Who is Santa Claus?

He comes primarily at Christmas time but did you know that he is always with us? Many of our youngest ones think that he lives in the far North but in reality he lives anywhere and everywhere.

In North America and colder countries, he makes his entry into our homes through our chimneys and the modern day Santa can also leave his presents outside the doors of our condos and town houses. He can travel in so many different ways: on a sleigh, on a motorcycle, on a truck, by bicycle, by ship or boat, by plane or helicopter, and even on foot. It all depends on where he is and what he needs to do in order to get where he needs to go.

Believe it or not, Santa Claus goes by so many different names and it can easily be said that he has several different aliases. In the colder countries he is known as either Santa Claus or Father Christmas. In the Eastern countries he is known as St. Nick and in the warmer tropical countries he is known as Sandy Claus! Of course, there are other names for him as well.

To the wide-eyed kid he is the one in a red suit who wears a white beard and he has a huge laugh of ho, ho, ho! He brings toys and goodies down the chimneys of homes and he hands out gifts at malls and at parties. He shows up at parades, he hands out toys from open-roofed trucks, and he lugs his goodies on bicycles, motorcycles and on his back. He even drops off his gifts by ship, boat, helicopter, and plane.

This is who he is to those little ones who still believe in Santa. However, there is more to this fat jolly man than just the one who does these things.

Whenever we smile at a stranger, nod a greeting to someone that we do not know, or take the time to give a gift to someone who is less fortunate than we are, these are all deeds of Santa Claus' generosity and in essence we too are Santa Claus in our own way but we do not have to wait until Christmas to do this.

The secret of Christmas may be this! It's not the things you do at Christmas time, but the Christmas things you do all year through! Taken from a Christmas song.

Merry Christmas from me!

Follow me on twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan
Come by and enjoy some of my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com.

The Christmas feeling

Christmas for me is simply a plethora of feelings, emotions, and so much more. Christmas for me is a season where so many memories race across my mind. I can tell you that Christmas for me can be viewed in two different ways: as someone who has precious little vision and as one who once upon a time had enough vision to see so much.

When I had enough vision to see many things, I could appreciate the flickering candles in church, the flashing colored lights as I skated around an outdoor rink, crowded streets with scurrying shoppers, Christmas trees loaded with decorations and presents piled high beneath, tables loaded with dishes of food, and of course, Santa Claus! I used to spend so much time in the toy departments admiring the dolls and doll houses. Drawing sets and coloring books. I used to help decorate the house and always enjoyed putting up the angels, the lights, and most of all the manger with all of the figures.

Now that my vision has dwindled to almost nothing, I have all of these memories to bolster my enjoyment of Christmas, and in addition I use my senses of sound and smell to help me continue enjoying. Fragrances of burning firewood, pine, baking cookies, and turkey and pork all help me to conjure up pictures and images of years gone by. Sounds of bells, kids laughing, Santa Claus ho ho hoing, and the scraping of blades on ice add to my happy memories. You see, I have so many ways to recreate, reproduce, and make new memories.

Christmas as a blind person could be really interesting, so much to enjoy and so much to share with others. Christmas through the eyes of a blind person could be a very different perspective for many. You can learn more by visiting www.acb.org.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day. Merry Christmas everyone!
Follow me on twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan
Come by and enjoy some of my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com.

Some day at Christmas

One of my favourite Christmas carols is "Some Day at Christmas", made popular by the late Michael Jackson. Yes, some day at Christmas, when I could wake up on a peaceful morning and welcome yet another special day with my loved ones around me and the Christ Child in my heart.

When I would be able to say, "Finally! All is well and now blind kids will have an equal opportunity to be like their mainstream counterparts." When they can play with mainstream toys and be able to use cell phones and iPods just like sighted kids. When they would be able to play with games just like their sighted friends and not have to worry about inaccessibility. When their classrooms and playgrounds would be free of accessibility barriers and they would have an equal opportunity to just be kids!

Some day at Christmas when I could go to bed just before Santa makes his rounds knowing that all of my wishes have been granted. That all websites have been made accessible. That all supermarkets and stores have been made fully accessible to blind persons. That online courses and distance learning have all been made accessible and usable to blind persons. That blind persons have equal access to all reading materials in the same way that sighted persons do.

Some day at Christmas after Santa has come and gone leaving a huge package for me under my Christmas tree, I could wake up and say, "Finally! The banks have finally gotten it! Their ATMs are now fully accessible. Blind persons can now access all point of sale devices and touch screens without having to ask for sighted assistance. Blind passengers can now access kiosks at airports, they can enjoy movies on board aircraft, and no more problems at airports, train stations, and bus terminals for them."

Some day at Christmas as I sit quietly in a church along with others waiting for the Christmas Mass to begin, I could say "Thank you, God, for ensuring that from now on society will treat blind persons as normal persons who can function on their own and the only thing wrong with them is that they are unable to see."

Some day at Christmas! Ah yes, it is only my dreams but who says that dreams don't come true? The smell of cookies baking in my kitchen is real! Christmas carols being played around me are real! Children laughing and families decorating are real! Is it too much for me to ask Santa to help make my dreams come true?

The late Steve Jobs made some of my dreams and those of other blind persons come true! Dare I dream that there could be another Steve Jobs out there just waiting to bring hope to the blind world?

I'm Donna J. Jodhan wishing you a very merry Christmas!
Joyeux noèl! Feliz Navidad!
Follow me on twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan
Come by and enjoy some of my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com.

The Christmas kids

I really don't think that it matters how old we are when it comes to enjoying Christmas. We are all kids in our very own way and I am probably one of the biggest kids when it comes to Christmas.

Yes! It is my favorite time of the year. Just to hear the kids themselves as they shout with glee! As they sing with joy! As they whoop with excitement whenever they see Santa Claus or they find something that they have been looking for! Ah! Just to be a kid at Christmas!

For me personally at Christmas, being a kid in my own way is really not describing it fully! I guess that I have always been a kid at heart. I love the toys. First, the electronic games and gadgets. Next come the dolls and doll houses with all of the furniture, and tea sets. Then come the puzzles, the bats and balls, and then finally everything else that makes me smile! In short, anything that makes a noise, anything that beeps, talks, and anything that enables me to create, imagine, and develop!

Christmas is for everyone and age is no barrier. No gift is too big or too small. There is a kid in each of us and all we need to do is to let it all hang out. It is not as difficult as you may think. Just let it happen then sit back and enjoy!

It is what I do every year and you know what? I really don't have to wait until Christmas to do it! I can be a kid anytime I want! It is just that it is so much more fun being a kid at Christmas time! It is so much easier to be a kid at this time of the year!

The sounds and smells! The ambiance and the songs! The sites and events! For after all, was it not then when the greatest and most famous kid was born? Our Lord Jesus Christ?

I'm Donna J. Jodhan wishing you a very merry Christmas!
Follow me on twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan
Come by and enjoy some of my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com

Christmas is for me no matter where I am

Yes! You got it right! You heard me correctly! No matter where I am and no matter what I'm doing! Christmas is for me!

I could be spending it in Canada where the winters are icy, the snow is falling, the winds are howling, and I could practically hear Santa chuckling, Christmas is for me! Or I could be spending it in the sunny Caribbean where Santa could be seen in either a jeep, standing in an open truck, or even on a motorcycle, Christmas is for me! No matter where I am, this very special time of the year is for me!

There are some very special things that many parts of the world share in common: the birth of Jesus, gift giving, greeting each other, Christmas goodies, toys, and the singing of Christmas songs and carols! So many things in common for us to share!

No matter where I am, all of these things will be with me! From a snowy winter with skaters skating on an icy rink with Christmas lights winking in the background and bystanders drinking hot chocolate, to a deep blue sea with swimmers swimming lazily under the watch of bright blue skies, Christmas will always be the same! It is not where I will happen to be! It is all about the spirit of Christmas! Remembering what Christmas really means to me! The giving, the greeting, the joy, the special hopes and wishes for others, but most important of all! Remembering to let the child Jesus into my heart and to let him stay with me all year through!

Quoting from a popular Christmas carol: "The secret of Christmas is not what you do at Christmas time! But the Christmas things you do all year through."

I'm Donna J. Jodhan wishing you a wonderful Christmas and the very best for the new year. May all of your dreams come true!
Follow me on twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan
Come by and enjoy some of my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com.

Under the Christmas tree

It may not be yet Christmas but boy do I have some wonderful memories to share with you. Memories of me as a child with very little vision enjoying my experiences under our family’s Christmas tree. I had enough vision then to see the lights in their different colors. I could see the other decorations on the tree as well but I did not have quite enough vision to help decorate the tree.

That was okay by me. I enjoyed smelling the fragrant pine of our live tree. At night, I would crawl under our tree and lie quietly among the presents taking care not to crush any of them. My two brothers were always trying to peek into their presents and they would let me have a feel of mine. I would shake them to see if I could tell what mine were but my brothers would peek and tell. Oh, how much fun it was then.

I always loved our Christmas tree and everything that went with it. I loved everything about those wonderful trees. The smell of them, what lay under them, and what was placed on and around them. Ah yes! Under the Christmas tree!

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 memories of being under my Christmas tree.
Come by and enjoy some of my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com.
Follow me on twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan

The color of Christmas

As Andy Williams used to sing out each year: "It's the most wonderful time of the year," and this is certainly the case for me. It is that time of year when the child in me decides to show itself. I am never too embarrassed to express my joy whenever I hear Santa's rich laughter and whenever I smell the sweet fragrance of pine. All of those colorful presents, bows, lights, and other goodies dancing before my eyes!

Now that my vision is down to a bare minimum, I use my imagination to help me out. I imagine all those mysterious colored packages under a huge tree decorated with blinking lights. I can almost see those colorful lights dancing in my memory and I can practically reach out and grab one of those mysterious packages from under the tree. Lights intermingled with artificial snowflakes, all kinds of Christmas figures, and at the top of the tree? The shining star!

I must not forget my angel and my manger with the baby Jesus lying in Mother Mary's arms. The animals, shepherds, Joseph, and the three wise men. All fixed in my mind's eye forever.

The toys all come alive in my mind! Doll houses filled with little people. Furniture, tea sets, and strollers with baby dolls. Even the racing cars, train sets, and those ice skates dancing just out of my reach. The skis waiting for me to put them on and the colorful balls and game sets.

Ah yes! The color of Christmas and I will forever be a child at this time of the year!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a happy, holy, and safe Christmas! Come by and enjoy some of my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com. I will see you again in the New Year.

Little Christmas tree

It was the night before Christmas and in my dreams I slipped lazily and happily into memory lane. Another time had come and as I stood there, the little Christmas tree twinkled in front of my eyes. The tree smelled so wonderful! It gave off the scent of warm pine. The colored lights danced in front of my eyes as they took turns blinking on and off.

I moved oh so carefully towards my little Christmas tree, being careful not to step on packages neatly piled in front of it. I had to get as close as I could so as to see everything. My partial sight only allowed me the luxury of seeing things very close up and at best only a few things at a time. Nevertheless, it was enough for me.

I gingerly reached out and placed my index finger on one of the little lights, a little yellow one. Then I took my time at identifying other colors. Red, blue, and green. Then I had to take my time at finding a spot where there were no lights. I found it after a few moments and I held a tiny portion of a branch between my fingers.

Next I looked upwards and found the star at the very top. I stood gazing for quite some time thinking of the story that my parents would tell me every Christmas: the night that Jesus was born. What a lovely memory for me. Then I bent down and felt for some of the packages and finally I made my way to where the manger had been set up. There I spent most of my time, examining each little figure: baby Jesus in the arms of Mary and Joseph, the three Wise Men, the shepherds, and the animals.

Ah! That was a memory of when I was a child and had enough vision to see it all. Now I can only recall this memory each Christmas and that’s okay for me. At least I have a memory that I can recall and one that I can cherish forever. Merry Christmas, everyone!

I’m Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you happy Christmas dreams! Come by and enjoy some of my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com.

Christmas is for me

I have had the good fortune to enjoy many wonderful Christmases, with and without vision and it does not matter! Christmas is for me. The smells and the sounds, the laughter and the merry making.

When I had enough sight, I used to enjoy going out to window shop. To see the bright colorful lights, the flickering candles in the church, Santa's bright red suit, and streets crowded with throngs of folks of all ages. I also loved to smell the scent of rich pine, cakes and goodies baking in ovens, and taste the various Christmas foods and drinks. I loved to walk in the snow and watch those big white snowflakes race each other to the ground, but most of all I loved to ice skate around those huge outdoor rinks decorated with Christmas lights.

That was then and this is now but not much has changed for me. True it is that I can no longer see the flickering candles, the colorful Christmas lights, and the big fat snowflakes, but this does not prevent me from enjoying this special time of the year. My sense of smell is still intact along with my sense of taste and I use my memories of years gone by to help me along. I focus on the times when I could see and intermingle those memories with the now.

I am blessed! I am lucky! With or without sight, Christmas is for me! I am a kid at heart, playing with my talking games, playing my electronic keyboard, and my Christmas CDs.

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, Joyeux Noèl, and Feliz Navidad to you all!
I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate. Come by and enjoy some of my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com.

Identification of the birds

Believe it or not, every species of birds has its own unique sound and as a child I learned this from my parents and Granny. I have always been fascinated by the various sounds of birds and so as a child I took a particular interest in their sounds.

Most kids would probably not take the time to pay attention to the sounds of birds but I did and as a child who had very limited vision, I derived so much joy in simply listening to them. I could conjure up their voices in my mind whenever I wanted and when I had enough vision to see what they looked like, then I was just like a kid in a candy store matching each bird to their sound.

Some birds have soft voices. Others have loud and boisterous voices. Some sing short and sweet while others pour forth long and lilting songs. I think that each bird is simply unique when it comes to how they sing. I simply love them all.

When next you are out in your garden, just sit for a few minutes and listen to those wondrous birds. They never ask for much except that you give them some scraps as often as you remember.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and learn more about the world of blind persons. Visit www.nfb.org to learn more.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

How I can tell when rain is coming

Now, you may be thinking that I must be a farmer in my own right but this is not the case. It is a very simple trick that I learned in grade school. Our teachers taught it to us and almost all of the time it works.

It goes like this. You need to pay attention to the smells around you, especially so to an earth-like smell. It is somewhat difficult for me to describe but the best that I can do is to say that it is an earth-like smell.

When this smell is detected you can bet the barn that rain is not very far behind. For many blind persons, and including me, our sense of smell is probably more acute than the mainstream person so it is often easier for us to detect this smell before others around us.

For whereas a sighted person can look out at the skies and see dark clouds approaching, blind persons would have to depend on other cues and one of my favorite and most reliable ones is that well-known earth-like smell. Or, to be more precise, an earthy smell.

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. Come by and visit me any time at www.sterlingcreations.ca.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

Paths in the sky

This was one of my favorite games when I was growing up. You may find it a bit strange but it is how I was able to use my very limited vision to entertain myself. My goal was almost always to be able to find as many paths as I could among the clouds and anything else that I could see.

On so many occasions and on so many quiet evenings, I would sit on my patio at home and look up at the sky. I would crane my neck to locate the clouds, the patches of blue skies, and the sun and then I would go to work. I would pretend that I could walk among the clouds and then stand on the blue patches.

How well I remember those pink and orange sunsets with dark clouds drifting by. How well I remember the puffy white clouds gliding noiselessly by and they all seemed to be following a bright ball of sunshine. Sometimes the dark clouds and the white clouds would interact and I would try to carve paths in my mind among them.

I have such wonderful memories of my path-finding games. Memories that are cherished forever and memories that I often dust off and allow my mind to take in. Memories that help me to keep on going now that I am no longer able to play them because of my lack of vision.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to come by and enjoy my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

My preference for apps

Call me lazy but at the end of the day I do not think that I would be the only one choosing to go down this path. In short, I prefer to use apps to keep in touch with my favorite websites. I find it easier to use my iPhone to surf whenever I want to do this quickly. I can do it easily and most of the apps that I have on my iPhone can do the job quite nicely for me.

I read my newspapers, check on my favorite hockey team (the Montreal Canadiens), and communicate with others on Skype through my iPhone. Sometimes I even use my iPhone to communicate on Twitter and soon I'll be using it for Facebook.

Apps are getting easier to use with each passing day. So many people are developing apps for all kinds of things and I am even using apps for other functions such as scanning and reading, for checking out bar codes, plus much more. Ah yes! My preference for apps. No, I will not be deserting Internet surfing through my computer any time soon but I am sure having fun with my apps.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to learn more about the world of blind persons by visiting www.nfb.org.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

Ruthie's Gym Show

A few months ago I had the pleasure and privilege of attending Ruthie's Gym Show. Ruthie is my eldest niece and what a delight she is. I have watched Ruthie grow from a baby to becoming and blossoming into a bright and delightful young lady who is now married to a wonderful man and she has a great daughter. I am extremely fortunate that I have had this opportunity to watch someone grow from birth to the present.

Back to the gym show. It was a different way for me to enjoy this type of event given that I can no longer see what's going on around me or on stage. So what did I do? I started by enjoying the music and then Mom described as much as she could to me as the various dances and gym displays moved along.

I allowed the images to dance in my mind and I used Mom's descriptions to create my own pictures of what was going on. Maybe my pictures were not always accurate but that's okay. In my mind's eye I saw kids of all ages dancing, jumping, and doing their various gymnastics. I imagined their costumes and everything else. At the end of it all I had a wonderful time!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to share my blogs with others. Come by and visit me at www.sterlingcreations.ca.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

Remembering Mom's home

I still remember Mom's old home, every nook and every cranny. Every kitchen cupboard, and every spot in our beloved living room. I remember our bathrooms and the dining area but most of all the beloved balcony.

Whenever I want to relax and remember, I bring up memories of Mom's home and allow them to linger in my mind. I can still see everything so clearly; the colors of the walls and curtains, where things were placed, and you know what? With precious little vision now to be able to appreciate her present home, I use my memories to help me move on.

I can still picture the spot where the piano stood. I can still picture where our dogs used to lie and sleep. I can still picture the kitchen so warm and inviting with the lovely colors of the cupboards and floor but most of all I can picture my old bedroom. My beloved bed with the tasteful sheets, the desk and the books, and my closet with my clothes.

Call me crazy for paying attention to all of this but it is just part of my using my memory to help me remember.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to share my memories with others. Come by and listen to my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

Learning the way to the rec center

Yes, I got serious about my exercises programs a while back and decided to take matters into my own hands. So I asked a friend to come by and show me the way to the rec center. I live in a condo complex so I chose to use my rec center that is located in the complex. I have to tell you that I got a lot more than I bargained for.

First, we decided upon the outdoor route because I felt that it would be safer for me despite having to do it in winter time. Next my friend carefully mapped out the route for me and then put it into a document for me. Then it was time for me to learn it. So many details for me to learn and remember.

Driveways to cross, walls to find, landmarks such as benches, garbage cans, and poles to remember to look for. Yes, quite a learning experience for me and you know what? I was doing this under new physical conditions for whereas in the past I had enough sight to locate landmarks, I now had to do it with the aid of my cane and to use touch techniques with my trusty cane.

I now had to depend more on my senses of touch and hearing and to forget about my sense of sight. All a new way of navigating for me. More listening and touching and much less use of the sense of sight.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and learn more about the world of blind people by visiting www.acb.org.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

Tom the teacher

I think that most would agree with me that good teachers are often very hard to come by and when you find one just hold on to them with all of your might and never let go. Praise them, appreciate them, and let them know how much you need them.

Tom Dekker is one such teacher. He is blind, has a lovely guide dog named Abe, and he has simply opened up the world of mobile devices and apps to me. Tom is patient, humorous, but above all, he never gives up and his lessons are just a mind blower. They are never boring!

I think that any student would be happy to have Tom the teacher as their mentor. He does not let his blindness hold him back. He is just not a teacher but also an accomplished music player. Sighted or blind, it does not matter to Tom.

If he does not know the answer to a question he goes out there and finds it for me! He has an uncanny ability to think outside of the box! He can teach blind and sighted students alike and you know what? He knows just when to jump in and help and just when to back off and let me do things for myself.

Ah yes! That’s my Tom the terrific teacher! A breeze in a bottle! As humble as pie, speaks his mind, and always positive! What more can I honestly ask for?

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 Tom my teacher. Come by and visit me any time at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

Those wonderful apps

This is probably one of my most delightful and biggest introductions to mobile devices! Ah yes, some of those most wonderful apps. I am like a kid in a candy shop when it comes to exploring and discovering some of those great apps. Especially so when I find them to be most accessible for a blind person such as me.

There are so many to mention but here are just a few: Skype, Twitter, BBC news, CBC news, CNN, Canadiens hockey, Westminster chimes, and the list goes on.

I am presently in the hunt for camera apps for blind persons, great scanning and bar code apps, and apps for reading my favorite books. I told you, I am like a kid in a candy shop when it comes to the world of apps and I am very sure that with time it will only get better.

I have an iPhone and an iPad and I have gotten much better at using my fingers to get around on the screen. I use tactile screen protectors which are comprised of dots to help me navigate and for insurance I use devices such as a Braille Pen and Braille Sense to navigate faster. These are 2 very powerful Braille displays in their own right.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to stop by and listen to some of my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com. Feel free to share my blogs with others.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

My introduction to cats

Ask me and I would readily tell you that dogs are my favorite pets but this does not mean that I do not have some fondness for the felines. As a kid we had many cats, ones that came in and out of our home freely.

My first memories of one of our cats is that of Margie, a pretty little black cat who used to jump onto the counter in our kitchen to have a look at me. At that time the counter and I were of the same height so it was quite easy for Margie and me to be at eye level.

There she was on the counter, standing quietly and looking into my eyes, and there I was looking back at her. In those days I could not really see very well as I had a bit of vision but not enough to really see all of Margie. However, I do remember her as seen through the haze of my poor vision.

Margie still stands out in my memory and will probably do so for as long as I live. Just a curious little lady cat who loved to stare at me whenever she could.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to learn more about the world of blind kids by visiting www.acb.org.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

My early memories of the radio

I do remember that as a child the radio was my constant companion. I listened to it as often as I could and this is how I learned all about the big wonderful world. I listened to the news, followed all of the children's programs and bedtime stories, followed the sporting events, but most of all there was my music. Heck, I often heard the news before my siblings could read it in the newspapers.

As a blind kid, it was one of the fastest ways to learn, get my info, and keep up with things. I knew and could recite by heart most of the commercials. I used the radio to learn so much and the radio was a part of my daily life.

My radio was almost always with me and oh how I loved it. There were many times when my mom would scold me to put it down so that I could go to sleep and there were so many times when she and granny would join me to listen to those infamous soap operas after supper. Ah, such wonderful memories.

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. Come by and visit me at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

My introduction to music

For as long as I can remember, my introduction to music was one of happy times when I was but a tiny one and my parents had hoped for me to love music. I am not sure if their hopes were driven by the fact that I was blind but that does not really matter.

My mom tells me that at a very early age, I would sit near the family's large radio and engross myself in the music on the radio. She often recollects how I used to just sit there and become lost in the melodies and how I would do my best to listen intently and then try to replicate it on my baby piano. My foot would be tapping away and my face would have an expression of wonderment.

My first memory of my baby piano was a little blue one with black and white notes. Then came the red clarinette, the silver trumpet, and then the xylophone with the colored keys: pink, green, and yellow keys. I loved them all and cherished each one for everything that they afforded me. There was also the flute with the green and yellow bars.

In those days, I played extensively by ear and then one day shortly after my 8th birthday, I received a very precious gift: my very own big piano with all 88 notes. For this I shall always thank my parents. I picked many of my melodies by ear and oh how I loved to do it.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to visit my website at www.donnajodhan.com where you can be a part of my audio mysteries.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

Watching the cars go by

This was indeed one of my favorite pastimes as a child, watching the cars go by! I used to sit for hours on end at our window watching as they either idled by or zoomed past our house. I loved to look at them especially so for their various colors and sizes. I was never bored and never really told anyone how much I used to enjoy watching the cars go by.

I had a little vision in those days so I used to appreciate the world of color whenever I could. I loved to imagine that I could drive one of them but most of all I used to make believe that I owned them all.

Of course, I was never able to decipher the makes and types of my beloved cars but that was okay. Memories of the big yellow bus, large red truck, and fast moving little blue car still resonate in my mind as I write this. Then there were the motorcycles and bicycles mixed in between. O so lovely to behold!

It did not matter whether or not it was at night, in the late evening, or anytime during the day. My cars going by were always a great pastime for me. Forever preserved in my memory bank.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and learn more about the world of blind persons by visiting www.rnib.org.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

A memorable train ride

I still remember that very memorable train ride from Toronto to Montreal. Boy, I was so excited and at that time I had enough vision to see outside as the train rocked gently on its way to La Belle Province.

I was simply awe struck to see so many things. The blooming trees and the melting snow banks. The green grass peeking out, and houses, people and roads. It was all like a moving screen to me and I could not take my eyes off of it all.

I first paid attention to a train ride when I took the time to watch as Pierre Elliot Trudeau's train traveled from Ottawa to Montreal during his funeral procession. I was simply mesmerized and I told myself that I would some day travel that same route and I did it soon after this. I was not disappointed.

I can still remember the collage of colors as the train went by. Various shades of green to represent the blooming trees in the background with splashes of sunshine shining through. Blobs of white to represent the snow banks. Varying shades of brown to represent the roads and dirt tracks and on it went.

Any keen observer looking at me would probably have wondered why I was so taken in by what lay outside of the train's window but I did not really care what anyone thought on that memorable day. Just a lady with some vision appreciating all that went by on that day.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to visit me at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

The voices of children

They are pure and they are so innocent! They are happy and they are cheerful! They are always in my dreams and O how they make me remember so much. I can practically reach out and touch my memories, memories that I cherish and shall forever hold in my memory bank. Memories that are filled with color and sound and now that I am no longer able to see the children, I use my memories to help me keep remembering.

There was a time when I used to love to watch them play in the park. I used to love to watch them frolic on the beach and I used to love to watch them as they rushed around in the toy stores at Christmas time. I just loved watching them at play and they never minded me doing so.

Ah yes, kids and on that memorable fall day when I was invited to be a guest at a grade one class of Shannon Green! Just to hear their voices was enough for me to return home afterwards with a light spring in my step and a very happy heart. I thank Shannon every day along with her fellow teachers for having invited me to be a part of their kids’ world.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to learn more about me by visiting my author's website at www.donnajodhan.com.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

Menus at restaurants

No, I would never expect any restaurant to always have a Braille menu on hand for a blind person. However, with more apps becoming available for persons in general to read with their i devices, my life has just become that bit more interesting and exciting.

Asking any restaurant to provide Braille menus to their blind patrons could be considered to be a bit much given two reasons: The production of Braille menus may be a bit costly and the number of blind customers requiring them may not justify producing them. However, there are alternatives out there to be considered. The online way is one way and if a blind person has a device with a scanning app then this can surely be used when they visit a restaurant. Things are definitely looking up for us.

Gone are the days of the unreadable restaurant menu and now say hello to being able to read it ourselves.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and explore the world of blind persons. Visit www.acb.org to learn more.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

Making sure to check the printed page

Yes, another very important daily task for me to ensure that I do not forget about, particularly so as a blind entrepreneur.

Each time I print off such things as forms for mailing and documents to share with my sighted colleagues, I need to ensure that they have indeed printed and not just that! I have to check each page. I do this by using my portable Eyepal Solo scanner. Yes, the job is very tedious and is even more so if the document is large but it is a necessary task.

There is something, however, that is quite difficult to do and that is to ensure that the ink on the page is not faded. Unless I am missing something, this is quite difficult for a blind person to determine and here is where I need to ask for sighted assistance. All in a day's work for me.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to come visit me at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

Remembering to check the tins

Yes, I constantly need to keep reminding myself of this each time I go grocery shopping. As they come, most tins feel alike and it is only with constant practice that I am able to keep tabs on them whenever I buy them and whenever I pack them away in my pantry.

Of course, you will always find that some tins are smaller than others and are shaped a bit differently to others but on the whole and in general, many tins feel alike to the touch. As a blind person, I need to keep these points in mind on a daily basis.

Tins of tuna are different in shape to tins of beans and tins of soup are also a bit different as well. When you shake a tin of soup it sounds a bit different to a tin of beans but the challenge comes when I have to distinguish between different types of soup, different types of beans, and so on.

So how do I deal with this? I take my roll of masking tape with me to the supermarket and use it to help mark the tins. Sometimes I use my house key to make slight rips in the labels on tins to help me to decipher differences.

I am still working on a bar code reader to help make my life simpler and easier but this will come later. Meanwhile, all in a day's work for me.

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. Come by anytime and visit me at www.donnajodhan.com and there you can listen to some of my audio mysteries.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

Those colorful stones and pebbles

Memories of my favorite colored stones and pebbles are forever etched in my mind. Yes, and it is these types of memories that keep me on track. Oh how much I remember them and can practically see them in front of my almost sightless eyes.

I used to spend hours playing with them, either on the beach or on our porch. I would go out there and gather them while walking on the beach with my family and I would choose them based on my favorite colors. Yellow, blue, green, orange, and oh yes! The multicolored ones as well. I liked the smooth ones, the small ones, and the round or oblong ones. I would carefully place them in my bucket and then wait for a chance to play with them.

I arranged them by size. I made imaginative constructions with them and sometimes I would throw them into the water just to hear them splash. If anything, they allowed and enabled me to use my imagination to think and do all kinds of things.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to learn more about the world of blind persons by visiting www.aph.org.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526

Handling the mail with no one around

Here is yet another challenge that I as a blind person face on a daily basis: having to handle the mail when no one is around. For the most part, it is difficult for me to find someone to sort and handle my mail on a daily basis and for the most part I need to find someone to help me do it and at their convenience.

This could be frustrating for me only if I let it be so and I have had to strategize in order to help myself. I use my portable scanner to help read the envelopes and this cuts down tremendously on time spent on this daily task. Nine out of ten times the scanner can decipher the text on the envelope and from there it is easy to sort the junk mail from the real mail.

I know what flyers and brochures feel like so those are usually tossed in the garbage first. After this the junk mail that is in envelopes follow suit and then it is time to read the bills and other letters.

Handwritten mail is usually the most difficult for me to deal with and here is where I need to find sighted assistance. With regard to bills and other mail that is typewritten, I need to take my time and read it thoroughly. All in a day's work I say to myself as it needs to be done.

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 my memories. Visit me anytime at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

Dealing with dust

As a blind person it is often difficult for me to deal with dust. Dust on my counters, dust on my dressers, dust on my clothes and shoes, dust everywhere.

So how do I deal with this natural challenge of life? Well, I have a recipe which works most of the time and here are the ingredients: patience, more patience, and taking time to find it and remove it. No, it may not be the perfect recipe but it sure works for me.

I let my hands and fingers do the walking and finding, so to speak. I use my fingers and hands to find the dust, and to remove it. I really do not like the feel of dust under my hands and fingers but I put up with it. I methodically remove the dust so as not to knock over objects on my counters and dressers. With regard to my clothes, I am extra careful to brush outwards and away from the affected piece of clothes or garment so as not to allow the dust to blow back on to them.

Sometimes, of course, I may knock over something that is in my way and this can't be helped but I say to myself that it is all in a day's work. I dust regularly so as to avoid having to deal with too much dust. I am constantly checking for dust but you know what? I do it once weekly so as not to drive myself crazy.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to expand your easy listening by visiting my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

My memories of the moon

O! That big round face that always seemed to smile down on me each time I looked up at her! For as long as I can remember until January of 2004, I was able to see her. No matter how small she was and how brightly she shone! I could see her.

After the demise of my vision in January 2004, I used my memory to conjure up images of her and it sure as anything works for me. Ah yes! My beloved moon! I could find her on any given night when I had enough vision to do so and when I was studying in England my dad had said to me before I left home: "Whenever you're feeling homesick just go out there and look up at the moon and I'll do the same and all will be well."

This magic formula sure worked for me because believe it or not I believed it and I knew that my dad would never let me down. Just like me, he would go out there and look up at the moon. He taught me so much about my beloved moon!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to learn more about the world of blind persons by visiting www.acb.org.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

My first memories of flames

I can still remember when I first discovered what flames looked like. I had very limited vision then so I could not really appreciate their beauty at that time. This memory is still as clear as day in my mind.

I was no more than six years old then and it was a really lovely evening in August. We kids were outside roasting cashew nuts on an outdoor fire and my cousin, Susan, brought me as close as she could to the fire and there I stood, gazing in wonder at it. I loved what I saw given my very limited vision and I think that in her child's mind Susan also seemed to appreciate my smile because she proceeded to describe the fire and the cashew nuts to me. I think that she did a really good job doing it.

When I obtained a great deal of functional vision as a teen, I grew to appreciate the beauty of flames even more. The flames of a candle, of a warm fire on a cold winter's day, and a fireside in a restaurant. Memories for me to cherish forever.

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 my memories. Visit me anytime at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

When the radio suits me best

There are some who prefer the TV, others who prefer the Internet, and then there are some like me who prefer the radio. It all has to do with our preferences and how we like to receive our information.

I sure recognize the importance of both TV and Internet but here are the times when radio suits me best. When I am at work in my office and I can keep up to date while I work. I find that when I am working the TV is often a distraction and in the opposite way the radio seems to soothe me best.

When I am in the car on my way somewhere, the Internet and TV are off limits to me. When I am elsewhere, TV and Internet are not available. Example, on the beach, while walking, in a restaurant, and so on. I really find that the radio is more of a friend or companion to me while I am outdoors. I find that I need to concentrate more when I listen to information on the Internet. I use the radio to keep up to date with breaking news, to listen to easygoing music, and of course, sporting events!

I often find that radio announcers are much more descriptive than their TV and Internet counterparts, but alas! Those watching TV and Internet programs can see what's going on and I am unable to do so. So here is where the radio fills the gap for me because everyone is on the same playing field; no one can see what's happening on the radio.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to expand your easy listening by visiting my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

My favorite sand box

As I sit here writing this blog I can still remember my favorite sand box as clear as day. It was just right, the one at primary school. Not too big and not too small. Not too deep and not too shallow. Filled with soft white sand that simply slipped through my fingers each time I went to play with it.

This particular sand box was filled with all kinds of wonderful little toys. Little cars and trucks. Boats, buses, scooters, and mini buckets and spades. Hoes and rakes, and my favorites! Ducks, chickens, fishes, lobsters, and crabs. Everything was so colorful! Things in so many different colors and how I loved to play with them.

Sometimes I would sneak away at break time to play with them on my own. There I would kneel in front of my favorite sand box and there I would play with its contents. I would arrange the ducks and chickens in a line. Then do the same with the fishes, crabs, and lobsters. I would place the boats in a circle, and place the spades hoes and rakes in the little buckets. Then I'd drive the little cars and scooters around in the sand and do the same with the buses and trucks. I would compose stories on my own as my hands moved everything around.

The cars, boats, scooters, trucks and buses were of various colors ranging from blue and red to yellow and green. The ducks were blue, the chickens were yellow, the fishes were red and green, the lobsters were red, and the crabs were green. Buckets were blue and yellow and there were matching spades, hoes, and rakes and oh yes! The wheel barrow was a bright yellow.

I remember it all now and this is what keeps me alive and thinking. The ability to remember color as I can no longer see it now.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to learn more about the world of blind persons by visiting www.afb.org.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

Those scary wasps

For as long as I can remember, wasps have always been scary little things to me and I believe that as a general rule of thumb they are the same for many others. In a real world, the mainstream person can normally see them coming and approaching but for me as a bind person I cannot see their approach and by the time I hear them buzzing around me it is just that bit too late for me to either get out of their way or to defend myself.

As a kid, I was stung by them a few times. Sometimes I inadvertently strayed into their path and sometimes I tumbled upon their nest and I can tell you that they do not appreciate me invading their privacy. Their sting is hard and they are not about to let you invade their space. I respect these little insects and am constantly on alert for their presence no matter where I am. Thank the Lord that they only come out in the summer.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to visit me anytime at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

When the jack hammers invade my space

At the best of times, these very necessary pieces of equipment are indeed necessary! They are needed by workmen to help in the breaking down and rebuilding of all kinds and sizes of constructions but to almost everyone they are a huge inconvenience.

For me as a blind person, they bring me almost to a standstill as they invade my space and impede my hearing. This is what happened a few months ago when workmen started work on our condo complex to repair our balconies.

Unfortunately at that time for me, I was in the midst of studying for my first year law exams and what a time it was! The best way to describe this is to say that it was pure hell!

I could not hear anything coming from my computer. That is, I could not hear the voice output as this is what I use to interact with my computer. For those who are unfamiliar with this type of technology, I use access technology, as a blind person, to work with computers. I read screens by listening to output and input by using a regular keyboard to type and I can hear what I type as I go along.

I tried jamming ear buds into my ears and pressing down headphones over my ears and although it did help, the jack hammers still managed to disturb me with their noise. The throbbing sounds just seemed to overwhelm me.

In addition to this, I sometimes lost orientation in my condo and I had to be careful whenever I went to do stuff in my kitchen. This was not my favorite time.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and share my experiences with others. Come by any time and listen to my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

When the cousins were babies

I still have very vivid memories of when these little ones were babies. Oh how I used to love to play with them. Listening to them laugh, listening to them try to talk, and being so touched whenever they were able to say my name. I used to play all kinds of games with them. Mainly the ones where they would point at things and then I would ask them to tell me what they were.

I was never really sure if they knew that I was blind but that was okay. We played ball and I crawled around on the floor with them. They never tired of my company and I never tired of theirs. We played with boats in the bath tub. We swam in the sea under the very watchful eye of my dad, and then we played in the warm golden sand of the beach.

Their toys were my toys and my toys were their toys. I rocked them to sleep and as I did so I imagined them smiling up at me as I could not see their tiny expressions. I even got to dress them sometimes and give them their bottles. Then I would sing to them at bedtime, and tried teaching them how to count. They were lovable little ones and I shall forever cherish these memories.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. Just go out there and learn more about the world of blind persons by visiting www.acb.org.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

Paying attention to the voices

This is what I have always done for as long as I can remember. When I had very little vision, when I received substantial vision, and even now with precious little sight, I have always paid attention to the voices. That is, to someone's tone, inflection, and even accent.

These are the three facets that I use in order to judge someone's reaction, mood, and I also often use them to try and anticipate someone's next move. I need to do this in order to stay in the game and as a blind person who cannot depend on body language, expressions, and gestures to help me figure things out, I practically have no alternative. You would be amazed to know how much the tone, inflection, and accent in one's voice can yield. You may want to try it some time.

Just close your eyes and listen to the conversations around you. Try and figure out what others are trying to impart to you through their voice. It could be a very telling experience for you. I did it with my parents and siblings growing up. I did it with my friends and professors, and I still do it now.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and encouraging to try out my suggestion. Come by and visit me anytime at www.sterlingcreations.ca.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

The hotel that got it just right

As a regular traveler I am always happy whenever I can stay at a hotel that has gone out of its way to be accommodating to me as a blind customer and I am always more than delighted to put in a plug for said hotel.

In late April, 2013, I had the pleasure of staying at the Cambridge Suites Hotel on Richmond Street in downtown Toronto. I was there to attend the 2013 AGM of the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians and I stayed from April 25 to April 28.

This hotel went out of its way to accommodate our group and their facilities and amenities were extremely accessible. They went out of their way to ensure that blind persons were made comfortable. Their elevator buttons were well labeled in Braille. The doors of our luxurious suites were also labeled in Braille, and guess what! All of the bottles containing the various liquids in our bathrooms were also labeled in Braille. The shampoo, body wash, body lotion, and conditioner bottles were all labeled.

This hotel really got it when it came to accommodating us as a group of blind persons. Their conference rooms were also very accessible and their waiters and waitresses were absolutely top class when it came to serving the meal.
Kudos to the Cambridge Suites on Richmond Street in downtown Toronto.

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 my experience at the Cambridge Suites. Come by and listen to my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

Memories of a savanna

When I was growing up, the wide lush green savanna was often my playground. My parents would often take us kids to the savanna to play on a Sunday morning or afternoon and sometimes we would even be taken there during the week after supper.

The air was fresh and cool. The birds were always out there singing their little hearts out, and the fragrance of flowers was almost always present. Oh how I used to love to play in the grass. Run, jump, and skip along with my brothers and cousins. We played hide and seek. We ran foot races, flew kites, and chased each other around and among the trees.

Sometimes we would take our golden Lab, Yella, along for the fun and she, too, enjoyed it all and rewarded us with her resounding barks. Once or twice we took along our scooter and I would ride up and down the paved track and then onto the grass.

We also used to play cricket and football and Dad never forgot to spend time reading to me as we sat on benches under the large trees. I loved those times and as he read, Mom and I would listen and I would be looking up into the trees to admire the smiling face of the sun.

Those were the days when my lack of vision was never a barrier to me. No barriers existed whenever I set out to play with the others. The other kids were always careful to make sure that I was safe from obstacles and at that time it never seemed as if they cared about my being blind. Could I possibly venture to say that as a kid barriers to blindness seemed so far away then? Ah yes! Memories of my precious savanna.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to learn more about the world of blind kids by visiting www.acb.org.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.

Flying kites

Yet another memory for me to share with you. I used to love to fly those colorful kites and it was my granny who used to make them and my dad would help me to fly them.

They came in all sizes and colors. From the little ones called Chicky Chongs to the large ones called Mad Bulls. Some of them came in plain colors while others were so gaily decorated in various styles and were so colorful. Granny loved to make them and my dad was always so eager to help me fly them.

As a child it was one of my favorite things to do with my dad. Granny was a terrific kite maker and Dad knew how to fly them. I always loved to feel the very long tails on them and the eyes that Granny would fasten to them. Lovely, just lovely and with my very limited vision it was yet another colorful pastime for me to enjoy.

I'm Donna J. Jodha,your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and share my blogs with others. Come by and visit me at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.

Remembering the Easter eggs

Easter has always been one of my favorite times of the year and as someone who has always enjoyed looking at colorful objects, Easter eggs have been part of my admiration. Now that I can no longer see these wondrous little things, I use my memory to help me keep it in focus.

I used to love to look at the colorful Easter eggs at Easter time. From gold to red, yellow to blue, orange to purple, and green to pink. I loved to place the chocolate Easter eggs in a line and then spend minutes at a time just admiring my handiwork. Then I graduated to doing the same with the plastic ones. Oh how much I used to love just standing there and looking at all the different colors.

Now that I can no longer see these gorgeous colors, I use my imagination to help me remember. I can make them dance in front of my eyes. They light up my dreams with lots of color! They make me smile! Ah yes! Those wonderful and colorful Easter eggs.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and share my memories with others. Drop by and listen to my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.

The hardest thing to find

For me, it is probably a pair of socks. They do not make any sound when they fall and if you disturb the floor around where they have fallen too much, then they are likely to simply move away from your grasp. If they fall out of your hands while removing them from the drier, then you may be out of luck to find them if you are unable to see where they have gone.

Fallen socks have always been a problem for me and even when I had my functional vision they were a problem then. Should I be pinning bells on them you may be asking? Not a very bright idea. How can I solve this problem? Maybe someone out there may have a solution for me.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to visit www.nfb.org to learn more about the world of blind persons.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.

No need for help in the bathroom

Whenever anyone offers to help me to navigate a public bathroom, I almost always turn down their offer and I do it very nicely and respectfully. Yes, I know that people mean well in wanting to help me as a blind person, but that's okay. I can navigate it and I thank the good Lord for this.

This does not mean that every blind person is the same. No, not at all and I encourage society to keep on offering help to other blind persons when it comes to assistance at navigating a public bathroom. The layout of a public bathroom is never the same and there is really no commonality. In short, there is always going to be a tiny difference in each layout.

I believe that over the years, architects of public bathrooms have made a concerted effort to generalize the layout but there is always going to be tiny differences. The one common denominator will always be the elements that are found in a bathroom. We need to think of it like this: layouts of a bathroom differ from home to home.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to visit me at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.

Discovering the gym

My curiosity got the better of me some time ago and I decided to bite the bullet and ask my friend to give me a tour of the gym. I am really not sure why I was always a bit hesitant but I was sure glad after I had my tour.

My friend was a very good tour guide. She placed my hand on each piece of equipment and explained each knob, lever, and button to me. She then allowed me to explore for myself and described all aspects of each piece of equipment to me.

I tried out the exercise bicycle, the treadmill, the stepper, and the rowing machine. I felt these pieces of equipment from front to back and at the end of it all I had a much better idea of how things felt and looked. My introduction to the gym.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. Come by and listen to some of my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan

Identifying my dogs by their voices

Yes indeed! They each had a very unique voice according to the sound in my ears. Their growls and barks were unique and this is how I identified them whenever they were out of my range.

Just like their personalities, each dog's voice was different. Yella had a soft but confident voice and bark. Tiger was much louder and braver. Lion was loud but tinged with timidity. Boyo's bark was medium to loud but tinged with some assuredness and Brownie's bark was simply loud and proud.

Each dog used their voice in a uniquely different way and each barked at various times for various reasons. It almost always used to amaze my family how I could identify our dogs whenever they were out and about. I knew each voice like the back of my hand and I even knew their growls and could easily distinguish them.

I did not have enough vision as a child to distinguish my dogs by sight so I had to depend on their voices. Of course whenever they were within my reach I had no difficulty distinguishing them.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to explore the world of blind persons by visiting www.acb.org.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.

Counting the lights

How well I remember this very simple childhood game! I used to engage in counting the street lights as Dad drove down the street in our family's car. I used to love doing this and sometimes my elder brother, Robert, and my granny would join in. There were the sodium lights which were round and orange in color and the florescent lights which were long and of a more yellowish color.

Sometimes I would get it wrong and Robert and Granny would correct me but most times I was spot on. These little games usually took place at night as we drove down the city's streets or on main roads. I never tired of doing this and sometimes Robert and Granny would simply drop out of my little game if they became bored or tired.

That was just fine with me and I just went on counting. Ah yes, those little childhood games that still remain with me. My vision no longer allows me to count the lights but that's very okay with me. I have the memories!

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. To learn more about me, visit www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.

What happened when the boxes got mixed up

At the best of times, I am normally super careful whenever I return home from my grocery shopping. I am ever so careful to ensure that I can identify the differences among tins, cans, and boxes but on this particular day something did not go right for me and I had to spend some extra time identifying some of the boxes.

It is usually easy to distinguish the various boxes of stuff. This is done based on weight, size, shape, and by shaking to ensure that it is, indeed, what I think it is. For example, boxes of jello are easily distinguished from boxes of cornflakes and boxes of shake and bake are easily distinguished from boxes of crackers. However, here is where the problem came for me.

I could not easily distinguish the difference between the box of shake and bake and the box of mazza balls. To make matters worse, I could not distinguish the difference between the boxes of stuffed chicken breasts and hamburger patties.

First I shook then I measured the boxes to see which was larger. The weight seemed to be equal and the sizes were an exact match. Smelling them would not have helped me on that day. So what did I have to do at the end? Open up each box and then examine the contents carefully by touch. Bingo!

Success! The shake and bake had a familiar smell and contained plastic bags for shaking. The mazza balls did not. The burgers were round and the stuffed chicken breasts were long. At last, I resolved my problems that day.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to share my blogs with others. Come by and listen to my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.

Learning math

I learned math as a blind student, with a slate and something called type. The slate was made up of a frame of holes and the type could be used to achieve 16 different positions. When the type was on its right side up, one could create numbers from 1 to 8 and when the type was placed on its wrong side, then the following could be had: 9, 0, plus, minus, multiplication sign, division sign, decimal point, and equals sign.

You could see then that the type had eight distinct sides and in actuality it was a very small entity made of lead. You had to place it in the hole of the frame and this is how figures were generated. The frame consisted of 16 columns and eight rows. A marvelous invention, in my opinion, for a blind person to have learned math to start with.

Much later on came talking calculators for us blind folks and this is the picture as it stands today. Many students do indeed use Braille to do their math as well. Others use the good old abacus.

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 how blind persons learn Math. To learn more about the world of blind persons, visit www.nfb.org.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.

When websites change

It is difficult enough at times for a blind person to be able to easily access a website, and it is a victory of sorts each time we are able to access and navigate any one website. However, when changes are made, and this cannot be helped, I for one have to re-familiarize myself with the landscape of the website in question. It is the same for any mainstream person but for a blind person it can be described as doubly difficult.

I, for one, have to learn where the new links are, how to find new information and where to go when I wish to complete forms. Sometimes the changes are not too difficult to manage but sometimes, when developers decide to insert new images and new software into the body of their website, then there is where the fun starts.

No, I do not expect that each time a developer changes their website that they announce it to the world but I am wondering if they could maybe put an announcement or some sort of notation at the top of their website? In the same way that companies do when you phone in and you hear that some of the menu options have changed? Just a thought from little old me!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and share my words with others. Visit me anytime at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.

Those crossword puzzle books

How well I remember having been able to work with these. They were large print crossword puzzle books and when I had enough vision to read and fill in the boxes, they brought so much joy to me. At that time they were the best things that I could lay my hands on to help keep my mind ticking.

I used to spend hours at a time working with them. With pen in hand, I would adjust my lamp over the crossword book and then proceed to get to work. Most of the time I would be able to fill in most of the boxes but there were times when my frustration was certainly there.

Large print crossword puzzle books can certainly benefit not just those who are partially sighted but seniors who have difficulty negotiating the fine print. More large print crossword puzzle books are coming onto the market and now that I can no longer see to work with them I would encourage anyone with family members or friends who have difficulty reading fine print to purchase these.

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 those large print crossword puzzle books. Come by and visit me at www.donnajodhan.com to listen to some really exciting audio mysteries.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.

Granny was my reader

This she was when I was a child. She read any and everything to me. From the newspapers to letters from aunts and cousins and from books to scraps of paper that contained notes which she felt I should know about.

I used to enjoy when she read to me from her Prayer Book, too. She read all of the daily prayers, the Psalms, and then she would read the Bible stories to me. She read the crossword puzzles and we did them together. She read the comics to me and then the headlines. Each Sunday, just before I would drift off for my afternoon nap, she would proceed to read from the newspapers to me. Oh, how much I loved and treasured those very precious memories with my beloved granny. Yes indeed, Granny was my reader!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and explore the world of blind persons by visiting www.nfb.org.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.

Interacting in high school

Believe it or not, I was probably one of the shyest students in high school and I can comfortably say that it was because of being blind. Being one of the first blind students to attend my high school made things very interesting and challenging for me. I will say, however, that both teachers and students were extremely good to me. They were very attentive to me and made sure that I was never wanting for anything.

I had a few great friends but for the most part I believe that the students were more curious than anything else to see how a fellow student who was blind functioned. Nevertheless, I was always careful never to take advantage of their good nature. I never asked for anything unless I needed it and I always made sure to remain securely in the background so that I did not stand out in front of my peers.

I took all of my exams alongside my classmates and did not receive any extra time for the writing of my exams. I used a Brailler to write my notes in class and not once did my classmates ever complain about the noise made by my Brailler. My texts for French and Spanish were provided to me in Braille but my history and literature books were put onto tape for me.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to learn more about my world at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.

Bicycling with Dad

These precious memories shall forever remain in my memory bank. As early as I can remember, Dad and I used to bicycle whenever we could. In those days, my vision was very limited but it never stopped me from wanting to bicycle with him.

My first bike was a four wheel one and then I graduated to the three wheel and finally to the two wheeler. Dad was always there to be with me. At first, he walked alongside me as I rode and then when I got good enough he bicycled next to me.

My favorite memories were those of riding on the beach with him. He cruised along with me and allowed me to cycle as fast as I could. Then, when he felt that I was ready, he challenged me to races. I am almost sure to this day that he almost always allowed me to win. That was my dad: always encouraging, motivating, and challenging.

We rode mainly in the morning or late in the afternoon. As I rode I would look towards the waves breaking gently against the shore and then down at the golden sand. Dad never failed to give me a running commentary of everything that was around me as we rode. From a description of the blue skies and white clouds, to the rolling waves and blue green sea and fishes jumping in the ocean close to shore to children playing on the beach and parents strolling close by. So many wonderful memories to last a lifetime.

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. Come by and visit me at www.donnajodhan.com and there you will find some really interesting and exciting audio mysteries written by me.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.

After a cornea surgery

I still have vivid memories of what went on after each of my cornea surgeries. Each transplant was a bit different from the next but the one thing that they all had in common were the feelings of hope and expectation.

The first cornea transplant will always be extra special in my mind and of course I will use the comparison of the old saying that tells us that the birth of a firstborn is always that bit more special. The first cornea transplant was the beginning of a new world for me. A brand new path to discovering and exploring. My whole world changed! My life changed and the big blue horizon became my limit. The sky was mine and I certainly reached for it.

I will say, however, that my expectations were based on a guarded hope for more vision and I was not disappointed. I was pleasantly surprised and accepted everything that was presented to me. I was on top of the world! I expected very little and gained plenty! After each cornea surgery I remembered to pray, hope, and accept whatever was to come my way. Ah, yes! Memories of after a cornea surgery.

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. Visit www.acb.org to learn more about the world of blind folks.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.

Using the water wings

They were a deep blue and yellow and how I loved them. They were what my dad would make me wear each and every time we went swimming in the sea. That was, until I learned how to swim. They were my constant companion each time we went swimming and they are what I used to learn how to swim.

I really do not remember when I graduated from not having to use them but that's really okay. Dad would take me swimming and allow me to paddle around. I would lie on my back and look up at the blue skies and gorgeous sun. Then I would flip onto my tummy and look down on the sun playing on the surface of the sea. Dad was always within reach if I needed him. Some times he would hold on to my wings and then at other times he would allow me to swim on my own but I knew that he was always right there with me.

I do not quite remember this part but I believe that my twin brother Jeffrey also had wings. My elder brother, Robert, did not have any as he was four years older than Jeffrey and me and was a good swimmer. After the water wings came the pink water pal and then after that I was allowed to swim as free as a fish.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to go out there and share my memories with others. Visit me any time at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.

Remembering the boat ride

This memory is still so very fresh in my mind despite its age. It's just like yesterday when my parents allowed a friend of the family to take me for a short boat ride. I was probably no more than six years old then but, boy, do I remember.

My dad placed me carefully on the passenger seat of the boat. He strapped me in and then he and my mom stood by as Ronald got in beside me and then pushed off. I remember looking back once at my parents and then it was away with Ronald.

In those days, I had a bit of vision, enough to enjoy what was immediately around me. The sun was shining on the water and all around me. The waters of the ocean rushed past our little boat and slapped gently against the sides of the boat. I sat upright in my seat and looked around. Of course, I could only see a bit but that was enough for me.

Ronald rowed strong and talked to me all of the time. He described the boat to me, not too big and not too small. A blue boat that was very pretty. He sang songs with me and treated me very much like a grown-up. Oh, how I loved it all and still remember it all.

The air smelled so fresh and fragrant. The sea was so calm, and I could hear birds around me. Forever in my memory.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to share my thoughts with others. Come by any time and listen to some of my audios at www.donnajodhan.com.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.

Negotiating the snow banks

I have always enjoyed walking along and on snow banks. It is one of my favorite pastimes during the winter and I still continue to enjoy it. As a blind person, I find snow banks quite an enjoyment and no, I am not trying to be funny. You may be asking why or how could a blind person enjoy walking along or on snow banks.

When I had enough sight to see them, I used to literally stand and take in their innocent beauty, snow banks of all shapes and sizes. I used to take great pleasure in admiring their pure white beauty and the different shapes and sizes of them.

Nowadays, I still do despite the fact that my vision is down to a bare minimum. I can barely see them now, but heck! I can use my cane to explore, discover, and enjoy. Ah yes! Those lovely snowbanks!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to visit www.acb.org to learn more about the world of blind persons.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.

When I realized

I am often asked this question: When did I realize that my vision was gone? When did I realize that my sight was almost all gone and that I could no longer see?

These are still very painful questions for me to respond to but here goes. I realized the terrible truth the day I stood near my bedroom window and looked out to see if I could see the sun. I could feel the warmth of it on my cheeks but alas! I could not see the golden rays. This is when I realized that my precious vision was now going to be a memory forever and this was the day in late January 2004, days after the doctors attempted to save my right eye after a huge retinal detachment.

I did not say anything to anyone, choosing instead to take stock of my life. I was slow to come to grips with this drastic change but I knew that I had to come to terms with it and deal with it in my own way. It was not easy but it had to be done.

Slowly but surely I realized that my world would be a very different one. With no functional vision to help me get around and no more vision to help me enjoy colors and shapes, I had to revert to using and depending on my ears and hands to help me communicate.

My vision was now even much less than what I was born with. Yes, that was the day that I realized, no warning, no preparation. All up to me now.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to go out there and spread the word about how blind persons cope. Come by any time and visit me at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.

In a new kitchen

At the best of times, it is almost always a challenge whenever anyone has to get used to a new kitchen. For a blind person like me, it is even more difficult.

I need to learn my way around my new kitchen. I need to ensure that I can find my appliances: stove, microwave, fridge, and toaster oven. I need to be able to find the various cupboards and to be able to locate what I seek: plates, bowls, cups and saucers. I need to be able to find my cutlery and kitchen towels, and of course! My tins and cans, boxes and packages, and let me not forget my pots and pans, dishes and more. I also need to find my way around my counter tops.

I tackle my new kitchen in a methodical way. First I identify what I need in order to be functional then I make sure that my cupboards and drawers are all organized in an orderly manner so that I can find what I need. All in a day's work.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to go out there and share my thoughts with others. Come and listen to my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.

When I discovered the star fish

I was just a kid then and on a very sunny day with the breeze blowing through my hair and rolling down my cheeks, and the sun so warm and the sea water so fragrant, my dad placed a little star fish into the palm of my hand and then he told me all about star fishes.

He patiently described the little sea creature to me and allowed me to play with it. I was so curious about the little star fish. I touched him very gingerly and then I accidentally broke one of its little legs. I remembered feeling so bad. I could not really make out what he looked like but both my parents described him to me in great detail.

Then I wanted to take him home but my mom said that I could not because we had to send him home to his own mom. I was heart broken but somehow understood. I kept that memory with me for as long as I could and today, it is still very fresh in my mind. Just the memory of him lying in my little hand and me touching him and listening to my parents tell me all about star fishes is enough for me to smile and remember.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to go out there and share my thoughts with others. Visit www.acb.org to learn more about the world of blind kids.

Those candy bowls

How well I remember those very colorful candy bowls. I simply used to love to stand and watch the multiple colors of candy in my bowl when I had enough sight to do so. I would cram my candy bowls full of multicolored candies of all shapes and sizes and then place the bowl carefully on my credenza.

Whenever I remembered and had a moment, I would walk over to where my candy bowl was sitting and then I would proceed to stand there and simply get lost in time. You may think that this was a bit strange for me but there you have it. As I may have mentioned in previous blogs, color was my world when I had enough sight to appreciate it.

I still enjoy color but now in a different way. By remembering and imagining. By bringing back old and dusty memories of the world of color for me, and why not? My candy bowl was just one important part of it all.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and asking you to share my world of color with others. Come by any time and visit me at www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog.

Remembering the balloons

How well I remember the days when I used to have a sort of fear versus love feeling about balloons. On the one hand, I would be terrified that they would suddenly pop in my face, but on the other hand, I used to love to just play with them.

I was told that when I was a baby, my granny used to hang a balloon in my crib and that I used to love to lie there and just look up at it. This was her way of helping me to use my limited vision as I was born blind.

I used to love to play with balloons as a kid and I especially remember loving all of the various colors of them all. I would toss the balloons in the air, two and three at a time, and then stand there and watch fascinated as they glided back towards me.

I remember, too, that balloons were mainly present at Christmas time and I used to look forward to when my mom and dad would bring them home to my brothers and me. I would wait patiently as they were hung and then I would sit and just look up at them.

They really fascinated me in those days. The way they moved around on the dangling strings, all bunched together. The various sizes and shapes all combined to capture my attention. Such wonderful memories for me.

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 my memories. Visit me any time at www.donnajodhan.com if you would like to listen to my audio mysteries.

Slippery underfoot

At the best of times, we all need to be careful when conditions are those of slippery underfoot, and for me as a blind person it means being that extra careful. The phrase slippery underfoot means that in circumstances such as wet floors, slippery sidewalks covered with ice and/or snow, wet grass, or piles of soggy leaves in my path, I need to use my cane and balance to ensure that I do not end up on my back. So how do I make sure of this?

I use my cane to help me out. My cane is always placed in my hand and it is constantly out in front of me, sweeping left and right. I make sure that it picks up any warning signs of slippery surfaces in my path and then I slow down, walk gingerly and carefully, and keep my feet firmly planted on the ground or floor. It is not always possible to do this but in most circumstances it is. All I need to do is to make sure that I am prepared for slippery surfaces no matter what. Sometimes I may get caught unexpectedly.

For example, if someone has spilled liquid on the sidewalk, a slimy substance left on the sidewalk such as oil, or something similar.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to visit www.acb.org to learn more about the world of blind persons.

Which technology is best for me

Many sighted persons often fall into the trap of assuming that most blind persons use a specific screen reader or piece of magnification software. Or that they all use Braille. Or that, for the most part, they all use the same thing. Is this a true assumption? Not at all.

We use what best suits us. Some of us prefer IPhones to Smart phones. Others use Braille as opposed to text-to-speech and others base their choice on need and ability to use what is out there. For me, the best technology at the moment is the use of text-to-speech along with Braille. I use text-to-speech because it is much faster and I use Braille because it is best for me. So you see, we all choose our technology based on need and/or circumstance.

I do my work and studying using primarily text-to-speech. I use Braille to take quick notes and to make presentations. I use these two paths in conjunction with each other and they both work just fine.

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. Come by and visit me any time at www.sterlingcreations.ca.

Braille or print

I thank God every day that I had the opportunity to learn how to and use such things as pencils, crayons, and paper and I am also truly grateful that I learned how to read and write Braille.

Braille was the first thing that I learned. At an early age I learned how to read and write it and this is because my sight was not good enough to enable me to learn how to read and write print. However, this all changed when I became a teenager and thanks to Dr. Rosen of Montreal, I had my first cornea transplant and then learned how to read and write print. I had many years of using both Braille and print but then, alas! My vision failed me in early 2004 and it was back to Braille.

Braille or print? For me, it was both for many years and I am a very lucky person.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to come by and listen to some of my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com.