Something new: Becoming familiar with a new buffet

As for me, when it comes to buffets it all depends on who is assisting me. I always have an idea which friend to ask when attending a buffet.

When it is a new buffet it is important for me to make sure that the right person with me.

Each friend or family member does things differently for me and I just need to ensure that I am able to adjust.
It is always a new learning experience when attending a buffet.

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.

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Another change to the landscape: No more being able to serve one's self

The Covid chokehold has certainly changed the way we retrieve our food at buffets.  On the one hand, folks now need to have servers place food on their plates. But, on the other hand, it is a blessing for those of us who need assistance to be able to serve ourselves.  Yes, for those who are blind and vision-impaired.

We do not know when the world of buffet dining will return but we can only hope that it will be much sooner than later. For me, I have always had the luxury of friends to help me at buffet dining, but when it does return things will be different for everyone.

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

Mom and I at the buffet

At the best of times it is not an easy task for anyone when dealing with a buffet at a restaurant or at a function, but for a blind person it is even more difficult.  Just think about it for one minute!

You are unable to see what is being offered at the buffet.  You can't even tell how many buffet tables there are and you don't know who is in front of you in the line let alone know if there is anyone in front of you. 

So, what do I as a blind person do and how do I handle buffets?  In answer:  I only go to buffets with people that I trust to escort me without me bumping into others. 

Mom and I at the buffet is always a joy.  She is so good with me.  Making sure not to lead me into others and going to great pains to let me know what is being offered at the buffet tables.  She makes very sure not to overload my plate and she is really good at ensuring that my plate is not too cluttered. 

We take our time and we visit the buffet tables at least three times. Our buffet meals last for at least an hour.  

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

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Dear Readers:
This is a personal request from me for you to join my campaign against bullying (CAB).

In 2012 I launched my own campaign against bullying in response to appeals from friends and associates.  I decided to try something new and here it is.

You can support my campaign against bullying (CAB) and in return for your valuable contribution I will send you a thank you gift. Visit www.jodhanmysterybook.club to learn more. I will use all contributions to promote workshops to help others protect themselves from bullying and teach them how to launch their own anti bullying campaigns.

In addition, I will produce blogs and podcasts to help me spread my campaign and to convince others to do the same.

You may also visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html and browse through my selections.

Help me to stop the spread of bullying  and to show others how to combat bullies.

About my audio mysteries: Patterned after the "Murder, She Wrote" and "Murdoch Mysteries," where mystery is the order of the day. Meet Detective DJ and the Crime Crushers.  You won’t want to miss out on any of her audio mysteries!  Filled with gripping drama and unbelievable plots, you won’t be able to stop listening until the very end and then you’ll be craving for more – there is mystery behind every mystery!

Detective DJ writes and records her own audio mysteries. She uses the power of words to create and solve her crimes, and then she draws you in and before you know it – you’re all caught up in the plot!  But alas, at the end of it all, when you think you’ve identified the perpetrator, she surprises you once more and you’re left absolutely stunned and amazed!

At the buffet with mom

In my humble opinion, this is what I think should happen for a blind or partially sighted person whenever they go to a buffet table. It is the way that mom and I do it and it has worked perfectly for me.

Mom waits until there are not too many persons at the buffet. Next I take her arm and we walk to the beginning end of the table. She hands me my plate and then proceeds to tell me what each dish is. I tell her what I want if I am familiar with the dish and if I do not know what it is, or she does not know what it is, she describes it to me as best as she can.

Mom carefully arranges my food on my plate and I pay attention to where she is placing it. She never overloads my plate so as not to cause too much clutter. By doing this, I am comfortable with what is on my plate and how to navigate it. This means however, that I would need to go to the buffet more than once. So here is how we do it.

First, we visit the cold stuff and choose our food. We may include soup in this trip if either of us wants it. When we are finished we tackle the hot food in two stages. She only describes what we are going to take. That is, she breaks it up into manageable portions for us both, only describing a few at a time until my plate is manageable.

Finally, the dessert. In the case of this, mom describes the entire dessert table to me and then I choose. We never go more than once to the dessert table.

I’m Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to share my words with others. Visit www.nfb.org to learn more.

Buffets Are Not My Favorites

No!  They are not but sometimes I am unable to avoid them and that's because there are functions where they are present.

 

For me as a blind person, buffets are often a frustration for the following reasons.

I have problems knowing what foods are being offered if there is no one to help me. 

I need help to serve myself. 

I need to ensure that my plate is not overloaded.

I need assistance to find my way back to my table.

In the normal scheme of things, sighted persons can scan a buffet table and decide what they wish to take but for me, I have to depend on sighted assistance to tell me what is there one dish at a time and this often leads to my plate being full long before I get to the end of the table.

 

If I need to attend a buffet, I always do my best to ensure that I have a sighted person with me when I line up for the buffet.  If you would like to learn more about how blind persons interact with buffets, then you can visit 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 others to understand how blind persons interact with buffet tables.