A wonderful experience: Great volunteers

There are volunteers and then there are volunteers and this is what I discovered in September 2017 when I attended a conference hosted by the Canadian Human Rights Commission in Ottawa.

Each volunteer that I interacted with was definitely a cut above the best! They were well-trained when it came to rendering assistance to me as a vision-impaired person.  They communicated so well, offered assistance beyond the call of duty, and certainly helped to make my time spent at the conference a pleasurable and memorable one.

We need more of this type of volunteer to help improve communications between persons with disabilities and the sighted world.

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

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
www.donnajodhan.com.

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Just another new experience: An unexpected challenge at a hotel

As a regular traveler I often have the pleasure of staying at hotels that range from excellent to very good to good but with some glitches.

This is what happened to me a few months ago in 2017.  After entering my room I discovered that there was a problem.  No, not with the room but with the elevators.

You see, the very nice service desk attendant had just escorted me to my room but when we took the elevator up he told me that not all of the elevators had access to the same floors.  Some only went as high as #6 for instance, others went as far as #12, and the rest went to the penthouse suites.

In addition, there was no way for me, as a vision-impaired person, to know which elevator went to which floors. What to do?

Well, the quickest solution was for me to ask for assistance each time I needed to get to and from my room but that was not an ideal solution.  In addition, there were no Braille labels on the buttons, just raised large print.

I found it to be a very strange way, indeed, and I can only hope that this hotel finds a way to fix this.

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

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit 
www.donnajodhan.com.

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Just another interesting challenge: The salad is not my friend

I'll tell you very honestly!  Whenever I eat outside of the comfort of my home, I do my best to avoid those overloaded salad bowls with large slices of everything in them.

You see, those large slices, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, or anything else for that matter, often create challenges for someone who is blind or vision-impaired.  It is difficult for us to control our forks in a very limited space, this being our salad bowls.

It is difficult for us to avoid spilling our salads onto the table and not knowing how large a slice really is, we often have to deal with uncertainty. Sure, we can estimate the size of a slice with our forks but when the slice is too large we need to cut it and here is where the challenge arises.

For me, I do my best to avoid these slices.  I often decline the salad if I know beforehand that it contains large slices.  Just my way of dealing with salads.

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

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
www.donnajodhan.com.

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Not my favorite moments: Bees around me

This is what happened several times during the late summer of 2017.  First I would be walking along, and then!  Those unwanted bees would come buzzing around me.

The thing is that I never knew that they were there until I was told.  I did not really hear them buzzing and then, when I was told, I simply froze.

There is nothing worse for me than not knowing when these little terrors come near me.  Yes, I realize that they bring us honey, but no!  I simply do not like them coming so close to me!  Especially when I cannot see them approaching!

I really do not appreciate being stung unexpectedly.  However, there is nothing that I can do to fix this!

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

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
www.donnajodhan.com.

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

An interesting experience: Feeling the crow

I had a very interesting experience in the fall of 2017. My friend Gabriella and I took Mom shopping to buy some Christmas decorations and on our way into the store Mom saw an artificial crow and proceeded to introduce me to it.

What an experience. I can tell you that I did not really relish the feeling when I explored this poor crow.

It felt very uncomfortable to my touch, but you know what?  I was sure glad that I got to feel it because I was able to add a new image to my memory bank.  I never really got to see what a crow looked like when I had functional vision so this was great for me.

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

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit 
www.donnajodhan.com.

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

This shall linger forever in my mind: Mom's special birthday

It was so very special for Mom and it was a time when I got to enjoy the celebration with everyone describing everything to me. On a previous special birthday I had enough functional vision to see what was going on, but not this time.

That did not hinder my enjoyment. I used my imagination to picture the entire birthday dinner. We took Mom to a lovely upscale restaurant and Martha took pictures with her iPhone.

I could tell that Mom ate with much gusto and really enjoyed herself.  She received flowers from the family and as I stood by while she received them at home, I pictured my mom with one of the biggest smiles on her face!

Thanks to my imagination and having had functional vision previously, I can still follow along and enjoy.

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

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
www.donnajodhan.com.

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Happy times: Downtown with Brian and Debra

Ah, yes!  The things we do when we are kids and I have no regrets.

It was a great day in December and we were on Christmas vacation and my friend, Debra, and my cousin, Brian, decided all by themselves that they would take me on my very first trip downtown.  They were bound and determined to let me experience what it was like to go downtown to the crowded stores at Christmas time.

So off we went; we were dropped off at a store called Excellent Trading and Debra's mom was standing outside waiting for us.  Debra arrived and then she and Brian walked with me along the busy sidewalks.

These two daring kids took their time with me, making sure that no one bumped into me while at the same time describing everything to me as we walked.  We went into some of the stores and they showed me different things.

I will admit that at no time was I afraid because I knew that both Brian and Debra would take good care of me and this they did.  We spent about three wonderful hours in town and returned home with all kinds of Christmas goodies and some toys.

A blessed day to remember forever.

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

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
www.donnajodhan.com.

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Such treasured times: Saturday shopping with Char and Ray

I never knew what to expect but each time I went shopping with Char and Ray it turned out to be a unique experience.  Char was always up for an adventure and her husband, Ray, never disappointed us.

We went anywhere and everywhere.  We would first eat a quick breakfast and then it was off to conquer the world!  We went record shopping where we almost always came away with something.  The record stores were always crowded with record seekers and Char and I would go from rack to rack where she would read me the names of the various artists and I would get to choose what I wanted.

Then we would visit the clothes shops and take time to examine the sweat shirts and jeans.

Sometimes we would go to the hockey shops at the Montreal Forum and this was probably one of my favorite haunts.  We bought cards, sweat shirts, and even jackets.  Sometimes we would buy mugs and other memorabilia.

Our jaunts down St. Catherine's Street were priceless memories.  Char and Ray would walk on each side of me, with me hanging on to Char's arm.  We walked leisurely and as we did Ray would tell us what each store was selling.  Sometimes we would go into the store to explore but at other times we would bypass them and keep walking.

Finally, at around 1 pm or so, we would find a nice family restaurant and there we would locate a booth at the back of the restaurant where we would sit and enjoy our lunch.  Then it would be back home to go over our loot.

Ah, yes!  Such precious memories!

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

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit 
www.donnajodhan.com.

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

A cherished childhood memory: Memories at the market

I always remember when we were taken to the market by our grade school teacher, Mr. Dalip.  It was a glorious December morning and he felt that it was time to take my classmates, Trevor and Cecelia, and me to the market for a bit of an outing.

So, off we went in his little blue car.  We drove down to the San Juan market from our school and as we entered I remember being greeted by smells of veggies, fruits, and other smells that I could not easily identify.

Trevor and Cecelia had much more vision than me but that was just okay with me as they both described things to me and Mr. Dalip was only too excited to do the same.  As we walked along, vendors greeted us and when they realized that we kids were visually impaired, they went out of their way to be extra kind to us.

They let us touch and examine their produce.  They gave us all kinds of things, and one of them even lifted me into the air and spun me around.

You could tell that Christmas was in the air because everyone seemed to be in such a great mood.  They were singing, laughing, greeting each other, and just having a great time.

Ah, yes!  Memories of the market forever!

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

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
www.donnajodhan.com.

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

A new experience: When the bank changed

It was quite an experience for me when, in the late spring of 2017, the Royal Bank branch at the Bridlewood Mall began renovating its facilities.  For so many years I had been used to the layout, so when I was told what was happening I had to develop a new way to navigate my favorite branch.

I had always been able to visualize this branch's facilities because I had been able to see what it looked like when I had enough vision.  Now it would be different and I would need to depend on others to describe things to me.

My mom and my friends, Sue and Gabriella, have done a masterful job at filling me in and the staff have been so good at helping me out.  However, it is not quite the same when someone else describes things to you.

Remember now, a picture is worth a thousand words and no two people describe things to you in the same way.

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

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
www.donnajodhan.com.

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

A constant challenge: When noise confuses me

This is probably one of the biggest daily challenges for me: too much noise around simply throws me off track.  So knowing this enables me to deal with confusion more effectively.

In short, too much noise around confuses me, makes me anxious, and sometimes I even panic.  When this happens I need to stop for a few minutes, remove myself from the center of the noise, and find a quiet spot to stop and think.

Now that I have precious little vision, I depend more heavily on my sense of hearing and when my hearing becomes cluttered with too much noise then everything goes into what I call mix-up mode.

Being aware of this enables me to avoid this more often than not but I can tell you that there are times when I simply cannot avoid it and I need to do the best that I can.

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

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit 
www.donnajodhan.com.

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

A very interesting cat: Rico's walks

What more can I say about this very unique little cat?  In short:  He is a loner at heart but he sure does not seem to mind being all by himself in our large yard.

Now that I can no longer see, I need to depend on Mom to fill me in. She tells me everything about him.  That is, whenever she sees him around. 

He walks across our yard, tall and proud.  He chases dry leaves, tries to catch the birds, and oh yes!  He often catches a poor unsuspecting lizard.

Rico is not the biggest of cats but Mom says that he is a good-looking boy.  He has many friends, that is, the human kind. Truth be told, he also seems to have other cat friends who often visit him at night. 

He seems to be the boss as we really do not hear any squabbling going on. No fights, no arguing among friends. 

That's my Rico!  Alone on his walks and not at all in the least bothered.

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

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
www.donnajodhan.com.

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

I shall always remember you: Oh my beloved church

You will forever remain in my heart and my mind!  You were the one that my parents took me to when I was growing up!  You were the one that stood tall and proud! You were the one that we went to every Sunday morning!

Oh, how I used to love to  listen to your bells, sit in your pews, and listen as the priest preached his weekly sermon.  The people around me were so very welcoming and accommodating.

That was my beloved Church, Sacred Heart!

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

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
www.donnajodhan.com.

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

My heart belongs: This is my home

My home is not my roots!  My home lies far away from my roots and I thank God every day for my home! 

My home is Canada!  A country with so very much to offer: four distinct seasons, opportunities abound, and possibilities are for the taking! 

It is the country where I literally grew up and found my feet.  Where I discovered who I was and what I wanted to do with my life!  A country that taught me so much and helped to shape my path in life!

Spring, summer, fall, and winter!  I love them all and I see the goodness in each season!  I take advantage of the rich cultures and I embrace opportunities to help make things better for others.

This is my home!

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

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit 
www.donnajodhan.com.

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan