Donna J. Jodhan World-Renowned Blind Advocate Posts

In this insightful episode of Remarkable World Commentary, Donna J. Jodhan welcomes longtime colleague and mentor John Melville for a candid conversation about how a career in radio, television, and sports broadcasting unexpectedly led him into accessibility leadership. John reflects on his early path, from studies at Carleton and Humber to behind-the-scenes roles in major Canadian media, and explains how “theater of the mind” in radio helped shape his understanding of what inclusive broadcasting really requires. Together, they revisit AMI’s evolution from a niche service into a network striving to be “television that includes everyone,” and how Donna’s own advocacy and on-air work intersected with that mission.

In this uplifting episode of Remarkable World Commentary, Donna J. Jodhan sits down with Carol Trapani to explore the “why” behind ConnectAlt, a community-driven, fully accessible hub designed to help blind and low-vision people quickly find events, programs, and resources in one place. Carol shares how the idea grew out of her family’s lived experience as the mother of Lucy (born blind and determined to do everything), and the frustration of having to hunt across countless separate calendars and websites, an insight validated through extensive conversations with the community. She also describes the platform’s early momentum, including its launch at the National Federation of the Blind convention in New Orleans, where strong sign-ups and real stories of connection underscored just how needed this kind of central resource is.

In this richly reflective episode of Remarkable World Commentary, Donna J. Jodhan welcomes her longtime friend, mentor, and travel companion, Jilla Bond, for a conversation about a life lived as a “mosaic” of careers and caring. Jilla describes leaving school with little confidence and no clear path, then gradually building a portfolio of roles across politics, business, and design, from opening Margaret Thatcher’s mail to directing a major international design conference in Montreal that transformed her understanding of design as something that can radically improve people’s lives, like a child’s wheelchair built to feel like a sports car. She explains how these experiences, along with later work in high-end Italian lighting and growing a company with very low staff turnover, shaped her people-first philosophy and her approach as a life coach: listening deeply, asking careful questions, and helping others find their own answers rather than imposing solutions.

In this reflective episode of Remarkable World Commentary, Donna J. Jodhan takes a “look back and look ahead,” revisiting the personal and professional highs and lows of 2025 while calling out ongoing systemic barriers facing people with disabilities. She flags, in particular, the absence of a dedicated Canadian minister for disability issues and criticizes government “workarounds” that lean on surveys and unpaid participation, expecting people with disabilities to donate their lived experience, knowledge, and expertise rather than be properly compensated.

In this far-reaching episode of Remarkable World Commentary, Donna J. Jodhan welcomes retired U.S. diplomat and six-time U.S. blind chess champion Alex Barrasso for a conversation that spans childhood, global diplomacy, disability rights, and the power of persistence. Alex traces his journey from growing up blind in a tight-knit Italian immigrant family in multicultural New York, complete with daring solo bike rides, to the moment a State Department recruiter convinced him that a life in the Foreign Service was possible. He recounts postings in countries including Colombia, Singapore, Thailand, the Czech Republic, Brunei, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, sharing stories of advocating for guide dog access in Singapore, connecting with schools for the blind abroad, helping secure a $13.1 billion defense sale that supported tens of thousands of U.S. jobs, and negotiating the release of a detained family in a foreign language on short notice. Along the way, he and Donna compare notes on inaccessible exams, the emotional toll of being told “no,” and the stubborn optimism it takes to keep pushing.

In this heartfelt episode of Remarkable World Commentary, Donna J. Jodhan pauses to honour the memory of her dear friend, mentor, and “Coach,” John Panarese, reflecting on the fact that a year has passed since his death. She recalls how, in mid-2024, they began shaping a coaching initiative focused on helping others learn their iDevices, with John creating a strong template and a vision for bringing instructors and students together, even as he quietly battled cancer and insisted he would beat it.

In this inspiring episode of Remarkable World Commentary, Donna J. Jodhan sits down with Accessibility Commissioner Christopher Sutton to explore how his lived experience of deafness, foster care, isolation, and later receiving a cochlear implant has shaped his leadership and passion for system-wide change. He reflects on being told “no” throughout his childhood and how supportive parents, mentors, and his own determination pushed him to become a TV anchor, an entrepreneur, and a policy leader who now works to ensure that “other little Christophers and Donnas” grow up with fewer barriers and more role models. Drawing on his education at Gallaudet and the Ivey Business School, he explains how combining governance training, public policy expertise, and lived experience enables him to bridge communities, convene tough conversations, and embed human-centred accessibility into real-world decision-making.

In this inspiring episode of Remarkable World Commentary, Donna J. Jodhan welcomes blind sailors and leaders Karoline Bourdeau and Chris Jonas from Blind Sailing Canada to demystify what “blind sailing” really looks and feels like. Together they trace Karoline’s journey from clinging nervously to the corner of a boat to becoming an avid racer, and Chris’s perspective as both a competitive helm and long-time volunteer. They vividly describe the sensory world of sailing without sight, tracking the wind by how it hits your face and ears, listening for the changing sound of water on the hull, feeling heel through the tiller, and using the luffing of sails as an audio cue that something needs to be trimmed or adjusted. Along the way they dismantle the idea that sailing is only for the young or athletic, stressing that there’s no real age limit so long as a person has enough strength and agility for the conditions at hand.

In this uplifting episode of Remarkable World Commentary, Donna J. Jodhan welcomes Ed Henkler, founder of The Blind Guide, to trace his move from the Navy and a long corporate chapter to a purpose-driven life shaped by his mother’s vision loss and years of service with an association for the blind. He explains how an unexpected early retirement nudged him toward assistive-tech innovation and advising startups, then unpacks the origin of The Blind Guide, including the ethic of offering an arm rather than grabbing one. Ed shares his “choose to thrive” philosophy, outlining six progressive levels that start with basic daily living skills and build toward personally defined peaks, illustrated by sensory-rich experiences, new hobbies, and elite pursuits that show what thriving can look like in practice.