.  Whenever I make a presentation, I don't need a laptop to help me remember my points.  Braille is literally at my fingertips. 

 

I hope that the use of Braille continues to be promoted and used among blind persons.  If you would like to learn more about Braille, then please visit www.nfb.org or www.aph.org.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and asking you to go out there and tell others about how Blind persons use Braille as an important part of their lives. 

Braille forms cannot be filled in

I think that much of the sighted world often feels that Braille forms can be filled in.  This was made very apparent to me a few months ago when I tried to explain to a government official why it was impossible for blind persons to complete petitions in Braille.

 

I'd like to take a few moments here to explain further.

First, a Braille signature is not unique.  Braille is made up of a series of dots that are used to form letters so that when I write my name in Braille, it can be written by anyone else who knows Braille.  

Second, the dots are all uniform and cannot be changed in any way.  Braille is made up of the use of combinations of six or eight dots to form letters and punctuations. 

Third, it is very difficult to fill in forms using Braille because of the above.  Anyone can fill in a Braille form if they know how to write Braille and as a result it makes impossible to have a Braille form completed in a unique manner.

In short, Braille forms cannot be filled in because it is impossible to check for authenticity. 

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and spread the word that Braille forms cannot be filled in.  Visit www.aph.org to learn more.

Organizing my counter space

This is what I do as part of my daily activities; I am constantly organizing my counter space.  It's nothing too out of the ordinary; I guess that we all do it but as a blind person, I need to make sure that organization is the order of the day. 

 

So with this in mind, I make sure that things are organized in some form of logic so that I can find them at a moment's notice.  I do my best to ensure that my counters are not cluttered and confused.  I use drawers to organize my stuff and my counters are only there for things that I use more often than not.

 

In my kitchen, my counters contain my spice rack, my dish rack, my chess set, and some snacks.  That's it and the rest are safely stowed away in drawers that are specifically allocated for certain things.  Of course, I have my microwave and my toaster oven on my counter but that's it.  The fewer things I have around on my counter, the happier I am.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and asking that you share my blogs with others.  If you would like to learn how blind persons organize their counter space, then you can visit www.afb.org or www.rnib.org.

One foot in each world

This is the phrase that I use to describe how I conduct my life; one foot in each world.  What does this mean?  It means that each day, I do my level best to exist in two worlds; the world of the sighted and the world of the blind.

 

They are two different worlds; the one where everything is mainstream because it is the sighted world and the one where one has to function without sight.  The first is the one where people use their vision to full advantage to live their lives.  The one where they don't have to worry about depending on sighted help to do such things as:  Navigate inaccessible websites, shop when they want without too much difficulty, they can use their cars to drive to places that are not close enough to their homes, and they can use gadgets and devices to communicate without having to worry about the need for special software to make them talk.

 

The second world is the one where sighted assistance is a necessity if one hopes to be able to keep up with technology, communicate, and be a part of society.  The one where the lack of sight makes it a must for people to seek sighted assistance to do many things and the one where people quickly get used to being told "no, you cant." 

 

For me, I need to exist in both worlds.  I belong to the second because I myself am blind and I am a part of the first because my family is sighted and I have many dear friends who are also sighted.  Yes, it is a challenge but you know what?  I would not have it any other way.  The world of the sighted is the dominant world by far.  The world of the Blind is the world that welcomes me no matter what I am or who I am.

 

If you would like to learn more about the two different worlds, then you can visit:

www.nfb.org, www.acb.org, www.rnib.org.

 

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. 

Downtown shopping

For me, downtown shopping can be a bit of everything.  Exciting, interesting, frustrating, nerve racking, plus more.  If I go on my own into a crowded downtown mall, it is like trying to find a needle in a haystack but if I go with someone that I trust, then it's that much more enjoyable.

 

With so many persons pushing and shoving in busy downtown malls to get where they are going, I can sometimes use my cane to let them know that I am blind but it does not always work.  Because people are often so focused on their own affairs, they often fail to see my cane and as a result they come crashing into me but it is probably not too much different for the sighted shopper. 

 

Negotiating downtown shopping is almost always a challenge for anyone let alone a blind person.  I do my best to stay away from downtown shopping.  I prefer to stay in my own neck of the woods; out in the suburbs where the malls and stores are much quieter and sales persons have a bit more time to assist me.  However, I do know of many blind persons who absolutely love to go downtown shopping. 

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and share my blogs with others.  If you would like to know more about how blind persons go downtown shopping, then visit www.nfb.org.

The choice of gadgets

I do not think that when it comes to the choice of gadgets, my way of choosing is any different from that of a sighted person.  There may be a few differences but I doubt whether they are really too significant.  So, here goes.

 

I choose a gadget based on need – like anyone else.

I choose a gadget based on affordability – no different than anyone else.

I choose a gadget based on layout of the keypad – may or may not be different than anyone else.

I choose a gadget for portability – no different than anyone else.

 

So far so good but here are the additions.  The gadget I choose should come with a manual in an alternate format; in Braille, on a CD, or in a downloadable readable format. 

The speech software should be accessible and the menus should be easy to access.

The quality of the voice should be excellent.

I should be able to receive quick and easy technical support if I have questions on either hardware or software. 

It should not be too difficult for me to learn how to use the gadget.

 

There you have it; how I decide on which gadget to buy and use.  I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and share my thoughts with others. 

Visit:  http://www.maxiaids.com/store/default.asp or www.independentliving.com

For the newly blinded worker

I often wonder what it is like for the person who becomes the newly blinded worker.  That is, for the one who loses their sight while on the job.  I cannot imagine what it is like except to share some experiences with you in the second hand way; from a friend of mine who lost his vision while on the job.

 

He told me that when it did happen, it was devastating.  His sight did not go gradually, he lost it all in a matter of just a few months and he did not even have time to prepare himself let alone prepare his wife and kids.  His world changed overnight!  He had to learn almost everything from scratch!  He had to learn how to cope in the workplace as well as at home with no vision.

 

At work, he had to be taught and taught himself how to operate without sight; in total darkness.  He had to learn his way around the workplace; in the cafeteria, in the bathroom, and to and from the bus stop because he could no longer drive.  He had to learn how to interact with his coworkers in a new way; without being able to see them face to face so to speak.  He now had to depend on voices, sounds, and smells in a big new way.

 

My friend told me that it was sheer horror at times but with the support of his wife and kids he managed to survive and can look back on these experiences as learning ones.  There are agencies out there that provide services to persons who lost their sight during the course of their lives and here are a few places that you can go to in order to learn more. 

www.afb.org, www.nfb.org, and www.acb.org.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and tell others that yes!  There is definitely life for someone if they lose their sight while on the job.

My fingers do the walking

I don't think that you will find too many blind or sight impaired persons who will disagree with this statement.  Yes, my fingers do the walking for me and no!  It does not mean that I walk on my fingers.

 

I use my fingers to tell me so much.  Things like:  Where objects are, locating objects, feeling my way around counters and dressers, locating spots and spills, finding fallen objects, and using my sense of touch to help me decipher, remember, and create.

 

My fingers walk when I need to create music.  They help me to negotiate the way, and they are indeed some of my most important investigators, inspectors, and decision makers.  You can learn more about how blind and sight impaired persons use their fingers by visiting www.nfb.org.   

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and share my blogs with others.

What flickering candles mean to me

They are the light of my life and now that I can no longer see them, I can conjure up memories of their flicker to help me remember.

 

Ah yes!  Flickering candles bring back memories of candle lit dinners with family and very special friends.  Christmas time in a Church with the Manger as the major focus.  Sitting quietly at my table at night contemplating and creating.  Standing with my parents in a crowded Church on Easter Sunday as we recite the Easter Prayers to renew our Baptismal vows. 

 

The memory of flickering candles reminds me of special occasions gone by.  I no longer light them mainly because I am unable to see them and I am a wee bit uncomfortable around them but it does not preclude me from remembering.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and share my blogs with others.

Fighting with my TV

I am afraid that more often than not, I get into unsolicited scraps or fights with my poor old TV.  Why?  When I am not sure whether it is on or off. 

 

How so?  Well, cable may have gone and there is no sound to tell me what is going on.  The screen may either be blank or there is a message on it that would tell a sighted person what's happening but I can't tell.  When I press a button on my remote; if I inadvertently press an incorrect one, then I am not sure which channel I am at.  If my remote decides to be in a bad mood and does not respond when I press a button.  Now, I may think that maybe and just maybe, the batteries are weak or better still, the keypad of the remote may be wearing down but still; I am never sure. 

 

I am not sure if there are any remotes out there that would enable me to have more control; I mean accessible remotes where I can hear what button I press.  Maybe someone can help me out?

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and share my blogs with each other.  Visit www.nfb.org to learn more about how blind persons interact with remotes plus more.