All stressed out! Those days of travel anxiety

Things have certainly changed over the years when it comes to traveling on the subway in Toronto.  It was so many years ago when I left home at 6 a.m. in the morning to get to work in downtown Toronto and then not returning home until almost 6 p.m.

Ah, yes!  Those days were filled with so much anxiety.  I had to fight my way onto crowded buses.  I had to navigate through the crowds in the subway stations.  I had to fight to find a seat on packed subway cars.  I had to navigate my way through and around obstacles on sidewalks.  But most of all I had to keep calm and maintain control of my frayed nerves.  

I prayed hard each day as I journeyed to and from work.  I did everything that I could think of in order to keep my head above water, but the longest day had an end.

That was the day when someone attempted to throw me onto the subway line.  I shall always remember this horrible moment.  One minute I was leaning against the back wall of Union Station, waiting for my subway, and the next I was air borne as some unknown man was carrying me towards the edge of the platform.  

I remembered seeing the yellow strip of the edge of the platform as it came into my view!  I screamed, kicked free, and then bystanders were chasing the suspect but never caught him.  

I managed to collect myself and even managed to continue working for a few more months downtown but I finally gave up the challenge and quit.

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 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.

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Enjoyable for the most part: Metro stations in Montreal

Previously I told you about my travels on the Toronto subway and now it is time for me to tell you about my travels on the Montreal metro.  It is not as noisy as the Toronto subway and it is faster.

Stops are announced in both languages, English and French, as the metro arrives at each metro station, which helps greatly.  However, I will say that some of the metro stations are not as accessible for persons with disabilities as others.

I remember that there are very steep stairs leading down to the platforms of some of these stations which make it quite a challenge for persons with disabilities.  I always enjoy traveling on the Montreal metro when I have the chance.

For the most part, metro stations are kept clean and the traffic inside the stations is not as horrific as it is in Toronto.  I consider this to be a big plus for Montreal.

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

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Navigating the subway

Now that my vision is down to bare bones, I am very careful whenever I step into a subway station. First, I make sure that I can find my way safely down to the platform. Next, I use my keen sense of hearing to listen for approaching trains, and lastly, I ensure that I am far away enough from the edge of the platform by using my trusty cane.

There was a time when I could use my limited vision to see the edge of the platform and to see the approaching headlights of the engine, but now that my vision is no longer adequate enough, my sense of hearing has kicked in.

My cane is my most trusted traveling companion. I also use it along with my sense of hearing to find the door of the train and to locate an empty seat. It takes a lot of concentration on my part and a set of nerves of steel to do all of this. With subway stations becoming more crowded with more travelers, I have to be more aware of my surroundings and everything else.

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 blogs. Come visit me at www.sterlingcreations.ca.

Which Subway Stop Am I At?

For those with vision, it is not an issue for them to know which stop they are at when traveling on the bus or subway, but for me it is. If I travel by train there is no problem because the conductor announces each stop. Up until a year ago, blind and visually-impaired persons living in Toronto had to depend on several techniques to tell them where they were when traveling by bus or subway but since then -- thanks to the hard and tireless advocacy of David Lepovsky, a blind lawyer -- this has changed.

David had to lobby for over 10 years in order to get the Toronto Transit Commission to implement a system whereby stops along bus and subway routes would be announced. The TTC spent hundreds of thousands of dollars fighting against, David but in the end they lost their case and David prevailed. This case should never have gone this far but I guess the TTC was determined to be stubborn. David prevailed against Goliath.

So, how do blind and visually-impaired persons overcome the challenge of knowing which stop is the correct one for them?

They can count the stops as they travel along. On the subway it is easier as the subway always stops at preset locations, but for a bus it is different because the driver does not always stop at the same location. If there is no one standing at a pre-designated bus stop as the bus approaches, the driver often drives by and moves on to the next stop. If this occurs, it is then difficult for a person without vision to know if a stop has been bypassed or not. Before David won his case, some bus drivers used to announce the stops but those without vision could not always depend on the driver to announce the stops.

Within the last few years, there have been some exciting breakthroughs in the form of talking GPS gadgets for blind and visually-impaired persons. However, they are not cheap and most blind and visually-impaired persons are unable to afford them. There are two specific ones that I am personally aware of and these can help a blind person to plot their route and familiarize themselves with their immediate surroundings. Blind and visually-impaired persons can use these devices to make traveling easier and more enjoyable and they can also become more independent as well. You can learn more about these exciting devices by visiting www.humanware.com.

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 spread the word that blind and visually-impaired persons can and do travel around on their own.