Christmas with Tyler

 Meet Tyler James. He is one of my very favourite kids!  He is always up to celebrate the Christmas holiday season and I can tell you that his dreams and wishes are not much different than those of most kids.

However, who says that Christmas is for kids alone?  No, no!  I, too, dream and wish but whereas Tyler’s dreams and wishes are for material things, I wish for more peace, love, harmony, and humanity in our world!

I'd like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas! Happy holidays! But most of all, a 2023 that will bring us lots of blessings, good things, and hopes and dreams to be fulfilled.
Merry Christmas!
Happy Holidays!
Joyeux Noèl!
Feliz Navidad!
Buon Natale!
Happy Hanukkah!
Please take a moment to give the gift of accessibility to families with
children with a disability!
Visit https://donorbox.org/author-donna-jodhan
Donna

How I long! Thoughts of a visit

It is the best that I can do while I wait to receive the two Covid vaccines; dream and have thoughts of a longed-for visit to see Mom.

Dreaming is not that bad, after all, and I believe that if one dreams hard enough it will eventually materialize.

I dream of arriving on a bright sunny day and Mom will be there to greet me at the airport along with Ramlall.  The birds will be singing sweetly and the air will be fresh and pure and the sun will be so warm and welcoming.

We will drive to Mom's home and along the way Ramlall will entertain Mom and me with all kinds of stories.  Then we will arrive at her home and after the suitcases are brought into the house I will proceed to change into my relaxing clothes and then settle down to a hearty breakfast that Mom has prepared for me before coming to the airport.

We will eat together and she will bring me up to date on so many things. Before this I will have unpacked her goodies and put them out on the counter.  She will be so happy to get everything.

Then, after breakfast, I'll crash into my bed and sleep for a few hours. Lunch will be another sumptuous meal followed by more time to sleep.  Later in the afternoon I'll unpack my computer, set it up, and then Mom and I will have a nice leisurely dinner.

This will be my first day and I cannot wait!

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 New Doll House

Yes! I admit it! One of my cherished childhood dreams was to have had a doll house and after so many years of wishing and dreaming, I now have one in my living room. It is my way of returning to my happy childhood days.

The days when I played with dolls, tea sets, and improvised doll houses, oh how I loved those days! My overactive imagination used to conjure up all kinds of adventures with my dolls.

They attended school! They went on outings to the beach, to the park, and they even went shopping and got into all kinds of mischief! Then they would come home to Mom and she would cook them a delicious meal after which they would simply crash into bed and enter dreamland!

Those were the times when I could create my own world, a world just for me! A world where I could do whatever I wanted! My world!

So now that my doll house is finally here, I am going to have some new fun. The furniture is just great and all I need now is to buy the dolls to fill my new home!

I thank Stephanie and Sandra for having helped to assemble this masterpiece for me. It was quite a chore but their patience and perseverance overcame everything.

I'd like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas! Happy holidays! But most of all, a 2021 that will bring us lots of blessings, good things, and hopes and dreams to be fulfilled.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays!

Joyeux Noèl!

Feliz Navidad!

Buon Natale!

Happy Hanukkah!

Please take a moment to give the gift of accessibility to families with children with a disability!

Visit https://donorbox.org/author-donna-jodhan

Cherished Christmas memories: Remembering the Weall and Cullen barn

Such wonderful memories for me and especially so at Christmas time when this landmark building would be lit up with all kinds of Christmas lights!  They lit up the building outdoors and I could see it as we approached.

Then, when we entered, there it was!  A fairyland of figures, decorations, lights, churches, nativity scenes, and boundless creations to satisfy anyone's imagination!

For me, my imagination simply came alive and for those very few special magical moments I allowed myself to drift into dreamland where I would become a kid once more and dream to my heart's content.  Oh, how I enjoyed these visits and for the most part I would simply ignore everything around me and enter my little world where I did whatever I wanted.

Those were special days but not so long ago.  This wonderful historical landmark is now no longer around but still I keep on dreaming. Memories forever.

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

Those days are forever: Remembering the swimming pool at school

Oh, what a lovely childhood memory!  Those happy-go-lucky days when I would frolic in our school's swimming pool with my school friends.  Mrs. Mondey would be supervising from the side and she made very sure that we did not go too far into the deep end.

I was probably one of the best swimmers so she did not mind me skipping into the deep end from time to time.  I still remember those warm sunny days when we would be allowed to go swimming.

It was always in the afternoon when the sun was at its hottest.  I would step into the pool using the steps and from there I would walk around, first looking up at the lovely blue sky and then looking down to see the sun playing on the water of the pool.

I would swim with my friends and we would laugh, yell, and sing out, all with pure delight.  Those were such happy days!  When there were no cares in the world for me.  So innocent as my thoughts were almost always filled with hopes and dreams and imaginations of growing up to go off and create all kinds of toys and things to help others.

These are such perfect memories and nothing or no one could ever take them away from me.  Oh no!  They are mine forever.

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

They are my dreams: Some day at Christmas

One of my favourite Christmas carols is "Some Day at Christmas," made popular by the late Michael Jackson.  Yes, some day at Christmas when I could wake up on a peaceful morning and welcome yet another special day with my loved ones around me and the Christ Child in my heart. 

When I would be able to say, "Finally!  All is well and now blind kids will have an equal opportunity to be like their mainstream counterparts."  When they can play with mainstream toys and be able to use cell phones and IPods just like sighted kids.  When they would be able to play with games just like their sighted friends and not have to worry about inaccessibility.  When their classrooms and playgrounds would be free of accessibility barriers and they would have an equal opportunity to be just kids!

Some day at Christmas, when I could go to bed just before Santa makes his rounds, knowing that all of my wishes have been granted.  That all websites have been made accessible.  That all supermarkets and stores have  been made fully accessible to blind persons.  That online courses and distance learning have all been made accessible and usable to blind persons.  That blind persons have equal access to all reading materials in the same way that sighted persons do. 

Some day at Christmas, after Santa has come  and gone leaving a huge package for me under my Christmas tree, I could wake up and say, "Finally!  The banks have finally gotten it!  Their ATMs are now fully accessible.  Blind persons can now access all point of sale devices and touch screens without having to ask for sighted assistance. Blind passengers can now access kiosks at airports, they can enjoy movies on board aircraft, and no more problems at airports, train stations, and bus terminals for them."

Some day at Christmas, as I sit quietly in a church along with others waiting for the Christmas Mass to begin, I could say, "Thank you, God, for ensuring that from now on society will treat blind persons as normal persons who can function on their own and the only thing wrong with them is that they are unable to see."

Some day at Christmas!  Ah, yes, it is only my dreams but who says that dreams don't come true?  The smell of cookies baking in my kitchen are real!  Christmas carols being played around me are real!  Children laughing and families decorating are real!  Is it too much for me to ask Santa to help make my dreams come true?

The late Steve Jobs made some of my dreams and those of other blind persons come true!  Dare I dream that there could be another Steve Jobs out there just waiting to bring hope to the blind world?

I'm Donna J. Jodhan wishing you a very merry Christmas! Joyeux noèl!  Feliz Navidad!

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan
Like me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan
Visit my online store to either purchase or subscribe for unlimited access to our library at jodhanmysterybook.club/about-the-author and you can even take advantage of my free downloads!
Or subscribe to my free monthly newsletter at www.donnajodhan.com.

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!

A memory from the past, thank you Ken: When I drove Ken's car

At that time we were both working at IBM Canada and I had told my coworker, Ken, that one of my dreams as a vision-impaired person was to drive a car. Believe it or not, he made it happen! 

On a cool day in the early fall, Ken invited me to sit in the driver's seat of his car and then he took his place beside me in the passenger seat and from there it was nothing but a dream come true for me.

Ken was calm and cool.  He spoke to me in a very easy tone, instructing me how to drive.  We made several turns around the IBM parking lot, maneuvering among parked cars.  Then he instructed me how to back up, how to move forward, and after about 10 minutes we parked his car. 

After we had disembarked, Ken told me how nervous  he had been but I can tell you that he never showed it while we were on our driving expedition.

Thank you, Ken Debono, for having helped me to realize one of my obscure dreams.

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
And available for download from iTunes and Google music play

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

Great reflections: Imagining while sitting in my high chair

These were the times  when I was growing up that I got to truly imagine.  How well I remember doing this as I sat there fighting off bouts of fever and tonsillitis! As a child I suffered much from tonsillitis and spent too many moments either in bed or seated in my high chair with Mom close by.

I still remember those days.  I would be overcome with high fever and tonsillitis and Mom would have to look after me.  She would give me a hot bath, feed me the usual soup, juice, and toast, and then dress me in warm PJs and let me sit in a high chair until I told her that I wanted to go to bed. Then she would lift me out of the chair and put me in my bed.

However, as I sat in my high chair, shaking from the fever, I did manage to imagine. I imagined so many things!  I dreamed of becoming a story teller and writing about fairies, princes, princesses, and kings and queens.  Then I dreamed of becoming a lawyer and then I dreamed of becoming a good swimmer and ice skater.  These were the major things but, of course, there were many other imaginings.

Guess what?  I am so very delighted and humbled to say that my imagination has turned into reality!  I am now an audio mystery writer, and I can ice skate and swim reasonably well.  However, I am still working on becoming a lawyer.

Gosh!  I need to thank my imagination, don't you think?

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
And available for download from iTunes and Google music play

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

Forever my doll house: My makeshift doll house

This is exactly what it was.  It was a makeshift doll house but it was mine, nevertheless, and I loved and cherished it because I had created it with my own two hands along with my imagination.

This is what it was.  A large piece of board supported by two small crates. There were three tiny rooms.  The center room was the one between the two crates and the outer rooms did not have any outside wall. I placed all of my main furniture in the two outer rooms while my little dolls slept in the center room.

I did all of my cooking and ironing and other activities on top of the board and I called this my kitchen and pantry.  I made space for a very tiny yard outside of my little house and there I would bring my dolls out to play.  It worked very well and it was my little space in our family's home and mine alone.  Everyone left me to do what I needed to do and even the dogs respected my privacy.

I can still picture it now.  It was all mine and will be mine forever.  Mine where I played, imagined, created, and dreamed.  Dreams that I kept secret and ones that, for the most part, have come true.

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
And available for download from iTunes and Google music play

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

Why are my dreams like this?

This is one thing that continues to baffle me on a daily basis.  I am almost totally blind yet I continue to dream in technicolor, so to speak.  In short, I am almost totally blind but when I dream I can see faces and images, see colors and shapes, and find my way around without a cane.

In my dreams I have functional vision so what does all of this mean?  How can I be almost totally blind but yet dreaming as someone with sight?

I am not complaining in the least!  I love being able to dream as someone with functional vision but I'll tell you this: it is often hard on me whenever I remember my dream, but alas! The dream as someone with functional vision sure does not translate to having to face adversity as someone with practically no vision.

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  jodhanmysterybook.club/about-the-author
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 at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

What if I could see once more?

In January 2004 I lost my vision due to a huge retinal detachment. My poor old retina gave up the fight as it had somehow managed to detach itself in three places and according to the surgeons it was one of the worst detachments that they had ever seen.

Since then, my vision has been reduced to light perception but this has not stopped me from dreaming and, as I often say to myself: what if I could see again?

I know that the world would be different today from the day when I lost my vision. There would be oh so much for me to see and discover. Colors would be amazing! There would be many more devices and gadgets for me to discover and explore! There would be a new way for me to take pictures, via my I device as opposed to those now-defunct cameras.

I would need to get used to looking at photos on my I device. I would need to learn how to read using an I device and also learn how to use my fingers to tap my way through messages when composing them.

I would have so much fun in the malls, clothes shopping, browsing in the toy stores, and treating myself to materials for crafts. I would literally find myself going crazy over everything around me.

Oh, but these are only dreams and nothing more! It does not hurt to dream, does it? For who knows! I may just have this dream become a reality some day in the not too distant future.

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

Follow me on twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan.

Visit our online store to either purchase or subscribe for unlimited access to our library at www.donnajodhan.com/store.htmland you can even take advantage of our free downloads! Or subscribe to our free monthly newsletter at www.donnajodhan.com

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!"

Meditations at the seaside

I can still remember it all now, my meditations at the seaside. For these were the times when I got to dream! Not just dream but really dream! When I got to dream about such things as fairies, wizards, mermaids, nymphs, angels, and other wonderful things.

I got to dream happy things. Girls and boys playing in the sand, building castles and mountains, surfing the waves, floating on waterbeds, walking on the glassy blue sea, and flying kites on the beach. I managed to dream about Santa Claus on his hover craft, on his fishing boat, and on his super ship. I got to dream of being able to walk over the tops of trees and jump from branch to branch. I got to dream of being able to play tennis on the firm sand of the beach, kick a football, and bat a cricket ball.

I got to dream of being able to race along the sand with my beloved dogs, run after the blue back crabs, and skip over the incoming waves. I got to dream of so much and it is at the seaside where I was able to formulate my meditations into what it would be like when I grew up.

Those were such happy days for me. Days that would now never come back to me but that's just okay because I have my memories, and some day when I am no longer dreaming, I'll see it all for real! When the good Lord reunites me with my loved ones.

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

Follow me on twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan.
Visit our online store to either purchase or subscribe for unlimited access to our library at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html
and you can even take advantage of our free downloads!
Or subscribe to our free monthly newsletter at www.donnajodhan.com

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!"

Some day at Christmas

One of my favourite Christmas carols is "Some Day at Christmas", made popular by the late Michael Jackson. Yes, some day at Christmas, when I could wake up on a peaceful morning and welcome yet another special day with my loved ones around me and the Christ Child in my heart.

When I would be able to say, "Finally! All is well and now blind kids will have an equal opportunity to be like their mainstream counterparts." When they can play with mainstream toys and be able to use cell phones and iPods just like sighted kids. When they would be able to play with games just like their sighted friends and not have to worry about inaccessibility. When their classrooms and playgrounds would be free of accessibility barriers and they would have an equal opportunity to just be kids!

Some day at Christmas when I could go to bed just before Santa makes his rounds knowing that all of my wishes have been granted. That all websites have been made accessible. That all supermarkets and stores have been made fully accessible to blind persons. That online courses and distance learning have all been made accessible and usable to blind persons. That blind persons have equal access to all reading materials in the same way that sighted persons do.

Some day at Christmas after Santa has come and gone leaving a huge package for me under my Christmas tree, I could wake up and say, "Finally! The banks have finally gotten it! Their ATMs are now fully accessible. Blind persons can now access all point of sale devices and touch screens without having to ask for sighted assistance. Blind passengers can now access kiosks at airports, they can enjoy movies on board aircraft, and no more problems at airports, train stations, and bus terminals for them."

Some day at Christmas as I sit quietly in a church along with others waiting for the Christmas Mass to begin, I could say "Thank you, God, for ensuring that from now on society will treat blind persons as normal persons who can function on their own and the only thing wrong with them is that they are unable to see."

Some day at Christmas! Ah yes, it is only my dreams but who says that dreams don't come true? The smell of cookies baking in my kitchen is real! Christmas carols being played around me are real! Children laughing and families decorating are real! Is it too much for me to ask Santa to help make my dreams come true?

The late Steve Jobs made some of my dreams and those of other blind persons come true! Dare I dream that there could be another Steve Jobs out there just waiting to bring hope to the blind world?

I'm Donna J. Jodhan wishing you a very merry Christmas!
Joyeux noèl! Feliz Navidad!
Follow me on twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan
Come by and enjoy some of my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com.

Some day at Christmas

One of my favourite Christmas carols is "Some day at Christmas," made popular by the late Michael Jackson. Yes, some day at Christmas, when I could wake up on a peaceful morning and welcome yet another special day with my loved ones around me and the Christ Child in my heart. When I would be able to say, "Finally! All is well and now blind kids will have an equal opportunity to be like their mainstream counterparts." When they can play with mainstream toys and be able to use cell phones and IPods just like sighted kids. When they would be able to play with games just like their sighted friends and not have to worry about inaccessibility. When their classrooms and playgrounds would be free of accessibility barriers and they would have an equal opportunity to be just kids!

Some day at Christmas when I could go to bed just before Santa makes his rounds, knowing that all of my wishes have been granted. That all websites have been made accessible. That all supermarkets and stores have been made fully accessible to blind persons. That online courses and distance learning have all been made accessible and usable to blind persons. That blind persons have equal access to all reading materials in the same way that sighted persons do.

Some day at Christmas, after Santa has come and gone leaving a huge package for me under my Christmas tree, I could wake up and say, "Finally! The banks have finally gotten it! Their ATMs are now fully accessible. Blind persons can now access all point of sale devices and touch screens without having to ask for sighted assistance. Blind passengers can now access kiosks at airports, they can enjoy movies on board aircraft, and no more problems at airports, train stations, and bus terminals for them."

Some day at Christmas, as I sit quietly in a church along with others waiting for the Christmas Mass to begin, I could say, "Thank you, God, for ensuring that from now on society will treat blind persons as normal persons who can function on their own and the only thing wrong with them is that they are unable to see."

Some day at Christmas! Ah, yes, it is only my dreams but who says that dreams don't come true? The smell of cookies baking in my kitchen is real! Christmas carols being played around me are real! Children laughing and families decorating are real! Is it too much for me to ask Santa to help make my dreams come true? The late Steve Jobs made some of my dreams and those of other blind persons come true! Dare I dream that there could be another Steve Jobs out there just waiting to bring hope to the blind world?

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, wishing you a very merry Christmas! Joyeux Nočl! Feliz Navidad!
Come by and enjoy some of my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com.

My vivid dreams

Please do not ask me to explain but this is what happens when I dream. They are vivid, colorful, and in as much detail as I was able to see when I had my vision. Truth be told, I enjoy those vivid dreams because they give me an opportunity to see things so well.

It is the best of both worlds for me in many ways. I can still dream in technicolor, so to speak, despite not having very much vision now. When I dream I can see, and boy do I ever enjoy these precious dreams. Colors come to light. Shapes dance in front of me and faces all come to life. They are simply all in color for me.

Skies are once more blue! Sun shines again, grass and flowers are so vivid in color, the beach is of a golden sandy color, and those gentle waves are as white as lace. I am ice skating around a rink that is decorated with Christmas lights and my beloved Montreal Canadiens are playing hockey right in front of my eyes.

I love dreaming every night; it gives me a chance to see once more in my dreams. The best of both worlds for me!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and tell others about my vivid dreams.
Visit www.nfb.org to learn more.

Some day at Christmas

One of my favourite Christmas carols is "Some Day at Christmas," made popular by the late Michael Jackson. Yes, some day at Christmas, when I could wake up on a peaceful morning and welcome yet another special day with my loved ones around me and the Christ Child in my heart.

When I would be able to say, "Finally! All is well and now blind kids will have an equal opportunity to be like their mainstream counterparts." When they can play with mainstream toys and be able to use cell phones and IPods just like sighted kids. When they would be able to play with games just like their sighted friends and not have to worry about inaccessibility. When their classrooms and playgrounds would be free of accessibility barriers and they would have an equal opportunity to just be kids!

Some day at Christmas, when I could go to bed just before Santa makes his rounds knowing that all of my wishes have been granted. That all websites have been made accessible. That all supermarkets and stores have been made fully accessible to blind persons. That online courses and distance learning have all been made accessible and usable to blind persons. That blind persons have equal access to all reading materials in the same way that sighted persons do.

Some day at Christmas, after Santa has come and gone leaving a huge package for me under my Christmas tree, I could wake up and say "Finally! The banks have finally gotten it! Their ATMs are now fully accessible. Blind persons can now access all point of sale devices and touch screens without having to ask for sighted assistance. Blind passengers can now access kiosks at airports, they can enjoy movies on board airplanes, and no more problems at airports, train stations, and bus terminals for them."

Some day at Christmas, as I sit quietly in a church along with others waiting for the Christmas mass to begin, I could say, "Thank you, God, for ensuring that from now on society will treat blind persons as normal persons who can function on their own and the only thing wrong with them is that they are unable to see."

Some day at Christmas! Ah, yes, it is only my dreams but who says that dreams don't come true? The smell of cookies baking in my kitchen is real! Christmas carols being played around me are real! Children laughing and families decorating are real! Is it too much for me to ask Santa to help make my dreams come true?

The late Steve Jobs made some of my dreams and those of other blind persons come true! Dare I dream that there could be another Steve Jobs out there just waiting to bring hope to the blind world?

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, wishing you a very merry Christmas!
Joyeux Nočl! Feliz Navidad!

My technicolor dreams

There is one important thing that has been kept in place for me since losing most of my vision and that is my ability to dream in Technicolor. I do not know how to explain it and how/why it has continued like this for me, but there you have it.

Maybe some psychologist could help me out if they were to read this blog but I am just so happy that my dreams are like this. In my dreams, I can see things in the same way that I used to when I had limited vision. Colors are bright, images are clear enough for me to decipher something at close range, and I can definitely walk using an ID cane, the smaller cane.

Skies and ocean are blue! Grass and leaves are green! Flowers are in so many vibrant colors and images of buildings and people are clear enough to me. Clouds are white or dark, sunrises are golden, and sunsets are orange. I can cross the street without any hesitation. I can ice skate on my own. I can walk along pushing my buggy without any fear of running into objects and I can find stores in the mall without too much difficulty. I can use landmarks to do it all.

Ah yes! My Technicolor dreams! How I wish that they could somehow turn into reality!

I’m Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to go out there and tell others about my technicolor dreams. Visit www.afb.org to learn more.

The Hope Still Lives On

Last week as I sat glued to my TV watching and following the funeral of the late Senator Ted Kennedy, something in me was not just sad, but really sad.  When we were kids, my cousins used to cut out all of Senator Ted's pictures from my mom's magazines and the newspapers and then paste them into scrap books for me.  As a matter of fact, they did this for all of the Kennedys.  At that time, I was not really able to see pictures but after I had my first cornea transplant it was one of the first things that I did.

 

I remember so many years ago after I got my first cornea transplant, I raced to my scrap books to look at all of my treasured photos and boy am I glad that my cousins had so kindly done this for me.  I spent so many hours gazing at my favourite photos and I continued to follow the Kennedys as a family along with so many others who were my favourites and heroes and ones that I admired the most.  I kept memories of all of their photos safely tucked away in my mind and as I sat listening last Saturday to the Senator's funeral, I managed to conjure up pictures of him in my mind.  With precious little sight left now, it was all that I could have done to keep me going and remembering.

 

One could easily say that the Kennedy family has been burdened with a curse but what impresses me most about this particular family is this; their ability to keep on going despite the immense tragedies that have dogged them over the years.  Senator Ted in particular had to deal with so much; the tragic loss of his brothers, having to deal with two of his children's brushes with cancer, and his own errors in judgment which he has always readily admitted.  Yet for all of this, he never gave up smiling and his quote "The hope lives on and the dream shall never die" will always live on in my heart; and it's a quote that I would urge all blind and visually impaired persons to keep close to theirs. 

 

This Statesman managed to share his life not just with his family and the rest of his country, but also with the rest of the world.  He was a Father, surrogate father, stepfather, husband, brother, uncle, mentor, and friend.  A man of so many hats.  Rest in peace Senator Ted.  Thank you for sharing your life with us.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you, both sighted and blind, to go out there and live your hopes and dreams.