What a laugh! When I sent the wrong image

Nothing strange for me as a vision-impaired person, but thank goodness that it does not happen too often.

Looking back now I can smile at this one but at the time it was somewhat embarrassing.  Good thing that my dear friend Gabriella made light of it.

What I thought I had sent was definitely not what it was supposed to be. Wrong image!  This is what it was and nothing more. So, now I label all of my images and title them appropriately!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly award-winning, sight-loss coach and accessibility 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 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.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and  @author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at
www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

 

Christmas Holiday Thoughts

 What would Christmas be without those warm welcoming thoughts to keep me company?  My sight may have deserted me but I can still visualize the decorations!

The images of Christmas trees all decked out with colourful winking lights, presents piled high under the tree, and oh, yes!  The star sitting proudly at the top.

The little manger in the corner of my living room with all of the figures standing at attention and Mary cradling the baby Jesus in her arms and Joseph close by.  

Images of malls all decorated with store fronts showing off toys, clothes for the holiday season, and baked goods.  People rushing around with arms filled with all sorts of shapes and sizes of parcels.  Kids running around everywhere.

Then let's not forget the smells and sounds of the Christmas season.  All good everywhere.  These are my cherished thoughts as I welcome Christmas 2021 and not even this cursed Covid is going to spoil my mood!

I'd like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas!  Happy holidays!  But most of all!  A 2022 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 gift the accessibility to families with children with a disability!
Visit https://donorbox.org/author-donna-jodhan

Wonderful times: Playing with the dolls

I thank God that as a child I had the privilege and pleasure of having been able to play with dolls. There were so many of them and I remember most of them.

They each had names and although I could not see their faces I found ways to conjure up images of them in my mind. To this day I still have a few of them hanging around in my drawers. They are safely tucked away in plastic bags.

Dolls, dolls! And now I collect them! I have over 54 of them from all nations plus a special cabinet of dolls. I bought this cabinet a few years ago after my friend Gabriella and her late husband Randy had given me a small collection of dolls from Randy's late mom.

I have three cabinets of dolls proudly displayed in my condo. So I am still surrounded by dolls!

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 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

What a great experience! Images of the Raptors

They are the Cinderella basketball team from Toronto, Canada, that won the 2019 NBA trophy and I, as a Canadian, could not have been prouder!

It did not matter that I could not see the parade on TV; I conjured up my very own images based on what the announcers were describing! I am pretty sure that the images dancing around in my head were close enough to reality!

There were the trucks with the players standing and waving! People of all ages, ethnicities, races, and manner of dress were lining the route!  From toddlers in strollers being pushed by parents to youngsters skipping class, all come to witness history! Teachers and professors standing shoulder to shoulder with their students! Professionals in suits and nurses and doctors dressed in their scrubs! So many different uniformed folks simply standing there; waving, smiling, laughing, and oh yes! Singing!

It was a proud day for our Canada, when everyone put aside their differences for just a few hours to celebrate! And from coast to coast everyone raised their glasses and toasted our beloved Raptors!

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 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.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html

Subscribe to my monthly newsletter!

'Let's Talk Tips' is my monthly resource for the most current and reliable informational tips available in the areas of Technology, Nutrition, Media, Business, and Advocacy.  http://bit.ly/ADJSubscribe

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan

And like me on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Truly wonderful memories: Mom's description of Independence parades

I don't think that I could ever ask for anything more: Mom's description of Independence parades.  Her commentaries are bang on.  Concise, precise, filled with colourful descriptions, and then there are the thoughts and opinions that she shares.

She is there when it all begins and she stays right up until the end.  I sit close by listening to her commentaries and I enjoy every bit of it.  It usually takes about two hours but we don't mind spending time with Mom describing and me listening.

I can still picture these parades in my mind, but now that I can no longer see them I have another way to enjoy them.

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 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.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html

Subscribe to my monthly newsletter!
'Let's Talk Tips' is my monthly resource for the most current and reliable informational tips available in the areas of Technology, Nutrition, Media, Business, and Advocacy.  http://bit.ly/ADJSubscribe

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

An interesting experience: Feeling the crow

I had a very interesting experience in the fall of 2017. My friend Gabriella and I took Mom shopping to buy some Christmas decorations and on our way into the store Mom saw an artificial crow and proceeded to introduce me to it.

What an experience. I can tell you that I did not really relish the feeling when I explored this poor crow.

It felt very uncomfortable to my touch, but you know what?  I was sure glad that I got to feel it because I was able to add a new image to my memory bank.  I never really got to see what a crow looked like when I had functional vision so this was great for me.

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
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and 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

My images of babies

I simply love conjuring up images of babies.  These are some of my favourite ones and I simply can't help it.

Babies in strollers smiling up at the world!  Babies crawling towards a brightly coloured object!  Babies sitting in their high chairs eating a cookie and not caring that they are spilling crumbs all over the front of their tiny tops!

Babies splashing water over themselves, and any and everything around them as they enjoy themselves sitting in their mini swimming pools!  Babies learning to walk, taking tentative steps as they go!  Babies trying to turn over in their cribs!  Babies trying to figure out how to get out of their play pens!  And on and on I go!

Ah, yes!  My images of babies!

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

Picturing Santa Claus

I know!  It's not Christmas and I am writing this article in the spring of 2016.  So why am I picturing Santa Claus at this time of the year?

I am afraid that I do not have any sound response but suffice it to say that I usually try to picture the man in the big red suit whenever I think of kids, toys, jolly times, and tables loaded with lots and lots of goodies.

Yes, I am a true fan of Santa Claus!  So how do I picture him?  I already know what he looks like having been able to see him before now when I had enough vision to do so.

For me, his smile will never change and the twinkle in his big blue eyes will be forever.  His flowing white beard will always be imprinted in my mind and his big red suit will always be a part of the Christmas landscape.

For me, he is never in the same pose.  He could be standing at a street corner surrounded by kids.  He could be walking in the snow followed by his reindeer.  He could be sitting in his sleigh or he could even be sitting on a beach working on his numerous Christmas lists.

This is how I picture the jolly old man!

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

The complete picture of Aaron

You see, this delightful man is my technological right arm and I have been working with him since 2012. He lives in the United States and I live in Toronto and we have never met face to face.

Up until now Aaron has been a voice at the other end of a phone line, on Skype and on Facetime. We exchange emails constantly as part of our working relationship and this is the sum of our interaction.

No wonder when I discovered that he had put up a photo of himself on Facebook that I was so very excited. I ran to my mom and asked her to describe him to me. She took great care to describe Aaron to me and at the end of it all? I rubbed my hands together and said to myself, "Now I have the complete picture of you, Aaron!" Your voice, your image, and everything in between.

So often and even more now so than ever, I am unable to add an image of someone to their profile so whenever I am able to obtain a mental one I am very happy.

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

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 www.donnajodhan.com/store.html 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!

In an unfamiliar supermarket

No, I would never go to an unfamiliar supermarket on my own. I would definitely be looking for trouble that I do not need. However, there are times when I do need to go to one and now I do this with my friend Sue. It could be a daunting experience but at the same time it could be lots of fun.

With a pair of eyes to guide me, we go to a different Metro supermarket at the present time. It is bigger and there are many more aisles for us to travel up and down and more choices of products and produce for me to discover. Sue is simply super! She explains everything to me and she makes it look so easy! There is not anything that she cannot find. I can even expand my choices and look for new things. It is only as intimidating as I allow it to be.

All it means is that I now need to condition my mind to develop new images and new pictures for me in my mind. I have to get used to the new layout and where things are but it is all in a day's journey.

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.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!"

Educating others about inaccessible PDF content

This is probably going to be an ongoing process as I strive to do my part with regard to helping others to understand that blind persons are unable to read PDF content that is not appropriately tagged so that we can read it.

The one thing to remember is this, PDF content is an image of what we wish to portray and screen reading technology is unable to read images. There is nothing that we can do about this. So we need to have a work around, so to speak.

There are tools out there that can be used to tag the PDF content so that it can be read by screen reading technology. These tools are, for the most part, free and Adobe has done its part to promote this process. The major barrier here is an unawareness of how to do this and why it is necessary. Just bear in mind that by making PDF content more accessible to blind persons it also helps others such as those with older technology.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and help spread my message. Visit me at www.sterlingcreations.ca whenever you have a free moment.

Remembering the faces

It is only too sobering that faces change as we grow older. The entire process begins the day we are born and ends the day we leave this world. For me, I am in a kind of interesting pickle, so to speak.

When I had enough vision to see faces, I froze these images in time and carefully placed them in my memory bank knowing that these memories will probably never match what these faces look like today. I lost my vision at the beginning of 2004 and the faces of my nephews and nieces have all changed since then.

Marcus is a teen now and Martha is a young lady; their faces have changed. Faith is not the little girl anymore, she is approaching her teens. Christian and Jason have matured as young men and so has Thadd. My sisters-in-law have grown older and so too has my brother Jeffrey and my mom. In short, they have all changed but it does not really matter. I shall hold on to my memories of these faces of my cherished family forever.

Just think of it like this! Old images die hard and that's it for me. My imagination will preserve these memories forever but will always strive to include the new ones as described to me by others. Maybe one day I'll be lucky enough to see these faces once more.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to go out there and share my blogs with others. Come by and visit me any time at www.donnajodhan.com.

Explaining it to the Sighted World

It is never a wise assumption when it comes to assuming that the sighted world will understand when we tell them that we are unable to access websites because they are inaccessible.  We need to be more explicit in order to get them to understand and that's just fine with me.  I'd like to take a few moments to paint the picture for a sighted person.

 

When a sighted person visits a website, they can use their eyes to choose which link they wish to click on in order to get where they are going.  In most instances, these links are represented by images, icons, and pictures.  They use a mouse to click on their desired choice.

 

When a blind person visits a website, they use a screen reader that enables them to find the links and content that they are looking for but when the links and/or content is depicted in the form of images, icons, or pictures, the screen reader is unable to decipher what it is.  A screen reader is software that speaks what is on a screen; it is unable to speak or describe something that does not have text to describe it.

 

In other words, think of it like this:

If you place a picture in front of a blind person, they will not know what it is unless you tell them what it is.  In like manner, if there is no text to describe what the picture, image, or icon is on a website, then the screen reader will not be able to tell the blind person what it is and what it means. 

 

The technology does not exist whereby there is software that can accurately describe the meaning of images, icons, or pictures.  A screen reader will only speak what it is able to decipher and this does not include images, icons, and pictures.

 

It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words; but no two persons can ever describe a picture in the same way.  If textual descriptions are used to describe icons, images, and pictures, it would make life so much easier for a magnitude of

persons that include:  The Blind and vision impaired, those who are unable to read print, those with learning disabilities, and those whose first language is not English. 

 

It is relatively easy and cost effective to provide textual descriptions to icons, images, and pictures.  Blind persons cannot use a mouse to click on images, icons, and pictures, because they are unable to see where to point and click.  It is a lot cheaper to provide textual descriptions than it is to carry out time consuming research to find ways to make it possible for a screen reader to read pictures, images, and icons.

 

In like manner, it is relatively easy to design a form that can be accessed by a blind person online.  If however the form needs to be downloaded and printed in order to be completed, then a blind person will have to ask for sighted assistance to do so.  They will not be able to complete and sign a printed form because they are unable to see to read and sign.

 

These are just a few explanations that are most common to help the sighted world understand more clearly.

 

If you would like to learn more about how blind persons access the Internet, then visit www.w3c.org.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and asking you to go out there and spread the message to others about how blind persons go about accessing the Internet.

Images That Do Not Match

That's how it is for blind persons.  If you were born blind, then more than likely, your images of things around you would probably not match the actual object.  I was born with little sight and then I received a lot of vision through a corneal transplant and when I was able to see things more clearly, I can tell you that in many cases my perceived images did not match the actual object.

 

It's funny but I was able to identify quite a few things; i could read the headlines in the newspapers, identify colors, but I had to learn how to practically see and transmit those images to my mind.  I used to think for example that a scorpion was a big thing, but in actuality it was not.  I learned what birds and flowers looked like, the shapes of the clouds, and butterflies, trees, and even people's faces. 

 

Matching images of faces to my perceived notions was the biggest thing for me but I learned fast.  Now I have a ton load of memories to keep me going for the rest of my days.  Ah!  Matching images in my mind continues to be a big hobby for me.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and spread my message to others.

Visit www.afb.org to learn more.

 

Pictures That Cannot Be Described

One of the most difficult barriers between the sighted world and a blind person is this one; the inability to truly describe a picture to someone who is blind.  If a person is born blind, then you know that they have never been able to see pictures.  If they have been born with some vision, then chances are that they may be able to see some things but the picture would never be complete. It would be very difficult to describe pictures to them.

 

Even if you were to let them feel the shape of a rose for example, they would not know that it was a rose unless you told them that it was.  From real experience, I can tell you that feeling the shape of something is not the same or does not relate in the same way to when you feel a raised replica of the same thing.  In short, feeling a real rose is different to feeling its raised shape. 

 

Having had vision and now not having very much, I can also tell you that it is very hard to describe pictures to someone who has never seen.  It's not the end of the world however.  I have two urls for you to visit and there you will discover how blind persons deal with pictures.

Visit www.nfb.org and www.rnib.org to learn more.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and tell the rest of the world how blind persons cope with pictures.

The Problem With PDF Content

So many content designers just do not understand. They continue to put all of their efforts into designing pretty PDF content, but at the end of the day it is totally inaccessible to blind and visually-impaired persons. Why you ask? Very simple. PDF content is made up of an image that cannot be deciphered by screen readers. In other words, PDF files are image-based instead of textual-based, and blind and visually-impaired persons use screen readers to surf the Internet.

More and more online forms are being designed in PDF format and as a result of this blind and visually-impaired persons are being deprived of their right to privacy and confidentiality. If a form is in PDF format it means that blind and visually-impaired persons need to depend on sighted assistance to help them complete it. It is frustrating, scary, and a downright violation of our right to confidentiality and privacy. There is a way for all of this to be dealt with and it starts with the content developer using the appropriate tags to format the PDF content so that it is made accessible and usable.

What most content developers still fail to understand is this: If they take the additional time to tag their PDF content appropriately, they will not only be making it accessible to blind and visually-impaired persons, they will also be making it accessible and usable to the print disabled, the technically shy, and to those who are not technically savvy. Before you start to wonder who all of these people are, please allow me to define these populations.

The print disabled - those who are unable to read because of either physical, mental, or visual challenges.

The technically shy or those not technically savvy - those who have difficulty coping with modern technology and who work better with more simple environments. In short, the millions of aging baby boomers who did not grow up with the Internet at their fingertips.

I personally find PDF content to be frustrating. It is a useless and time-consuming obstacle for me to deal with, and a downright insult to my right to privacy and confidentiality.

Here is a URL that you can visit in order to learn why PDF content does not benefit the blind and visually-impaired.

Visit http://www.rnib.org.uk/wacblog/pdf/why-pdfs-suck/

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your accessibility and special-needs business consultant wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and start educating the rest of the world as to why PDF content does not benefit blind and visually-impaired persons.