A need to remember the buttons

So many times I as a blind person am challenged to remember the position of buttons and keys. That is, I need to pay particular attention to where each button and key is. Thank God, telephone keypads are all the same but when it comes to other things! That's a different story.

Unfortunately, elevator buttons are not customized across the board and if there is either no Braille or raised print to represent what the button is, then I am in big trouble. Most computer keyboards are similar but sometimes the differences in the positions of the keys are enough to throw me off. The same goes for calculators and remote control devices. The keyboard on an IBM Think Pad for example, is different to the layout of a keyboard on a Toshiba laptop.

My dire wish would be for manufacturers to standardize the position of the layout of buttons and keys. Washers and dryers are also a problem for me in that I have to memorize the buttons. Radios are the same for me. However, most cassette recorders are standardized when it comes to the layout of their buttons and keys but guess what? These are fast becoming obsolete. I am going to give you the url of a website of a company that is doing wonderful things to standardize the layout of buttons and keys of all of their equipment. Visit www.humanware.com to learn more.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and help lobby manufacturers to standardize their products when it comes to the layout of keys and buttons.

Bridging the distance through technology

Greetings! I'm Christian Robicheau, assistant editor at http://www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Ah but it has been a gorgeous summer thus far and I hope that August has been good to you.
Today, our president Donna J. Jodhan has a great editorial to share with us; all about bridging the distance gap through technology.
I wish you a great weekend.

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Bridging the distance through technology
By Donna J. Jodhan

Up until about a decade ago, it seemed as if our world was o so big. We seemed to be so far away from each other. That is, if we lived in different countries. The good old phone was our main channel of communication followed by cables and telexes and snail mail also known as letter writing. There were faxes too and the Internet was still in its infancy but alas! all of this has changed and continues to evolve!

When I was at university, I used the phone and letters to communicate with my parents and loved ones but the game is so much different today and it was recently brought home to me when I saw how my niece uses technology to communicate with her parents who are thousands of miles away. Enter Skype, MSN chat, other chat programs, chatrooms, emails, texting, and the list continues on. No doubt, this list is only going to grow and technology will only help to decrease the communications gap. What used to be days and sometimes even weeks to receive responses has now magically turned into minutes and even seconds!

Our world has gotten much smaller with the event of technology; through the Internet, through the event of cell phones, and there is more to come. Even those greeting cards can now be sent via the Internet. Bravo for the bridge of technology!


I'm Donna J. Jodhan wishing you a terrific day and weekend.
To reach me, please send an email to info@sterlingcreations.ca and I would be delighted to send you an electronic copy of our latest newsletter.

Here is a complete list of where you can view Donna's blogs and editorials.
Donna Jodhan! Advocating accessibility for all
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com
Weekly features on how to increase your success with your business ventures
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm
Weekly articles and editorials on issues about accessibility
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog
A monthly editorial on issues on diversity
http://www.diversityintheworkplace.ca

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 yes: 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.

Listen to our kids

Greetings! I'm Scott Savoy, managing editor at http://www.sterlingcreations.ca.
I am happy to be back with you after a nice summer break and today, our president Donna J. Jodhan has a very interesting editorial to share with us. All about how we should listen to our kids. Yes, the other way around!
Have a great weekend.

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Listen to our kids
By Donna J. Jodhan

In the normal scheme of things, we feel that it is our kids who need to listen to us but sometimes; we need to listen to our kids. Whenever we think that they are not paying attention then guess what? They are and much more than we think. Whenever we think that they are shutting us out, it is we who are doing it, not them.

In November of 2010, I was invited to visit the Grove Community School by two teachers of a grade one class. Shannon and Velvet wanted me to meet a group of my youngest supporters in my present court case against the Canadian Government. Before I visited, Shannon told me that these little ones had sent a letter to the Prime Minister asking him to make the government of Canada websites accessible to blind persons.

Just imagine my surprise as I sat among these young minds listening to their questions. They were not afraid to ask me anything. Their questions were intelligent, intuitive, and you know what? They had not been coached by anyone. Straight out of the mouths of babes so to speak! Such bright stars and who knows! Maybe our future prime minister could have been among this bunch of enthusiastic youngsters?

As I walked out of the school on that crisp fall morning I looked up to the Heavens and shook my head with relief. I felt that we were in excellent hands! All we need to do now is to listen to our kids.

Note: In May 2011, I received an email from Shannon Green informing me of the following: These little gems managed to convince their parents to take their message one step further. To a Congress of Labor conference in Vancouver where over 1000 delegates voted to pass a resolution asking their over two million workers to demand that the government drop their appeal to my court case!


I'm Donna J. Jodhan wishing you a terrific day and weekend.
To reach me, please send an email to info@sterlingcreations.ca and I would be delighted to send you an electronic copy of our latest newsletter.

Here is a complete list of where you can view Donna's blogs and editorials.
Donna Jodhan! Advocating accessibility for all
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com
Weekly features on how to increase your success with your business ventures
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm
Weekly articles and editorials on issues about accessibility
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog
A monthly editorial on issues on diversity
http://www.diversityintheworkplace.ca