A terrifying moment! Falling in the elevator

At the best of times, falling in the elevator is not a very nice experience. But for someone with a vision impairment, it is probably quite a bit more challenging and scary.

In early March 2020, this is what happened to me. I had just come in from running errands and had first gone to my mail box to collect my mail. Then I went to the elevator and pressed the button. The elevator came and I entered. Then the horror show began.

My mail slipped out of my hands and I had to go searching on the floor of the elevator to find it. I could only use one hand as I had my cane in my other hand.  By the time the elevator had stopped at my floor, I had just found my mail and as I went to exit the elevator, I fell.

I was jammed between the door of the elevator and lying flat on my back. The door was heavy and difficult for me to push away from myself. Thank God that I did not panic.

I knew that no one could really hear me so I decided to be methodical. First, I jammed my sturdy cane between my body and the door. Next I rose slowly with my mail in hand and then the rest went in my favour.

I exited the elevator with a bruised temple and a painful headache but all ended well.

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.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan

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Just another new experience: An unexpected challenge at a hotel

As a regular traveler I often have the pleasure of staying at hotels that range from excellent to very good to good but with some glitches.

This is what happened to me a few months ago in 2017.  After entering my room I discovered that there was a problem.  No, not with the room but with the elevators.

You see, the very nice service desk attendant had just escorted me to my room but when we took the elevator up he told me that not all of the elevators had access to the same floors.  Some only went as high as #6 for instance, others went as far as #12, and the rest went to the penthouse suites.

In addition, there was no way for me, as a vision-impaired person, to know which elevator went to which floors. What to do?

Well, the quickest solution was for me to ask for assistance each time I needed to get to and from my room but that was not an ideal solution.  In addition, there were no Braille labels on the buttons, just raised large print.

I found it to be a very strange way, indeed, and I can only hope that this hotel finds a way to fix this.

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 
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 @author_jodhan
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My perspective: Is this my floor?

This is one of the more common questions that people ask me whenever the discussion arises re how do I know when I get to my floor after the elevator has come to a stop.

Over the years I have used several strategies.  When I had vision I used to look for visual landmarks but now that I am almost totally blind I depend more heavily on senses of smell and feel. 

Believe it or not, floors all have some sort of a unique smell to them and mine is no different.  In addition, I am able to use my senses of touch and feel to determine whether or not I am on the right floor.

I use my cane to test the texture of the carpet and this sure helps.  Sure, you may be thinking that these methods are a bit off track, but trust me when I tell you that they work.

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

Is Anyone in the Elevator?

Whenever I get into an elevator, I always like to know if someone is there.  When I had enough sight, it was never a problem for me but now it is because I am unable to see enough to tell. 

 

So, as has always been my habit, as soon as I enter an elevator, I say hi and if someone answers then that's my cue to tell that someone is there.  If no one answers, it does not necessarily mean that the elevator is empty.  Occasionally, the person in the elevator may not answer or may just nod their head or smile not knowing that I am unable to see.  On these occasions, I use my sense of smell to help me out.  Or, I can normally sense if someone is close by because of a sense of presence.  The one humorous thing for me is getting on to an elevator and hearing someone else speaking.  Sometimes I fall into the trap of thinking that they're speaking to me but truth be told, they are on their cell phone.  It happens to everyone; not just a blind person. 

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and help educate others about how I along with other blind persons sense the presence of others on an elevator.