He was my hero: Apple, here we come

I have always considered the late Steve Jobs to be one of my role models!  His creativity, innovation, and imagination have always managed to capture and hold my attention.  

Steve Jobs is responsible for having opened so many doors of opportunity for me; especially those that almost always seemed to be slammed shut to me. It is because of him that my whole world of possibility has changed in a big way and now I have a chance to make things better than possible.

Apple is giving me a chance to do this because of an opportunity for me to work with them to encourage and show their consultants how to include accessibility and inclusivity into their presentation content.  I'll have a great chance to show over 300 consultants how they can use the above to create benefits, expand their customer base and increase their bottom lines. Apple, here I come!

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.

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

Tom the teacher

I think that most would agree with me that good teachers are often very hard to come by and when you find one just hold on to them with all of your might and never let go. Praise them, appreciate them, and let them know how much you need them.

Tom Dekker is one such teacher. He is blind, has a lovely guide dog named Abe, and he has simply opened up the world of mobile devices and apps to me. Tom is patient, humorous, but above all, he never gives up and his lessons are just a mind blower. They are never boring!

I think that any student would be happy to have Tom the teacher as their mentor. He does not let his blindness hold him back. He is just not a teacher but also an accomplished music player. Sighted or blind, it does not matter to Tom.

If he does not know the answer to a question he goes out there and finds it for me! He has an uncanny ability to think outside of the box! He can teach blind and sighted students alike and you know what? He knows just when to jump in and help and just when to back off and let me do things for myself.

Ah yes! That’s my Tom the terrific teacher! A breeze in a bottle! As humble as pie, speaks his mind, and always positive! What more can I honestly ask for?

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 Tom my teacher. Come by and visit me any time at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Or you can chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.

Educating the sighted

This is an ongoing effort; educating the sighted about the world of the blind and how we do things. How we go about working in our kitchens, cleaning our homes, surfing the Internet, going to and from work, working in our home offices, going to school, doing our grocery and clothes shopping, traveling, and so much more.

Educating the sighted is something that I enjoy for the most part but this is not to say that there aren’t any challenges and barriers that crop up from time to time. There are real barriers, artificial ones, and what I call home made ones. All barriers for the blind world to deal with and overcome because we do indeed have to overcome them. For if we don’t then we will certainly continue to be left behind.

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

Remembering My Dad

Dad left me a little over 21 years ago and to this day I miss him as if it were only yesterday when he left.  At his funeral, I eulogized him as someone who was not just my dad, he was my friend.  He left me an invaluable legacy, knowledge.  He understood my needs and never failed to come through for me.

 

I was the unexpected baby; born eight hours after my twin brother.  Mom never knew that she was having twins and when she and dad were told that I was on the way, just imagine their surprise and then they discovered that I was blind!  They never faltered as parents and my dad remained a constant source of knowledge for me.

 

As early as I can remember, he would read to me; story books, newspapers, and selected articles of interest.  He taught me all about Religion, politics, economics, plus much more.  He helped me to become a passionate and compassionate Human Being.  He taught me respect, how to treat others, but most of all, he instilled courage and motivation into me.

 

Dad taught me my alphabet, taught me how to count, and he was constantly challenging my mental strength and capacity.  He taught me how to ride a bike and we often raced along the beach either on foot or on our bikes.  He taught me how to swim, to fly a kite, and he often played cards, football, and cricket with me.  He even took me fishing and placed those delicate little butterflies in the palm of my hand.  Dad probably wished that I would remain his little girl for ever but that was okay.  I grew up and he was still my dad.

 

Dad was my hero; a gentleman to the end, and someone who was never afraid to help others.  He was loyal to his friends and family, a leader in his own right.  He was gentle, firm, and loving.  Most of all, he never stopped encouraging me to reach for the stars and had faith in my abilities as a blind person.  Rest in peace dad!  Till we meet again.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate inviting you to go out there and share my blogs with the rest of the world.  Visit www.nfb.org to learn more about how sighted parents interact with their blind kids.