Blind persons socializing

My sighted friends and family often smile whenever I tell them about how blind persons go about socializing. You just need to think of it like this: We call out to each other in order to determine where we are. We use our canes and guide dogs to help us locate chairs, tables, and other objects. We ask for sighted assistance if available to help us locate persons and things and we ask for assistance to have menus read to us and any other printed materials.

It is only natural and logical that if we are unable to see who we are looking for that we would raise our voices to call for their attention and that if we wish to be heard by someone else that we would do the same. If one is unable to find who they are looking for, would it not be logical for them to call out?

Most of us are unable to see the one sitting across from us or beside us. We would not know who is seated at our table unless they identify themselves to us. We would not be able to find the bar or washroom unless we are given directions. We are unable to spot the waiter/waitress and so we need to raise our hand in order to catch their attention.

This is what socializing as a blind person is all about and I would like for you to go out there and share my words with others. I’m Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. Visit www.nfb.org to learn more.

The Bronte sailing club

It is always so very nice when I get to talk about a club that has gone out of its way to ensure that blind persons are able to experience something out of the ordinary, and in this case it's the joys of sailing. A few months ago I did just that and boy did I ever have a wonderful time. The joys of sailing were so real and exciting to me, and now that I have precious little vision I have to depend almost totally on the guidance of my instructors.

It was five days of heavenly bliss. I, along with 30 or so blind friends, was treated to the rudiments of sailing. There were about 10 boats, give or take a few, and about three times the number of crew members and volunteers. We had morning and evening sessions and we sailed in calm as well as semi-choppy waters.

I learned how to steer a boat. I learned how to tack, winch, and turn the boat and I learned how to determine the direction of the winds. I sailed in excellent boats and on the last day we participated in three races. Believe it or not, I and my team won the overall competition in our boat called Pagan!

I learned so much and I felt and experienced even more. I was shown so much kindness by total strangers and I saw where club members were so willing to teach and share. I would personally like to thank Irene Bantin, all of the volunteers, all of the crews that I sailed with, but most of all my winning crew! Colin, Mark, Brian, Joan, and Peter. It was an experience that I will never forget.

I’m Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and share my blogs with others.
Visit www.bhyc.on.ca/sailingschool/ to learn more about the Bronte Yacht Club.

The desire for vision

A few months ago I was at a meeting where the president of this particular chapter asked his members to explain what the loss of vision meant to them. As I listened carefully, I realized that there were so many stories to share. Some mourned the loss of their vision while others were scared. Still others accepted their lot in life while others were just happy to go along with the flow. It was a complete landscape of varying degrees of acceptance, mourning, and being scared.

As for me, my desire for the return of my vision still burns brightly. True it is that I have accepted my loss of vision. There is nothing that I can do about it, but still, I long for its return.

Why? So that I could do more for myself and for others. That things would be made a bit easier for me: shopping, house cleaning, cooking, and traveling. I miss seeing things: colors, shapes, and light. I miss being able to truly appreciate Mother Nature’s wonders and I miss being able to glide independently around the ice rink.

I miss being able to see the ocean, the blue skies, the puffy white clouds, and the gorgeous flowers and green grass. I miss being able to see faces and so much more, but you know what? My desire for the return of my vision will be fulfilled in the next world.

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 blogs. Visit www.nfb.org to learn how people cope with the loss of their vision.

Why I chose the IPad

Thanks to the wisdom and guidance of my friend, Larry Lewis, I have chosen to go the IPad way. Hopefully and no reason why not, I will be enjoying all the benefits of the IPad plus more and I am going to use the Braille Pen to help me navigate my way as I prefer to leave the touch screen arena to others.

By using the IPad, I will be able to surf the Internet without having to power up my computer. I will be using a fantastic mainstream device to surf and I will not have to worry about access technology and whether or not it can interact and communicate with the Internet. The Braille Pen will greatly help me to get around.

I can’t wait to join the millions who have graduated to Apple’s suite of devices: the IPhone, the IPod and IPod Touch, and the IPad. No more having to power my computer when I wish to surf. I can now read books more easily with my IPad. I can surf more easily, and I can even take scrap notes plus so much more. I’ll probably install GPS on my IPad in the near future, and o yes! Omoby, an app which will enable me to take pictures of various objects and be able to have them described back to me.

Thank you, Larry Lewis! You can visit Larry at www.flyingblind.com.

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

How I do my gardening

For as long as I can remember, I have loved flowers and plants. It was so when I was a child, when I grew up and had enough sight to see the bright colorful flowers, and now that I can no longer see them.

How well I remember going with my parents to stroll in the Botanical Gardens and Dad placing flowers in my hand and telling me what they were, and the tiny delicate butterflies that he would catch and gently place in the palm of my hand.

I take every opportunity to engage in my style of gardening, using pots and boxes on my balcony to do it. Mom has taught me how to do this. I group my pots by types of plants and flowers. Geraniums, impatiens, mums, and so on. I mix my colors and under the watchful eye of my mom; I carefully place my pots and boxes in specific spots.

It’s not too bad as when I had vision she taught me and now I just have to follow her instructions and retain my mental picture.

I love my balcony garden and whenever I visit my mom, I enjoy her huge rooftop garden. Ah yes! The joys of gardening!

I’m Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and share my gardening thoughts with others.
Visit me at www.sterlingcreations.ca to learn more about me.

Under the Christmas tree

It may not yet be Christmas but boy do I have some wonderful memories to share with you. Memories of me as a child with very little vision enjoying my experiences under our family’s Christmas tree. I had enough vision then to see the lights in their different colors. I could see the other decorations on the tree as well but I did not have quite enough vision to help decorate the tree.

That was okay by me. I enjoyed smelling the fragrant pine of our live tree. At night, I would crawl under our tree and lie quietly among the presents taking care not to crush any of them. My two brothers were always trying to peak into their presents and they would let me have a feel of mine. I would shake them to see if I could tell what mine were but my brothers would peak and tell. O how much fun it was then.

I always loved our Christmas tree and everything that went with it. I loved everything about those wonderful trees. The smell of them, what lay under them, and what was placed on and around them. Ah yes! Under the Christmas tree!

I’m Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and tell others about my memories of being under my Christmas tree. Visit me at www.sterlingcreations.ca to learn more.

Playing in the surf

Every now and then I like to sit quietly and remember my childhood. It helps me to relax, but more importantly it helps me to preserve my memories when I had just enough vision to see some things.

How well I remember being able to play in the surf with my dad and brothers. They would let me try to catch them and sometimes I did just that. They would not make it easy for me to do so but that was okay. I loved the challenge.

They would use their voices to lead me to them and then when I was close enough they would attempt to swim away, but sometimes I was just a bit too swift for them.
We would play ball with a huge beach ball. We would ride the waves. We would race each other in the clean white foamy surf and then we would laugh and tease each other.

My cousins Nancy, Brenda, Brian, Stephen, and Robert would also play with me. O how I loved and adored those memorable times. They were always so good to me. They never took advantage of my blindness and they were always so protective of me. Thank you, Dad and brothers, and thank you cousins! My memory bank will always be filled with memories of all of you playing in the surf with me.

I shall never forget the foamy white surf. The waves of all sizes. The sparkling green water. The blue skies up above and the sun beaming on us lying on the beach and digging huge water pools.

I’m Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to go out there and share my precious memories with others. Come visit me at www.sterlingcreations.ca.