Any hope of vision for me?

No, no! Why? According to my learned eye doctors, it is not medically possible at this time but one never knows. One should never give up hope that some or one day soon there will be a medical breakthrough. It is happening all of the time so why not hope?

Am I hopeful? Definitely so! I live in hope. I am extremely lucky that for 25 years I was able to see the world through limited vision and for this I shall always be grateful. There are so many blind persons who never had what I did. I was able to see so much and to appreciate so much. I saw the sun! I saw the moon, the stars, and the skies! I saw rainbows, white capped waves, and jade green and deep blue seas! I saw birds and butterflies! I saw skaters on the ice, the flickering of Christmas lights, and cookies and cakes on tables, buffet tables, and so much more! Above all, I saw Jesus in a manger with Mary, Joseph, and the angels as well! I saw the faces of my beloved parents and brothers! I saw the faces of others! I saw so much and shall forever remember.

If I am not fortunate enough to regain it then for sure! I'll regain it when I see God and my loved ones in the next world and what a day that will be!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to go out there and learn more about the world of blind persons by visiting www.acb.org.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.jodhan

This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"If you either are or have been a victim of crime, violence, abuse, or bullying, and if you are simply tired of being bombarded with audios and scenes of the above, then I am asking for your support. I have written and recorded audio mysteries that are completely void of vivid descriptions of sex, crime, and violence because I firmly believe that it is time for us to use the spoken word to help influence our kids to start listening to content that is clean and healthy. By doing this we can all do our part to tackle crime in a positive and meaningful way and it only costs pennies per day.Visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html.
I thank you and your kids will also thank you!"

How do I convince them?

What am I asking today? Well, I am wondering out loud: how do I, along with so many other blind persons, convince the sighted world that, "Yes! We are persons who can take our places in society and be contributing members to the economy."

Just like the sighted world, we too have the ability to think for ourselves, speak for ourselves, and we have the power of reason and logic. We can understand and listen when spoken to and we can also hear very well; we do not need to be shouted at. We can learn just like anyone else and we can enjoy everything that the sighted world enjoys. That is, those things that we choose to enjoy.

We can enjoy shopping, cooking, reading, outdoor activities, and going to movies and watching TV like anyone else. We may do it all a bit differently because of our lack of sight, but never the less, we enjoy it anyway. We can enjoy traveling, surfing the Internet, and making friends through social networks. We can play lots of computer games and so much more.

I hope that I have convinced you in some way that, yes! Blind persons can also enjoy!

I’m Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and share my words with others. Visit www.nfb.org to learn more.

Getting Around in My Home Office

Much of the sighted world probably has very little idea as to how a blind person would get around in their office or cubicle.  In reality, not much different to someone who is very meticulous but there are a few additional steps for me.  The word here is organization, organization and using my memory to help me along.  First, my furniture is placed in strategic spots so that I can move around freely and not bump into things.  The furniture is mainly placed around the parameter of the room and the middle is clear.

 

My desk is very meticulously arranged with my computer in the middle, and other equipment placed in such a way so as to enable me to reach them without too much difficulty.  The phone is closest to me and my braille machine, electronic dictionary, and calculator are also very close at hand.  I do not have too much paper on my desk.  Just a few braille sheets for me to take notes on.  My filing system is very meticulously arranged as well and I will tell you that I constantly have to ensure that things are filed in the right place.  Anything out of place and I am in deep trouble.

 

My file folders and diskettes are all labeled in braille.  When I had enough sight I had labeled them all in large print but now that I am no longer able to read and write in print, I have to use the braille method.  Everything on my desk has its specific spot.  Any file folders with printed material in them are very carefully labeled in braille as well.  Friends often tell me how amazed they are that I can almost always find what I am looking for.  As I said above, organization is the key to success when it comes to getting around in my home office.  My family is very good at knowing my ways and never has a problem when it comes to moving around in my home office.  As a matter of fact, my home office is also quite friendly to sighted visitors.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and share my info with the rest of the sighted world.  If you would like to learn how to set up your home office so that both you and a blind person can easily coexist in it, then please contact me at donnajodhan@sterlingcreations.ca.