I am probably one of the first to tell you that as a blind person, there are many advantages to condo living. For one thing, I do not have to worry about shoveling snow, raking leaves, or putting out garbage for the garbage collector to pick up. However, there are a few things that I constantly have to battle with.
The biggest thing is the challenge of keeping up with notices. I have to make sure that I know what is being put up on the notice board and in the elevators. I have had to work very hard to convince the management office to email me any notices that they are going to put up. For the most part, it works but every now and then I have to remind them.
As of now, our management office communicates with tenants via the hard copy route so it is up to me to help them understand that I need to have my communication in e-text format. A job which I do not mind undertaking because it becomes a win-win situation for everyone.
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 me sometime at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Overcoming embarrassment
For me, there is somewhat of a fine line between overcoming embarrassment and allowing myself to shrink into the background. What am I talking about today? It’ is all about overcoming my embarrassment enough to ask for help.
When I was growing up, it was a very acute problem with me. Rather than ask for help as a blind child, I preferred to suffer through it all. I would bump into things, lose my way at times, and spend so much time trying to figure how things worked. All because I was too shy and too embarrassed to ask for help.
This changed somewhat as I grew older and left home. I learned to ask for help and I also learned that people were only too willing to help me out. When I gained some functional vision, I continued my efforts to be more outgoing and not be afraid to ask for help. If I bumped into something I took it with a grain of salt, and if I lost my way then that was okay.
Now that I have precious little vision, I continue to work on overcoming my embarrassment. People are only too willing to help if you give them the chance. Of course, there will be times when someone may not be too willing to help either because they are busy or preoccupied or whatever else. All in the life of a blind person.
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. Visit www.perkins.org to see how blind kids and adults are trained to overcome embarrassment.
When I was growing up, it was a very acute problem with me. Rather than ask for help as a blind child, I preferred to suffer through it all. I would bump into things, lose my way at times, and spend so much time trying to figure how things worked. All because I was too shy and too embarrassed to ask for help.
This changed somewhat as I grew older and left home. I learned to ask for help and I also learned that people were only too willing to help me out. When I gained some functional vision, I continued my efforts to be more outgoing and not be afraid to ask for help. If I bumped into something I took it with a grain of salt, and if I lost my way then that was okay.
Now that I have precious little vision, I continue to work on overcoming my embarrassment. People are only too willing to help if you give them the chance. Of course, there will be times when someone may not be too willing to help either because they are busy or preoccupied or whatever else. All in the life of a blind person.
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. Visit www.perkins.org to see how blind kids and adults are trained to overcome embarrassment.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Traveling with a blind companion
Trust me when I tell you that this could be one of the more challenging but at the same time rewarding experiences. When both of us are unable to see enough to find our way, we have to use our skills, depend on each other, and be brave about it.
Firstly, we need to ensure that the airline knows that we need help. When we land at our destination, we have to ensure that we get help to find our luggage and then a cab to the hotel and when we get to the hotel we have to ensure that we can find our way to and from our room.
I have a few pointers for those blind persons who wish to travel together.
1. Inform the airline that you need assistance all the way. Because you are unable to use the self-check-in at the kiosks, it is always a wise idea to show up even a bit earlier than the normal check-in time.
2. Make sure that you identify yourself to the agents at the desk. You would need to ensure that the person bringing you to the airport could at least find you a porter who can take you up to the desk.
3. Make sure that you have requested the same type of help at your destination.
4. At the hotel, it may be wise to request a room on one of the lower floors to avoid any complications with the elevators.
5. If there are no Braille or large print labels on the door to your room, then you may want to place some tape on your door to help with the identification process.
6. Never hesitate to ask the front desk for help. They are almost always very helpful.
7. Most hotel rooms are almost always laid out in the same way so once you get the hang of it, it should not be too difficult.
I hope this helps and you can learn more about how blind persons travel by going to www.traveleyes.com.
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.
Firstly, we need to ensure that the airline knows that we need help. When we land at our destination, we have to ensure that we get help to find our luggage and then a cab to the hotel and when we get to the hotel we have to ensure that we can find our way to and from our room.
I have a few pointers for those blind persons who wish to travel together.
1. Inform the airline that you need assistance all the way. Because you are unable to use the self-check-in at the kiosks, it is always a wise idea to show up even a bit earlier than the normal check-in time.
2. Make sure that you identify yourself to the agents at the desk. You would need to ensure that the person bringing you to the airport could at least find you a porter who can take you up to the desk.
3. Make sure that you have requested the same type of help at your destination.
4. At the hotel, it may be wise to request a room on one of the lower floors to avoid any complications with the elevators.
5. If there are no Braille or large print labels on the door to your room, then you may want to place some tape on your door to help with the identification process.
6. Never hesitate to ask the front desk for help. They are almost always very helpful.
7. Most hotel rooms are almost always laid out in the same way so once you get the hang of it, it should not be too difficult.
I hope this helps and you can learn more about how blind persons travel by going to www.traveleyes.com.
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.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Who gets help more quickly?
A few weeks ago, I had this conversation with some of my blind friends and here is what we came up with. I'll let you know before hand that we may be entirely wrong but these are our humble opinions.
Those with guide dogs often receive help first over those without guide dogs. Those with long canes are next in line followed by those who use the smaller ID canes. We also find that those who have lost their vision as young adults often have to struggle to receive help even if they may have a long cane. We believe this to be so because this particular group appears to be more normal with regard to their eye and body movements and although they may not be able to find things or their way around, having been previously sighted makes them appear as if they do not need help.
It may all have to do with the eyes. That is, if a blind person has previously had vision and has now lost it, they have had the experience of being able to face someone when talking to them and their body movements are more normal and less awkward. In short, they appear to be more normal in the eyes of the sighted person. Many of those who were born without vision often do not face the person they are talking to. Instead, they tend to face elsewhere. Just our two cents worth.
I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and asking you to go out there and share my thoughts with others. Visit www.nfb.org to learn more.
Those with guide dogs often receive help first over those without guide dogs. Those with long canes are next in line followed by those who use the smaller ID canes. We also find that those who have lost their vision as young adults often have to struggle to receive help even if they may have a long cane. We believe this to be so because this particular group appears to be more normal with regard to their eye and body movements and although they may not be able to find things or their way around, having been previously sighted makes them appear as if they do not need help.
It may all have to do with the eyes. That is, if a blind person has previously had vision and has now lost it, they have had the experience of being able to face someone when talking to them and their body movements are more normal and less awkward. In short, they appear to be more normal in the eyes of the sighted person. Many of those who were born without vision often do not face the person they are talking to. Instead, they tend to face elsewhere. Just our two cents worth.
I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and asking you to go out there and share my thoughts with others. Visit www.nfb.org to learn more.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Communicating with my ski instructor
At the best of times, communication is probably the corner stone to success when it comes to being able to build a more than good relationship with one's instructor and as a blind person, I truly believe that it is even more important. I learned this at the end of January when I attended my second Ski for Light event in Colorado.
For those of you who are not familiar, Ski for Light is a weeklong event that is held for blind skiers. It is held in the United States and this year it was held in Colorado. Skiers from several countries attend including Canada, Britain, Norway, and other European countries. I do believe that Norway is the country that founded the Ski for Light Organization and got things going.
This year, I was privileged to have had a very intuitive and motivating instructor; a fabulous lady named Caroline Levanhar. From the outset, Caroline had me at ease. She was patient, encouraging, and willing to let me go at my own pace. I soon found myself skiing both in the tracks as well as out of the tracks. She had me doing turns, skiing up and down gentle hills, and gliding. What an experience. Then we went snowshoeing. Absolutely out of this world.
The key for me was communication and trust. I trusted Caroline all the way and never doubted her instructions. She and I developed a very special relationship and I thoroughly enjoyed her sense of humor. Thank you Caroline.
If you would like to learn more about how blind persons ski, visit www.skiforlight.org. I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to go out there and tell others about the Ski for Light Organization.
For those of you who are not familiar, Ski for Light is a weeklong event that is held for blind skiers. It is held in the United States and this year it was held in Colorado. Skiers from several countries attend including Canada, Britain, Norway, and other European countries. I do believe that Norway is the country that founded the Ski for Light Organization and got things going.
This year, I was privileged to have had a very intuitive and motivating instructor; a fabulous lady named Caroline Levanhar. From the outset, Caroline had me at ease. She was patient, encouraging, and willing to let me go at my own pace. I soon found myself skiing both in the tracks as well as out of the tracks. She had me doing turns, skiing up and down gentle hills, and gliding. What an experience. Then we went snowshoeing. Absolutely out of this world.
The key for me was communication and trust. I trusted Caroline all the way and never doubted her instructions. She and I developed a very special relationship and I thoroughly enjoyed her sense of humor. Thank you Caroline.
If you would like to learn more about how blind persons ski, visit www.skiforlight.org. I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to go out there and tell others about the Ski for Light Organization.
Friday, March 18, 2011
At the bank
In the normal scheme of things, I do my banking over the phone. That is, I use my bank's phone system to do such things as pay bills, transfer funds, and check my account balances. Occasionally though, I visit my bank branch in order to either obtain cash or to cash or deposit a cheque. Sometimes I need to obtain a money order as well.
Most of the tellers at my branch know me so there is never a problem whenever I interact with them directly. They speak directly to me. They ask me questions, and we engage in friendly banter. However, whenever I happen to run into a new teller, the fun sure starts.
They often start by asking the person with me what would I like to have done; "What does she want to have done." I allow them a bit of time and when I have had enough I calmly say: "I would like to have ..." Or, "You can ask me directly. No need to ask my friend." My friends and even my mom are always very in tune with this scenario as whenever they are asked they simply say "I don't know, ask her!"
In most cases, it works but sometimes it takes some work on my part to help them understand that I can speak and think for myself. O well! Just another day in the life of a blind person.
I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and tell others about how a blind person interacts at the bank. Visit www.nfb.org to learn more.
Most of the tellers at my branch know me so there is never a problem whenever I interact with them directly. They speak directly to me. They ask me questions, and we engage in friendly banter. However, whenever I happen to run into a new teller, the fun sure starts.
They often start by asking the person with me what would I like to have done; "What does she want to have done." I allow them a bit of time and when I have had enough I calmly say: "I would like to have ..." Or, "You can ask me directly. No need to ask my friend." My friends and even my mom are always very in tune with this scenario as whenever they are asked they simply say "I don't know, ask her!"
In most cases, it works but sometimes it takes some work on my part to help them understand that I can speak and think for myself. O well! Just another day in the life of a blind person.
I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and tell others about how a blind person interacts at the bank. Visit www.nfb.org to learn more.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Remembering by smell
Sometimes, I use my sense of smell to help me travel down memory lane. It's something that I enjoy doing when I have difficulty sleeping at night. So, here is what I do.
I lie quietly and allow my mind to roam around. I can conjur up the scent of roses to help me remember their vibrant red color. I can bring back the smell of fresh cut grass to help me visualize fields of lush green and I can even manage to smell the salty sea to help me remember the sight of lazy white capped waves breaking gently against the golden sand and me frolicking with my dad and brothers in the breakers.
I can even visualize an ice skating rink by conjuring up the smell of the ice; yes, there is a distinguished smell to a rink just as there is a specific smell to a swimming pool. Then there is the unique smell of a hotel, the scent of pine to remind me of Christmass trees, the baking of cake and cookies to remind me of happy times, baking bread to remind me of granny, Old Spice cologne to remind me of dad and my brother Robert who have now passed on, and the scent of Oil of Olay products to remind me of mom.
Yes, using smell to remember! One of my favorite ways to help me fall asleep. I'm Donna j. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and try my strategy. Visit www.sterlingcreations.ca to learn more about me.
I lie quietly and allow my mind to roam around. I can conjur up the scent of roses to help me remember their vibrant red color. I can bring back the smell of fresh cut grass to help me visualize fields of lush green and I can even manage to smell the salty sea to help me remember the sight of lazy white capped waves breaking gently against the golden sand and me frolicking with my dad and brothers in the breakers.
I can even visualize an ice skating rink by conjuring up the smell of the ice; yes, there is a distinguished smell to a rink just as there is a specific smell to a swimming pool. Then there is the unique smell of a hotel, the scent of pine to remind me of Christmass trees, the baking of cake and cookies to remind me of happy times, baking bread to remind me of granny, Old Spice cologne to remind me of dad and my brother Robert who have now passed on, and the scent of Oil of Olay products to remind me of mom.
Yes, using smell to remember! One of my favorite ways to help me fall asleep. I'm Donna j. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and try my strategy. Visit www.sterlingcreations.ca to learn more about me.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
When things are out of place
I am normally a very organized person. Everything has its place in my home. Every room is well organized but this does not mean that I am a neat Freak so to speak. I do allow for slippage from time to time but Heaven help me when things somehow manage to go out of place. When something is out of place, I become confused and frustrated because I need to trace its whereabouts and then proceed to put it back into its proper place.
I have mental pictures of how things are placed, where they are in relation to other things and how they look. When I had enough vision to see things, it was practically the same, but now that I do not have very much sight, it is even more important for me to keep things in place at all times.
My dear mom is so good at letting me know when she moves things around. She tells me and then takes the time to show me. Of course, I do not expect everyone to be like her; it would be absolutely foolish of me to expect this but on the whole, my family and friends are pretty good about this.
I depend on mental pictures to help me find things. Everything is pictured in my mind and it sure helps.
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. To learn more about how blind persons cope when things are out of place, visit www.rnib.org and www.cnib.ca.
I have mental pictures of how things are placed, where they are in relation to other things and how they look. When I had enough vision to see things, it was practically the same, but now that I do not have very much sight, it is even more important for me to keep things in place at all times.
My dear mom is so good at letting me know when she moves things around. She tells me and then takes the time to show me. Of course, I do not expect everyone to be like her; it would be absolutely foolish of me to expect this but on the whole, my family and friends are pretty good about this.
I depend on mental pictures to help me find things. Everything is pictured in my mind and it sure helps.
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. To learn more about how blind persons cope when things are out of place, visit www.rnib.org and www.cnib.ca.
Friday, March 11, 2011
The joys of no noise
So many people would love to live in a world with much less noise, but for me as a blind person I believe that my appreciation for less or no noise may be much greater. Noise distracts me when I am trying to do such things as listen to the TV, hear what my access technology voice software is speaking from the screen, and crossing a street or traveling around.
Of course, I will never be able to achieve a perfect balance of less noise, but I do my best to make the best of things. If for example I find myself in a situation of having large trucks with their engines idling around me or blaring horns beside me, I wait until the noise has retreated before crossing the street. Or if I am intently listening to a program on TV, I make sure that the noise around me is at a minimum. So, I do not do my laundry while working at my computer. Just a few things that I try to avoid when dealing with noise levels.
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 I deal with noise. Visit www.afb.org to learn more.
Of course, I will never be able to achieve a perfect balance of less noise, but I do my best to make the best of things. If for example I find myself in a situation of having large trucks with their engines idling around me or blaring horns beside me, I wait until the noise has retreated before crossing the street. Or if I am intently listening to a program on TV, I make sure that the noise around me is at a minimum. So, I do not do my laundry while working at my computer. Just a few things that I try to avoid when dealing with noise levels.
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 I deal with noise. Visit www.afb.org to learn more.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Dealing with broken pieces
At the best of times, dealing with broken pieces and/or shards of glass could be a real challenge for anyone, but for a blind person it is even more of one. Broken pieces are probably one of my greatest challenges, sometimes turning into a nightmare for me.
So, how do I deal with broken pieces? Well, here goes. If something falls and shatters, the first thing I do is to ensure that I am wearing slippers on my feet. Next, I carefully back away from the area and then go hunting for the hand broom and dustpan. As I am doing this, I have to concentrate very hard to remember where the shatter took place. When I am sure that I know where it is, I gingerly get down on all fours, taking care to ensure that I do not do so with broken pieces in my way.
I then take the hand broom and begin to gently sweep around until I hear the broom knock against something and then I guide it to the dustpan. I repeat this action until I am sure that I have gotten everything but there is no way for me to know that I have gotten everything.
If the broken pieces are on my counter, then I use my hand broom to guide the pieces towards my sink taking care to place my dustpan in the sink before doing this. I allow the broken pieces to fall into my dustpan.
Of course there will always be other places where broken pieces will be if I break something. In the bathroom or anywhere else in my home, but these are my first ways of dealing with broken pieces. I am usually careful enough not to cut myself.
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 I deal with broken pieces. Visit www.nfb.org to learn more.
So, how do I deal with broken pieces? Well, here goes. If something falls and shatters, the first thing I do is to ensure that I am wearing slippers on my feet. Next, I carefully back away from the area and then go hunting for the hand broom and dustpan. As I am doing this, I have to concentrate very hard to remember where the shatter took place. When I am sure that I know where it is, I gingerly get down on all fours, taking care to ensure that I do not do so with broken pieces in my way.
I then take the hand broom and begin to gently sweep around until I hear the broom knock against something and then I guide it to the dustpan. I repeat this action until I am sure that I have gotten everything but there is no way for me to know that I have gotten everything.
If the broken pieces are on my counter, then I use my hand broom to guide the pieces towards my sink taking care to place my dustpan in the sink before doing this. I allow the broken pieces to fall into my dustpan.
Of course there will always be other places where broken pieces will be if I break something. In the bathroom or anywhere else in my home, but these are my first ways of dealing with broken pieces. I am usually careful enough not to cut myself.
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 I deal with broken pieces. Visit www.nfb.org to learn more.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Not because we are blind
In the normal scheme of things, there are many who feel that being blind prevents us from doing many things. Truth be told, there are some things that our lack of sight prevents us from doing, but on the other hand there are many things that we can do. The big difference is this: Whereas the sighted person almost always uses their eyes to do something, we as blind persons use our other senses to compensate.
There are many sighted persons who have difficulty comprehending that we can surf the Internet. We can do it and we do it with the help of software that is generally referred to as access technology. Screen readers, screen magnifiers, and Braille displays are just some of the more popular pieces of access technology. We can use iPhones, iPods, and iPads as well! Thanks to Apple, special software has been installed in these devices to make them usable by blind persons.
There are other gadgets and devices that make it possible for us to do things despite being blind. The Icon; one of the best PDA devices on the market for blind persons. The Victor Stream; which we can use to listen to music and read digital books. Various talking devices that make it possible for us to be masters of our kitchen. Various scanning software that we can use to help us scan documents.
So you see, because we are blind does not mean that we are unable to function independently. We will always need help to execute certain functions but the world for us is slowly improving. May it continue in this way.
I am going to give you a few websites to check out so that you can learn more. Here goes:
http://www.humanware.com,
http://www.levelstar.com,
http://www.independentliving.com,
http://www.maxiaids.com.
I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and tell others about my blogs.
There are many sighted persons who have difficulty comprehending that we can surf the Internet. We can do it and we do it with the help of software that is generally referred to as access technology. Screen readers, screen magnifiers, and Braille displays are just some of the more popular pieces of access technology. We can use iPhones, iPods, and iPads as well! Thanks to Apple, special software has been installed in these devices to make them usable by blind persons.
There are other gadgets and devices that make it possible for us to do things despite being blind. The Icon; one of the best PDA devices on the market for blind persons. The Victor Stream; which we can use to listen to music and read digital books. Various talking devices that make it possible for us to be masters of our kitchen. Various scanning software that we can use to help us scan documents.
So you see, because we are blind does not mean that we are unable to function independently. We will always need help to execute certain functions but the world for us is slowly improving. May it continue in this way.
I am going to give you a few websites to check out so that you can learn more. Here goes:
http://www.humanware.com,
http://www.levelstar.com,
http://www.independentliving.com,
http://www.maxiaids.com.
I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and tell others about my blogs.
Friday, March 4, 2011
The heartache of hoping
I am probably one of the most positive persons that you will ever hope to meet. I am always hoping and encouraging others to do the same. However, hoping does have its drawbacks, heartaches and big letdowns from time to time. Nevertheless, I keep on doing it.
I do my best to be realistic. I know that in my case, one of the few things that may help to bring back my precious vision would be a huge medical breakthrough. I lost most of my vision about seven years ago when I experienced a retinal detachment. My retina detached in three places and the doctors told me that it was one of the worst ones that they had ever seen. Still, I continue to hope but in order to avoid heartaches, I need to manage and temper my hopes. I need to keep my hoping under control. If I can manage to do this then I can avoid the devastating heartaches, but if I can’t then here is where I get myself into big trouble and eventual letdowns that are oh so hard for me to overcome.
I’ll keep on hoping; it’s what keeps me going and I encourage others to do the same. It never hurts to hope but it does hurt to hope beyond hope.
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 and thoughts with others. Never give up hoping.
I do my best to be realistic. I know that in my case, one of the few things that may help to bring back my precious vision would be a huge medical breakthrough. I lost most of my vision about seven years ago when I experienced a retinal detachment. My retina detached in three places and the doctors told me that it was one of the worst ones that they had ever seen. Still, I continue to hope but in order to avoid heartaches, I need to manage and temper my hopes. I need to keep my hoping under control. If I can manage to do this then I can avoid the devastating heartaches, but if I can’t then here is where I get myself into big trouble and eventual letdowns that are oh so hard for me to overcome.
I’ll keep on hoping; it’s what keeps me going and I encourage others to do the same. It never hurts to hope but it does hurt to hope beyond hope.
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 and thoughts with others. Never give up hoping.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
A blind person's perspective
Whereas the sighted world mainly uses their sense of sight to help them perceive things, I and my fellow blind brethren use additional senses. We use the senses of smell, taste, touch, and sound to help us along. Here are some of my personal experiences.
Whenever I first walk into an unfamiliar area, I listen for sounds around the area to try and help me determine the size of the area. Next, I use my sense of smell, and if taste and touch could be applied, then I bring these into action as well. Of course, I could never use any of these senses to help me determine whether or not someone’s home is untidy or cluttered. So many times I have missed knowing whether or not someone’s place is in a tidy condition and I have to depend on my sighted buddies to tell me.
It is often said that one is judged by their immediate surroundings and I truly understand this but in some cases I can help my sighted buddies to make a judgment when I am able to point out things that they may have missed through my other senses.
Sometimes we get to exchange perspectives but on the whole I ca easily say that we come from different perspectives. The sighted person using their eyes to perceive and form judgments and I using my other senses to do the same. All in a day’s living.
I’m Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and share my perspectives with others. Visit www.nfb.org to learn more.
Whenever I first walk into an unfamiliar area, I listen for sounds around the area to try and help me determine the size of the area. Next, I use my sense of smell, and if taste and touch could be applied, then I bring these into action as well. Of course, I could never use any of these senses to help me determine whether or not someone’s home is untidy or cluttered. So many times I have missed knowing whether or not someone’s place is in a tidy condition and I have to depend on my sighted buddies to tell me.
It is often said that one is judged by their immediate surroundings and I truly understand this but in some cases I can help my sighted buddies to make a judgment when I am able to point out things that they may have missed through my other senses.
Sometimes we get to exchange perspectives but on the whole I ca easily say that we come from different perspectives. The sighted person using their eyes to perceive and form judgments and I using my other senses to do the same. All in a day’s living.
I’m Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and share my perspectives with others. Visit www.nfb.org to learn more.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Why I touch light switches
There used to be a time when I could see lights; I used light switches to their fullest but now that I am unable to see lights, I have to be more careful with my light switches. I still turn them on; I am not sure why but despite not being able to see them I get a sense of security whenever I perceive them to be on.
The trick comes at night when I have to go around checking all of my light switches to ensure that they are in the off position. Now and then, I have left on a light and only found out when I went to turn it on or off later on and realized my mistake. Or someone with sight came to visit me and told me that my light was on.
Another situation arises when I discover that a bulb has blown. This circumstance is a bit more difficult for me to detect but it is a part of my life’s challenge. In short, light switches are an important part of my life. No I am not able to see lights, but yes they sure help me to feel comfortable and I really do not mind checking them every night.
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. Visit www.afb.org to learn more about how blind persons interact with lights in their homes.
The trick comes at night when I have to go around checking all of my light switches to ensure that they are in the off position. Now and then, I have left on a light and only found out when I went to turn it on or off later on and realized my mistake. Or someone with sight came to visit me and told me that my light was on.
Another situation arises when I discover that a bulb has blown. This circumstance is a bit more difficult for me to detect but it is a part of my life’s challenge. In short, light switches are an important part of my life. No I am not able to see lights, but yes they sure help me to feel comfortable and I really do not mind checking them every night.
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. Visit www.afb.org to learn more about how blind persons interact with lights in their homes.
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