She is so special! Hanging out with Gabriella

I must say that it is always a pleasure whenever I get to hang out with this wonderful person.  A lady who has never shown any indifference to my being vision-impaired and a person who has always shown me that nothing is impossible!

I met Gabriella in 1986 and since then ours has been a plethora of adventures, excitement, discovery, and memories forever.

She has shown me great understanding and I have learned so much from her!  I would say that Gabriella is a person who we can easily learn from: compassion, passion, patience, and a huge propensity for giving and accepting.

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

Time to give back

This is my motto! It is never too early or too late to give back. For where would we be if someone had not given back to us? Things don't happen overnight and they certainly do not happen with just one party constantly doing the giving back. It is a bit of give and a bit of take. You give to me, and then I give to someone else. Someone does for me and I in turn return the favor by giving back. We can only survive by doing this. We must not forget to give back. Give back to our respective communities. Give back and you would be surprised to see how great an effect it will have on others. It is called the multiplier effect.

By giving back we help others and in turn they will help others beyond our horizon. Giving back can be a really great feeling. A great action and a great benefit. So why not start it now? It does not necessarily have to be something big. Start with something small and go from there. A smile, followed by a helping hand. Then a small service and so on.

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

Remembering My Dad

Dad left me a little over 21 years ago and to this day I miss him as if it were only yesterday when he left.  At his funeral, I eulogized him as someone who was not just my dad, he was my friend.  He left me an invaluable legacy, knowledge.  He understood my needs and never failed to come through for me.

 

I was the unexpected baby; born eight hours after my twin brother.  Mom never knew that she was having twins and when she and dad were told that I was on the way, just imagine their surprise and then they discovered that I was blind!  They never faltered as parents and my dad remained a constant source of knowledge for me.

 

As early as I can remember, he would read to me; story books, newspapers, and selected articles of interest.  He taught me all about Religion, politics, economics, plus much more.  He helped me to become a passionate and compassionate Human Being.  He taught me respect, how to treat others, but most of all, he instilled courage and motivation into me.

 

Dad taught me my alphabet, taught me how to count, and he was constantly challenging my mental strength and capacity.  He taught me how to ride a bike and we often raced along the beach either on foot or on our bikes.  He taught me how to swim, to fly a kite, and he often played cards, football, and cricket with me.  He even took me fishing and placed those delicate little butterflies in the palm of my hand.  Dad probably wished that I would remain his little girl for ever but that was okay.  I grew up and he was still my dad.

 

Dad was my hero; a gentleman to the end, and someone who was never afraid to help others.  He was loyal to his friends and family, a leader in his own right.  He was gentle, firm, and loving.  Most of all, he never stopped encouraging me to reach for the stars and had faith in my abilities as a blind person.  Rest in peace dad!  Till we meet again.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate inviting you to go out there and share my blogs with the rest of the world.  Visit www.nfb.org to learn more about how sighted parents interact with their blind kids.

Blindness is Not Contagious

Maybe this is a touchy topic for many; but here goes.  When I was growing up, I found that many persons, both kids and adults alike were often afraid to approach me and other blind kids.  I often used to think that maybe and just maybe, they may have been feeling that if they came too close to me, they too would become blind.  Things have improved over the years but there is still that hesitance especially so on the part of adults.

 

I am finding more and more that younger persons are not afraid to approach blind people.  They are much less inhibited and not afraid to engage in conversations with us.  For anyone who is hesitant to become friends with a blind person:  Blindness is definitely not contagious.  You can certainly become friends with us.  You would be quite surprised to know and learn what great friends we can be.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and spread the word about how you can become friends with blind persons.

Visit www.nfb.org to learn more.