Is anyone there?

One of the surest ways for me to know if someone is there is to ask, “Is someone there?” More often than not if someone is there they would respond, but sometimes they do not.

As for me, I am always on the lookout. I listen carefully. I use my sense of smell to help me determine if someone is close by and I use my intuition to guide me. I often feel vulnerable whenever I am not sure if someone is there. Sometimes my imagination tends to run away from me and I start to think that someone is lurking close by, just waiting to pounce.

Whenever I get into an elevator, I almost always say good morning or good afternoon or good evening so that I can give anyone in the elevator the opportunity to respond. When I had enough vision to see, it was not a problem but it is different now. I need to concentrate much more now on my immediate surroundings.

I’m Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and share my words with others. Visit www.afb.org to learn more about how blind persons interact with their surroundings.