We must not give up: The bank that does not get it

They are located outside North America and I have only run into this very chronic and irritating problem because of having to deal internationally.

They do not understand when told that a customer is vision-impaired and needs help to set up online banking because their website is difficult to navigate.  They do not even understand when told that  documents need to be sent to the customer in an alternate format.  They sit there and tell you to use voiceover to navigate the website.  They do not even understand when you say that the problem is not with the computer or iPhone; it is with the website.

I can only be left to conclude that this bank either does not care, does not understand, or simply does not get it.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight-loss coach and 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.

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

Another strategy: A new way when differentiating with tins

This is one of the most difficult yet interesting challenges for me: making sure to differentiate when dealing with tins. If I do then I am fine and life is easy, but if I do not then life becomes a major horror and I need to spend hours finding what I am looking for.

The first thing is to make sure that I can find what I am searching for and this means that I need to be super organized.  In turn, I need to have a strategy as where to put my tins.  Labelling in Braille is the first strategy.  However, there is something else that must be taken care of before I can label in Braille.

Yes, this is being able to identify the tins when I bring them home from the supermarket.  Identification by size, by shaking them, and shape are all very important.  The important thing is to remember what I have bought and to be able to distinguish them.

My one big defense mechanism is if there are tins that are too difficult to distinguish because of very similar shape or size, I can either put elastics around one of them or make a small rip in the label.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight-loss coach and 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.

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

Keeping my floor clean: Being careful when munching on chips

It is so very easy to forget to be careful when munching on chips; that is, if you are blind or vision-impaired.  Oh, yes!  If I am not careful I can easily spill crumbs onto the floor and then here comes the fun and games.

First, if I know that I have spilled chips onto the floor I need to find the bits and crumbs before stepping on them and crushing them.  Next, if I do not know then I will only discover when I step on them and then I need to clean up the spill after having inadvertently crushed them.  So what is the solution here?

Munch my chips either with a bowl  or plate under my chin or munch over the kitchen sink.  These strategies often take care of a lot of the munch crumbs and bits.  This strategy can also be used when munching other things such as juicy fruits, cookies, and more.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit

http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight-loss coach and 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.

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

Finding fulfillment: As a sight-loss coach

When I decided to rebrand myself as a sight-loss coach, I would say that it was mainly due to the challenges of Covid. At the best of times, sight loss is probably one of the biggest challenges for anyone who finds themselves caught in the throes of sight loss, and if there is no strong support to be had these challenges can easily  turn into horrible hurdles.

I have decided to bundle all of my knowledge and experiences gleaned from my advocacy, authorship, bloggership, dinner mystery host, entrepreneurship, podcast commentator, along with my lifelong experiences living with sight loss to rebrand myself into a sight-loss coach.

I look forward to meeting my new clients and invite you to visit me at www.donnajodhan.com.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://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.

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

Fun times! More photos to take

For as long as there is a need to send FedEx boxes to Mom in order to beat the Covid chokehold, there is going to be a need for me to ask Sandra and Stephanie to take photos with their iPhones, then to ask Shane to print them.

It helps if I can obtain photos from family in Norway and England as this helps me to supplement the number of photos. But on the whole I have to be imaginative and come up with ideas for Sandra and Stephanie to take.

For better or for worse it is the most affective way to keep Mom up to date with what is going on with me as we are still unable to visit each other. For as long as we are unable to use Facetime, it is the only way.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and advisor, wishing you a terrific day!

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://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.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan

And like me on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

The joys of technology! Dealing with a new printer

At the best of times, I often find it a bit of a challenge when it comes to dealing with a new device.  Recently having had to deal with my new printer was no exception.

Thank God for Shane who patiently supported my hesitation and together we developed a plausible strategy that seems to be working just fine.

For me, I need to ensure that everything works to my specs.  I take my time to ensure how a new device behaves, how it works, and what I need to learn to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

This was the case with my new printer and through some trial and error I have managed to welcome the new printer to my daily office duties.  The new printer works with all of my computers.  It is wireless, fast enough, and on the whole a good addition to my suite of devices.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight loss coach and accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day!

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit 

http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight-loss coach and 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.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan    And like me on Facebook at 

www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Hard work! Working out with my new exercising gadget

I bought this nifty mini cycle at Christmas 2020 and since then I have been doing my best to use it regularly.  It appears to be doing the trick when helping me to work up a sweat.

My heart beats faster and my legs feel great when I have finished my session. I can breathe more easily and I feel very refreshed.

Stephanie assembled it for me and it is very easy and comfortable for me to use.  I stay on it for about 15 minutes.  I sit in my chair, place my feet in the stirrups, and then away I go.

I use Alexa to help me stay on time and the trick for me is to do this regularly.  For if I don't then I will surely lose momentum. 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://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.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan

And like me on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

A day in history: Listening to the inauguration

I refused to listen to the previous one but this one, despite being different due to Covid restrictions, was one that I would remember for a very long time.

As a Canadian living just next door to the big giant, I felt it only fitting that I listen in. Although I could not see the images, the descriptions provided by the TV stations that I tuned into provided more than adequate commentary for me as a vision-impaired person.

There are many newscasters, announcers, and commentators who do a fantastic job of  providing more than adequate descriptions so that a vision- impaired  listener can follow what's going on in a meaningful manner, but more still needs to be done.

An example would be for ads and commercial producers to provide audio descriptions at the end of their messages whenever they wish for listeners to call a phone number or visit a website.  This needs to be improved.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and advisor, wishing you a terrific day!

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://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.

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

Being a bit careless! When my chess book got soiled

Call me a bit of a fuss pot but I was not happy when my Braille chess book got soiled.  I had closed it after reading a bit and had put it on my kitchen table.  Then, a few minutes later I picked it up and was taking it back to my bookshelf when I noticed that the label felt quite a bit mucked up.

Upon further inspection I discovered that I had accidentally rested the poor label on some particles of sticky food.  So, I decided to try and clean it with a damp cloth.  This only made it worse and soon a fair chunk of the label felt quite mucked up.

I just wanted to restore the original label but could not do it on my own because it meant that I would need to reproduce the printed text.

Shane came to my rescue and did a fantastic job of restoring the label for me. Ah!  Just one thing that I could not do independently for myself.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight loss coach and accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day!

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit

http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight loss coach and 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 for ever.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan

And like me on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

When will it end? More Covid restrictions

No, can't do anything about this except to adjust to them and not complain. Complaining does no good and it can only increase my stress and anxiety levels.

So, I adjust.  I accept.  I do not complain.  I simply go about my business and make my days as normal as I can.

I pack my patience but most of all I pray extra hard for protection for all of us.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://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.

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

My imagination comes alive! Little people in the doll house

Trust me when I tell you that my doll house and the little people have certainly helped to light up my life.

The little people have helped to bring my imagination back to life.  There is the nursery with the baby girl in her cradle and big sister standing by the cradle.  Little brother on the rocking horse.  Mom and Dad relaxing on a couch, and Granny and Grandpa sitting at the dining room table with a cake on the table.

Then there are the pets!  Puppy in his little house, looking at his bone next to the bed.  Kitty in the living room in his bed looking out at a fish, and a bunny in the kitchen in his cage with a carrot close by.

So all is good; my doll house, the little people, and me!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and advisor, wishing you a terrific day!

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://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.

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

It is as it is! Scary and horrible

The Covid chokehold has certainly made it scary and horrible for me; especially so when it comes to ensuring that I am able to decipher and process my important printed documents.

Before Covid struck, my trusted friend Gabriella acted as my eyes, so to speak.  She would read my printed documents and then help me to complete any necessary forms.  Now it is a different story.

I have to deploy different mechanisms.  I now depend on the Aira app's agents to read those private printed documents to me.  Then they email the info in those documents to me or they provide images of said documents.

Sometimes I can ask my very willing neighbour, Sandra, to help me out and when it comes to completing forms online, Gabriella is still here to help out.  So many websites are still quite inaccessible and not very navigable for those who are blind and vision-impaired.

This is understandable, to a certain extent, given that everyone is desperately trying to provide vital info but it is also equally as frustrating whenever a vision-impaired person cannot independently take care of their own business.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight loss coach and accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day!

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit

http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight loss coach and 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 for ever.

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