Author: Donna J. Jodhan World-Renowned Blind Advocate

In this empowering episode of Remarkable World Commentary, Donna J. Jodhan invites listeners into her “Ask Advocate Donna” format, where she reflects on the meaning of advocacy and challenges her audience to think about how professionalism, communication, and perseverance can shape successful outcomes. Using a favorite quotation and a word game contrasting “professional” versus “unprofessional” and “ordinary” versus “extraordinary,” Donna sets the tone for a practical discussion about how people can stand up for themselves when they believe they have been treated unfairly.

In this candid episode of Remarkable World Commentary, Donna J. Jodhan welcomes blind technologist and entrepreneur Mike Calvo and invites him to share the moments that shaped his view of accessibility as a civil right. Calvo describes growing up in Miami as the son of Cuban immigrants, and he uses everyday stories, like how “help” can turn intrusive when strangers grab a blind person’s arm, to highlight the importance of respect, clear communication, and personal autonomy. He also reflects on discovering computers in early adulthood, crediting a mentor’s message that “behind that computer you are an equal” as a turning point that propelled him toward technology, advocacy, and entrepreneurship.

In this thought-provoking episode of Remarkable World Commentary, Donna J. Jodhan examines the ongoing tension between customer care and company revenue, asking how businesses can strike a meaningful balance between serving people well and protecting their bottom line. Drawing from her own experiences speaking with customer service agents, she reflects on the importance of empathy, patience, and going above and beyond for customers, while recognizing that many agents are working under intense pressure to keep calls short and meet company targets.

In this thought-provoking episode of Remarkable World Commentary, Donna J. Jodhan welcomes longtime mentor and friend Richard Marion (“Rich”) for a wide-ranging conversation about disability advocacy, inclusive transit, and what real accessibility looks like in daily life. Richard shares how his work has evolved over roughly 35 years, spanning behind-the-scenes advocacy, peer support around access technology (especially mobile devices), and a deep focus on public transit accessibility through multiple roles with TransLink, including years on its Access Transit Committee. He also reflects on how identifying as Métis and as a member of the LGBTQ+ community has shaped his equity work and broadened how he brings disability issues into other communities, while continuing to center lived experience and practical solutions.

In this insightful episode of Remarkable World Commentary, Donna J. Jodhan sits down with Freek van Welsenis, co-founder of Hable, for a practical, no-nonsense conversation about what it really takes to build assistive technology that people can rely on. Donna introduces Freek as a mission-driven innovator, and Freek traces his motivation back to growing up alongside two siblings with disabilities, learning early that technology can either empower people or frustrate them beyond belief.

In this thought-provoking and deeply human episode of Remarkable World Commentary, Donna J. Jodhan sits down with Aisling Redican, Communications Director and Fundraising Manager at the Xavier Society for the Blind, for an engaging conversation about faith, accessibility, and global inclusion. Aisling shares her personal journey into disability service work and explains how the Xavier Society has, for more than 125 years, quietly ensured that blind and low-vision Catholics around the world have free access to religious materials in Braille, large print, and audio formats. Together, Donna and Aisling unpack what true accessibility means, not as charity, but as dignity, participation, and belonging.

In this practical episode of Remarkable World Commentary, Donna J. Jodhan introduces her monthly “Ask Advocate Donna” feature, an advocacy-focused segment designed to help listeners think on their feet, build confidence, and approach everyday barriers with courage and strategy. She opens with a favorite quote about speaking and listening with care, then leads a quick “word game” that contrasts respect vs. disrespect and courteous vs. condescending, urging advocates to keep respect front and center, ignore disrespect when it arises, and aim for genuine courtesy rather than talking down to others.