Thank goodness for 2 wonderful Air Canada agents: Luggage delay

This is exactly what it was like when I returned from Montreal in May 2024!

I arrived back at Terminal 1 on an Air Canada flight and I had to wait for quite some time to get my luggage.
Thank goodness for the wonderful Air Canada agents who stood beside me and used their app to let me know that yes! My luggage had arrived but it was a matter of now finding it.

We did find it after all!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly award-winning, 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  @author_jodhan
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Memories forever! An enjoyable trip

This is what it was for me in April 2024 when I traveled to Montreal to attend the Air Canada advisory group face-to-face meeting.

All went well at this meeting. I met so many new and wonderful folks.
I learned so much. I enjoyed the new engagements.
Then, the icing on the cake? When I visited Cathie and Chris in Stanstead, Quebec.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly award-winning, 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  @author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at
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A refreshing experience: In the Air Canada lounge at the Ottawa Airport

I was pleasantly surprised when the Air Canada agent escorted me to the business lounge to await the departure of my flight from Ottawa to Toronto in November 2018.  I had decided to catch an earlier flight back to Toronto so this meant that I would have to wait for about two hours.

The lounge was nice and friendly.  The service agents were extremely attentive to me and kept checking on me to see if I needed anything.  The atmosphere, as a whole, was extremely pleasant and despite my being afraid that I would be forgotten, it never happened.

What I liked most about this lounge was that it seemed to be well laid out. Not too big and not too cluttered.  Just the right size.

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 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.

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

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Always in my heart: The day I left Montreal

This is a day that shall forever remain firmly imprinted on my mind. Because it was the day that a small part of my heart died!  The day that I said a sad and silent farewell to the place that I shall always call home! However, I promised to return as often as I could.

Ah, yes!  Montreal!  And as the Air Canada plane rose slowly into the air, I looked through the window and down at the rapidly disappearing city.  Cars driving along the highway, homes looking like tiny dots, and snow and grass all intermingled as the day before we had had a terrible storm!  My tears rolled swiftly down my cheeks as I looked down and increased as I looked upwards and outwards to see a pale blue fall sky looking back at me.

It was a typical fall day with the sun doing its best to smile and the biting fall air nipping at my clothes as I got into the car and drove with Betty Tate to the airport.  Too late, no!  I had made my decision but I knew that I would be back soon to visit!

So many memories that are forever stored away in my memory bank.  So many things to remember and cherish!  This is the city where I found myself and obtained my vision!  Ah, yes!  Pictures to fill my scrap books for a lifetime and beyond!

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
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.

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


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 I lost my wallet

I don't think that I am any different than most people when it comes to reacting after I discover that my wallet has been lost! No, not at all!

Yes, I lost it in a cab going to the airport but thanks to my friend, Diane, I am alive to tell the story today. In putting the pieces together, I dropped it on the seat while I was sorting through my things in my carry-on. I discovered it missing when I got to the airport and then, thanks to some quick thinking Air Canada agents, my friend Diane found it.

She felt around on the seat and there it was! Diane is also blind so she had to use the technique of feeling around to find my wallet. I just hope that it never happens again.

For a blind person it is even more frightening when you have to depend on others to help you and when you can't see what is going on then all heck breaks loose. Thank goodness there was a happy ending.

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

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This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"Each time we raise our voice at someone else we are engaging in bullying! Each time we raise our hands to slap or punch someone else we are also engaging in bullying and each time we engage in actions to either manipulate or force someone else to do what we want we are also engaging in bullying!

There is no room in this world for bullying and each day we fail to take action against bullying it is another day that we allow others to bully us and our kids. Our heroes and role models are the ones who have made us proud; those brave young men and women who gave their lives for us in past wars and those who continue to do so. They are not the ones who choose to be racists and those who believe that their bad behaviour in public is acceptable.

I write and record audio mysteries that are being used at such events as murder mystery evenings as well as at public awareness and team building events. I promote understanding, tolerance, and problem solving and my audio mysteries continue to be broadcasted around the world and you can listen to them anywhere! On the plane or train! In the car or right there in your home! On your i device or computer!

Please join my campaign against bullying (CAB) by supporting my efforts to keep on writing and recording!
If you truly care then you will certainly dare!"

Memories of the mountains

Oh yes, my beloved memories of mountains! Just thinking of them makes me quiver with such emotion. Those majestic mountains! I can still conjure up memories of them all!

First off: Memories of the Air Canada aircraft approaching the mountains of Trinidad! Those majestic mountains standing proudly and happily as if to say, "Here we are! Come and say hello to us!" They were simply beautiful, and so densely populated with houses of all sizes, trees, and rolling greenery!

Then the mountains near the beach of Maracas in Trinidad! Hauntingly beautiful and simply standing there for any and everyone to admire! So many other mountains to remember in various countries. Mountains of all sizes! Mountains of all shapes! Some of them more densely populated than others! Some with more greenery than others! Some of them taller than others! Some of them towering over valleys and others standing over rolling hills!

Ah yes! My beautiful mountains forever and maybe some day I'll get to see all of this once more.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.jodhan

This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"If you either are or have been a victim of crime, violence, abuse, or bullying, and if you are simply tired of being bombarded with audios and scenes of the above, then I am asking for your support. I have written and recorded audio mysteries that are completely void of vivid descriptions of sex, crime, and violence because I firmly believe that it is time for us to use the spoken word to help influence our kids to start listening to content that is clean and healthy. By doing this we can all do our part to tackle crime in a positive and meaningful way and it only costs pennies per day.Visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html.
I thank you and your kids will also thank you!"

Memories of a skyline

Oh how much I simply love to sit and remember images of various skylines! Now that I am no longer able to see anywhere near enough to do it live, I find another way to perpetuate my memories. On any quiet evening I sit in my favorite chair in my den and do just this. Or I may sit on my mom's patio and allow my imagination to drift lazily upwards to those special memories.

Toronto's skyline is probably one of my favorite memories, followed closely by that of Montreal! Those gigantic office towers standing tall and proud with so much light reflecting off of the magnificent glass windows. So many buildings for me to remember: The CN tower, the Air Canada Center, the various hotels and so much more in downtown Toronto and similar landmarks in Montreal.

The one thing that I need to remember is that my memories of those skylines are probably outdated now, since losing my vision in early 2004, the skylines of both cities have changed so much! That's okay, though! I can still use my memories to keep me on track.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.jodhan

This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"If you either are or have been a victim of crime, violence, abuse, or bullying, and if you are simply tired of being bombarded with audios and scenes of the above, then I am asking for your support. I have written and recorded audio mysteries that are completely void of vivid descriptions of sex, crime, and violence because I firmly believe that it is time for us to use the spoken word to help influence our kids to start listening to content that is clean and healthy. By doing this we can all do our part to tackle crime in a positive and meaningful way and it only costs pennies per day.Visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html.
I thank you and your kids will also thank you!"

That Air Canada silver jet bird

Oh how beautiful she was to me! Gliding lazily over a rich blue Caribbean sea with the sun blazing down on her! She was big but graceful! She was fast and noiseless and she was the best!

I shall always remember her each time I travel to the Caribbean. In better times I used to board her on flights to the Caribbean, but sadly enough she no longer goes there!

So many of us used to stand and simply admire her beauty! I for one always looked back at her each time I disembarked at the airport! There she would stand, proud and upright! She sparkled or rather glittered in the warm Caribbean sunshine and her maple leaf displayed so proudly on her sleek body!

Yet another memory for me to keep carefully treasured in my memory bank. I can no longer see things like this type of image but that's okay! I have it all memorized!

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.jodhan

This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"If you either are or have been a victim of crime, violence, abuse, or bullying, and if you are simply tired of being bombarded with audios and scenes of the above, then I am asking for your support. I have written and recorded audio mysteries that are completely void of vivid descriptions of sex, crime, and violence because I firmly believe that it is time for us to use the spoken word to help influence our kids to start listening to content that is clean and healthy. By doing this we can all do our part to tackle crime in a positive and meaningful way and it only costs pennies per day.Visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html.
I thank you and your kids will also thank you!"

Waiting at the airport

For me, waiting at the airport is probably one of the most nerve racking things, especially when I have to depend on others for assistance because I am blind. In the normal scheme of things, waiting at a Canadian airport for my flight, whether it is domestic or international, usually goes relatively well.

I usually get assistance from the special services department at the airport. They meet me at the door and assist me to the airline’s counter. There they wait until my travel documents have been processed and my luggage checked in and then they escort me to the security check-in area. After I have been processed at the security area they then escort me to the departure gate and they make sure that I have boarded the aircraft before taking their leave.

If the airline that I am flying with is Air Canada, the Air Canada staff takes charge of assisting me as soon as I get to their check-in counter. All sounds well thus far but every now and then there is a hitch like everything else and I have to deal with spurts of anxiety. For example, if someone forgets to come and get me when passengers have been asked to board the aircraft, or when security personnel asks me to wait for someone to escort me to the gate and then there is no one to help me.

The arrival leg of my travels could be just as nerve racking for me. Particularly when I need to depend on sighted escorts to assist me through customs and immigration. I have not had too much trouble at Canadian airports but have had some anxious moments at some American airports.

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.nfb.org to learn more about how blind and sight impaired persons navigate the airport.

Can Blind People Travel?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions that I am asked and my response is this:  Sure, blind persons can travel and enjoy what the sighted world does.  However, we do things a bit differently.

Here's how I do it.

 

Whenever I travel by plane; I first ask my travel agent to notify the airline that I will need assistance and this has turned out to be not much of a problem.  Air Canada has been excellent to me and has provided me with first class services.  They have always provided me with end to end services that include checking in, boarding, in flight, and disembarking services. 

 

When I arrive at the airport in Toronto, this airport's special needs services department is ready to help because I have notified them before hand that I would need help from my cab to the airline's counter.  I do not know if other airports provide this type of service but if they don't, then I have to depend on sighted assistance for someone to bring me to the check in counter.  I find this a bit nerve racking but I have learned to live with it as I am a frequent traveler.

 

If I take a train, I usually notify the railway company in advance that I would need help so that they can provide me with boarding, in train,  and disembarking services.  Not a problem for me and whenever I get to a station in Canada, the "Redcaps" attendants are right there to help me from my cab to the ticket counter.  Bus services are similar.

 

So you see, it is not as difficult as you may think and if you would like to learn more about how blind persons travel, then visit www.nfb.org or www.afb.org.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and help educate the rest of the world about how blind persons can travel.

The Mystery of Colors

To many of those who are unable to see colors, the word color remains a great mystery and at best a great desire to discover the unknown. As someone who was able to see colors all my life up until five years ago, I can faithfully tell you that it is practically impossible to teach someone who is unable to see colors what colors look like. This is one of the things that I miss the most; the ability to see colors.

One cannot hear colors or smell colors. One cannot feel colors or taste colors. One cannot sense colors or touch colors; but one can see colors if they are able to. I often wonder if there could be a way to teach a blind person what colors are all about, but several of my friends who were born with no vision often remind me that colors do not really mean anything to them because they were never able to see them in the first place.

Colors mean the world to me and will probably always mean the world to me despite my loss of vision. You see, when I hear a word or think of something, I think of it through color. Whenever I smell or touch something I put a color to it. Whenever I play or compose music, my thoughts are covered with colors! I dream in color and I think in color!

Whenever I take those joyful jaunts down memory lane, I can see a sunrise as pure as gold, a sunset that is a soft pink, the placid sea that is a shade of royal blue and a sky that is a much lighter shade of blue. I can see a big silver Air Canada jet bird and the fast flowing silver water of the Niagara Falls. The big fat white snowflakes and the smiling red rose. My favorite color is yellow with blue running a comfortable second and red coming in third.

Colors will always play a very important part in my life. I used to depend on colors to identify objects but sadly no more. Now I use colors to remember persons and things and even as I write this there are some special memories that will forever remain imprinted on my mind such as my beloved dad, who passed on 21 years ago, in his light grey suit. My beloved brother, Robert, who passed on two years ago all decked out in his pilot's uniform: a handsome black uniform adorned with gold stripes. My beautiful mom standing before me in a turquoise dress forever and so much more.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your accessibility and special-needs business consultant wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to go out there and enjoy your world of colors. If you would like to learn more about how blind persons function without color then please visit www.nfb.org.

Then and Now

I am not really sure why Easter time affects me like this but I usually call it my time for remembering and thanking. This is the time of year when I go back in time and remember what I had, and then thank God for what I have. What am I referring to?

Up until five years ago I had enough vision to do so much on my own, but a wicked turn of events conspired against me. In the matter of just a few months it was all taken away from me. Today I sit here with precious little sight but am extremely grateful that I still have enough to see the light of day.

My life has changed drastically over the past five years, and I have had to make so many adjustments in order to remain independent. But that's okay. What keeps me going are those wonderful memories that I captured while my vision was good enough. I consider myself to be extremely lucky because there are not many persons who can obtain new vision after being born with precious little. I am one of the few, and I shall share some of my precious moments with you.

In my hay day as I like to refer to it, I was able to read and write with the aid of special magnifying glasses. I used to play air hockey, ice skate on my own, jog along the sidewalk, and enjoy the wonders of nature. I was able to watch the sun come up over tall buildings and set below the line of the horizon. I could see the trees bending and bowing, the flowers swaying gently in the wind, and squirrels scrambling over snow banks. I could watch my favorite hockey team on TV flying up the ice in their red jerseys. I was able to see the blue skies with puffy white clouds chasing each other. I could see the fat white snowflakes falling gently to the ground, the thick green grass, and kids playing innocently in the park. I was able to admire the gorgeous orange plumage of my beloved Scottie Bird, my canary, and see the faces of my family.

One of my favorite memories is that of the silver Air Canada Jet floating lazily over a jade green Caribbean sea with the sun streaming down from above. Another is that of a beach with white-capped breakers rolling gently towards golden sand and pleasure boats laden with merrymakers. Yes, those were good times! I miss them, but it's not the end of the world. I can go on for pages, but I think that by now you are getting the picture. My world today is very different.

Now I have to depend on my senses of smell and touch to help me along. I use my memories to help me picture such things as layouts of stores and restaurants. I use my memory to picture what others may look like. I can find my way around familiar territory based on my memory of what it looks like. I may not be able to play air hockey anymore, but I have taken up chess as a substitute. I still ice skate but now I have to depend on someone else to guide me. I still enjoy movies but now I have to listen more attentively to what's going on. I use my sense of smell and touch to tell me if food is either going bad or if a fruit is rotting. Before now I was able to use my sight to do this.

You see, my world has changed but I am still here -- alive and well to tell the story. My message to you is this: There is always a silver lining in those thick dark clouds. If something is taken way from you, then it is always possible to find a substitute. Be thankful for what you had and what you have.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your accessibility and special-needs business consultant wishing you a terrific day and urging you to enjoy life no matter what.