History

The History of Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA

For more than twenty-five years, Donna J. Jodhan has turned lived experience into public progress. Blind since birth, she has taken the Government of Canada to court and won, built a national coalition, advised federal agencies and major companies, hosted town halls from coast to coast, and written, broadcast, taught and created along the way.

This page brings that history together in one place, drawn from the record Donna has kept of her own work. It begins with the milestones, then follows each part of her story in turn, from the courtroom to the classroom and from the radio studio to the pottery wheel.

Milestones at a Glance

2000 to 2001
Worked with Human Resources Development Canada to redesign its website.
2006 to 2012
Led the Charter challenge that required the Government of Canada to make its websites accessible, winning in the Federal Court in 2010 and again at the Federal Court of Appeal in 2012.
2008
Received the City of Toronto’s Unsung Hero Award.
2011 to 2013
Served as President of the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians.
2014
Joined Elections Canada’s Advisory Group for Disability Issues and founded Barrier-Free Canada.
2016
Began serving on the accessibility advisory committee of the Canadian Transportation Agency.
2019
Saw the Accessible Canada Act come into force after a campaign she co-led with more than two dozen national organizations.
2022
Earned her law degree from the University of London and received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Award.
2023
Joined Air Canada’s Accessibility Advisory Committee in December.
2024
Launched the Remarkable World Commentary podcast and Access Park, and began building Vision Tech Academy.

In Donna’s Own Words

“My fight is for the kids first and foremost. They are our future and they are our hopes and dreams. If they are given the tools to succeed then we will all benefit.”

Donna J. Jodhan, in a 2015 interview

“Each morning when I wake up and reach for my i device I thank those who went before me because without them and their beliefs, commitments, and boundless efforts I would never be able to enjoy what I do today.”

Donna J. Jodhan, in the same interview

The Charter Challenge, 2006 to 2012

In 2006 Donna set out on a six-year legal journey to make the Government of Canada’s websites accessible to all Canadians, and especially to people who are blind or vision impaired. She led a team of advocates and lawyers, and was represented by lawyer David Baker.

On November 29, 2010, the Federal Court of Canada ruled in her favour in Jodhan v. Canada (Attorney General), 2010 FC 1197, finding that inaccessible federal websites violated section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The government appealed, and on May 30, 2012, the Federal Court of Appeal upheld the ruling in a case that also involved the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians. The case drew international coverage, and Donna’s efforts were endorsed by the City of Toronto and the City of Halifax.

Donna has shared the story of the case with audiences across Canada.

2010: National Union of Public and General Employees
The union supported her Charter challenge, and Donna presented to its members in Ottawa.
2010 Onward: Grove Community School
Grade five and six students invited Donna to talk about her case. She has returned several times since, and the students secured support for her cause from Unifor, a prominent Canadian union.
2011: Centre for Independent Living Toronto
A talk about her journey, encouraging listeners never to give up the fight for equal access.
2013: MAB-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre
A presenter at the centre’s White Cane Week celebration, which highlighted the importance of fully accessible public documents and information.
2013 and 2016: Montreal Audiences
Talks in Montreal about the case, her term as President of the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians, and the campaign for an Accessible Canada Act.
2014: CIBC
A presentation to human resources and information technology staff at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.
2014: CNIB National Braille Conference
“The True Story Behind a Landmark Victory,” presented on behalf of the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians.
2014: Ontario College of Art and Design
A talk on the major challenges she met along the way.
2017: CNIB Braille Conference
A member of “The Difference Makers” panel, describing how she used her success to raise awareness of inaccessible government websites.
2017: McGill University
A virtual presentation to a law class at the invitation of Professor Melanie Bernard.
2020: The Tenth Anniversary
Donna worked with the CNIB on an article marking ten years since the 2010 victory, and gave an anniversary interview to Joeita Gupta of Accessible Media Inc.

Barrier-Free Canada and the Accessible Canada Act

In 2014 Donna founded Barrier-Free Canada, Canada sans barrières, together with five fellow advocates. Their goal was to persuade all federal parties to work together on national accessibility legislation for Canadians with disabilities.

Donna co-led a coalition of more than two dozen national organizations from coast to coast in the campaign for federal accessibility legislation, and represented Barrier-Free Canada at standing committee hearings of both the House of Commons and the Senate. The Accessible Canada Act came into force in July 2019.

2019: The Chris Stark Memorial Award
As founder and president of Barrier-Free Canada, Donna created an award in memory of Chris Stark, a high-profile Canadian advocate and one of her mentors, to honour the most deserving advocate in Canada. The first award went to Irene Lambert of Montreal for her tireless work in advocacy.
Today: A New Direction
Donna continues to represent Barrier-Free Canada on advisory committees, and is working with others to reposition the organization as a think tank of international experts, producing white papers on the barriers that people with disabilities face.

Advisory Roles and Government Consultation

2014 Onward: Elections Canada
Donna joined Elections Canada’s Advisory Group for Disability Issues in February 2014, helping to develop tools and strategies that support voters with disabilities before, during and after federal elections. She gave presentations to internal groups and received an award from Elections Canada for her work.
2016 Onward: Canadian Human Rights Commission
In 2016 she took part in a two-day Commission event in Ottawa, joining a panel on the fundamentals of advocacy and appearing in a Commission video. In 2018 she helped plan a day-and-a-half event that brought organizations of and for people with vision impairments together. In early 2025 she shared her input on a Commission draft under the Accessible Canada Act, and in late 2025 she interviewed the Commission’s Accessibility Commissioner on Remarkable World Commentary.
2016 Onward: Canadian Transportation Agency
Representing Barrier-Free Canada on the Agency’s accessibility advisory committee, Donna has evaluated documents that include the Agency’s proposals for Accessible Canada Act requirements. In the fall of 2025 she interviewed the Director of the Agency’s Centre of Expertise for Accessible Transportation.
2022 to 2024: Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
Donna worked with the authority to develop training videos for its agents across Canada, and took part in a hands-on tour of the airport in Toronto as part of that work in 2024.
2023 to 2024: Leaders’ Debates Commission
With Jess Milton, she reviewed a draft accessibility proposal for the Commission and made recommendations.
2023 Onward: Air Canada
Donna has served on Air Canada’s Accessibility Advisory Committee since December 2023. The committee meets quarterly, and its members review the airline’s documents, proposed medical forms and plans for meeting Accessible Canada Act requirements. In July 2025 she interviewed Kerianne Wilson of Air Canada on her podcast.
2025: Canada Border Services Agency
At the agency’s invitation, Donna answered questions on its draft plan for meeting Accessible Canada Act requirements.

Accessibility Audits and Consulting

2000 to 2001: Human Resources Development Canada
Donna attended meetings in Ottawa and helped bring the redesign of the department’s website to completion in 2001.
2004: Industry Canada
A presentation on website accessibility to a group of Industry Canada employees.
2004: Website User Testing for the CNIB
To test the PPAO website, Donna assembled a group of user testers, wrote their testing documents, interviewed each tester and delivered a report with recommendations to the CNIB.
2011: Website Research for T-Base
Research into how Ontario government websites, including Ontario Health, Ontario Realty and Ontario Revenue, performed on accessibility, reported to upper management.
2011 to 2013: T-Base Expert Consumer Advisory Panel
A member of the panel advising T-Base on consumer advocacy matters, with thanks to Sharlyn Ayotte for the opportunity.
2019 to 2024: CNIB
Research, articles and client interviews for the “Know Your Rights” project, and documents shared for the CNIB’s entrepreneurship program.
2022: Office of the Auditor General of Canada
Donna audited the accessibility of transportation websites, including those of Air Canada, WestJet and the Canadian Transportation Agency. The Auditor General’s report on accessible transportation for persons with disabilities was presented to Parliament in 2023.
2023: Cathay Pacific
An evaluation of the airline’s proposal for meeting its Canadian accessibility requirements.
2023 to 2024: Knowbility
Website audits that included the evaluation of videos and website content.
2024: Wellesley College
Over two weeks, Donna evaluated Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence software for a college research project, recording her tasks and observations and closing with an interview with the lead researcher.

Community Leadership

2010 to 2011, and 2020 to 2022: Citizens with Disabilities Ontario
An active board member developing strategies for accessibility and disability challenges across Ontario, including those faced by people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2011 to 2013: Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians
As President, Donna presented to the caucus of the Liberal Party of Canada in 2011 on barriers to employment and proposed solutions. She is also a past Second Vice-President of the Alliance.
2011 to 2013: Canadian Blind Sports Association
Communications director on the board, developing website content and messages for the association.
2012 to 2014: A Braille Camp for Canada
Donna initiated a national Braille camp with the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians and the CNIB, and continued to lead the project after her presidency. The camp welcomed participants from across Canada at the CNIB’s Lake Joe facility in 2014.
2015: Campaign Against Bullying
Donna partnered with the Invicta Cert team to offer a self-defence workshop for vision-impaired adults at the CNIB, part of an anti-bullying campaign she built alongside her audio mysteries.
2015 to 2016: Community Outreach With the CNIB
A member of a CNIB group reaching out to blind and partially sighted Canadians from coast to coast on employment, education and social development.
2015 to 2016: Fedora North
Part of a small team exploring a Canadian equivalent of the CSUN assistive technology conference.
2017 to 2022: CCB Mysteries Chapter
Donna led a team that staged live dinner mystery evenings with plays and game shows she wrote, working with the Visionaries chapter of the Canadian Council of the Blind and the CNIB. In 2022 the chapter made a sizable contribution toward a Toronto Harbour boat cruise for Visionaries members.
2022: Dear Mrs. Claus
A worldwide letter-writing competition inviting kids aged 5 to 18 to tell Santa how technology could modernize his sleigh deliveries, with prizes for the top three writers in each of three age groups. Donna thanks her assistant elves Sharlyn Ayotte and Albert Ruel, and her developer Aaron Di Blasi.
2023 Onward: Transitioning to a New World
An initiative supporting students preparing to leave high school, young adults entering the workplace, and the parents and teachers who support them, as they build confidence, independence and strong personal and professional profiles. In 2026 Donna began working with Connect Alt, based in California, interviewing its CEO Carol Trapani in March and working with her team to promote Donna’s “Believing Is Achieving” seminars.

Tele Town Halls From Coast to Coast

Donna began hosting national town halls in 2011, shortly after becoming President of the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians, and went on to lead the tele town hall organizing team. Each one gave participants from across the country a chance to be heard.

October 2011: Library Services for the Blind
Her first coast-to-coast town hall, with the Centre for Independent Living Toronto, featured John Rafferty of the CNIB. More than 100 people took part by phone, online and in person.
March 2012: The Job Market
A panel on searching for work in government, in small business and in the non-profit sector.
November 2012: Self-Advocacy
Held with the Centre for Independent Living Toronto and Citizens with Disabilities Ontario.
April 5, 2014: Accessibility in Canadian Broadcasting
Co-hosted with Accessible Media Inc., with Scott Hutton, Executive Director of Broadcasting at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.
February 28, 2015: Accessible Federal Elections
Co-hosted with Accessible Media Inc., with Marc Mayrand, Chief Electoral Officer of Canada.
October 29, 2016: Let’s Get It Out There
An open forum on how the blind community could become a stronger voice for consumer advocacy, named by Irene Lambert of Montreal.
March 4, 2017: The Follow-Up
Participants built on the first forum, discussing transparency, accountability and rules of engagement.
October 14, 2017: Advocacy Without Borders, New Zealand and Australia
With Martine Abel-Williamson, Treasurer of the World Blind Union, and Fran Cutler, a retired CBC journalist and Officer of the Order of Canada.
November 18, 2017: Advocacy Without Borders, the United States
With Mitch Pomerantz, past President of the American Council of the Blind, and John Panarese of Mac for the Blind.
March 10, 2018: It’s Time to Have Your Say
The fifth and final town hall in the series.
June 6, 2019: Canadian Accessible Elections TeleTownHall
Presented by the Canadian Council of the Blind and Sterling Creations with Elections Canada, featuring Susan Torosian of Elections Canada, with an in-person audience in Ottawa.
May 29, 2021: Canadian Accessible Elections Town Hall 2021
A national webinar on getting ready for a federal election during the pandemic, again with Elections Canada.

On Air: Radio, Podcasts and Interviews

With Accessible Media Inc.

2012 to 2014: How It Works
A weekly show on how a vision-impaired person manages tasks at home, at the office and in public.
2014: The Innoversity Panel
One of five well-known members of the disability community on a panel hosted by the late Robert Pearson.
2015 to 2016: Insights
A weekly show on the daily challenges and experiences of a vision-impaired person.
2017 to 2019: Live in Studio
Co-host, with Bill Shackleton, of a weekly show on accessibility, disability, privacy and the news.
2018: The Mrs. Claus Show
Recorded on November 26 at the Accessible Media Inc. studios in Toronto, with Donna as Mrs. Claus sharing Santa’s secrets and letters, and asking listeners not to leave blind and vision-impaired kids behind.

Her Own Podcasts

2022 Onward: Ask Donna: Advocacy in Action
A monthly podcast on advocacy, with lived-experience stories and word games for listeners.
2022 Onward: Dining with Donna
Recipes from main courses to desserts, tips for around the home, and guests including Debra Erickson of The Blind Kitchen.
2022 to 2025: Your Mental Stretch with Donna
A monthly podcast guiding listeners to relax, recharge and refresh, paused in late 2025 so it can return with a new direction.
2024 Onward: Remarkable World Commentary
Interviews with guests from lawyers and medical professionals to entrepreneurs, authors, advocates, airline and airport representatives, human rights commissioners and leaders of disability organizations.

As a Guest

2015
Interviews for the Hidden in Plain View podcast and for Follow Friday, on her case, her audio mysteries and her campaign against bullying.
2021
An IDPD interview with Victor Schwartzman about their shared love of writing and mysteries, an appearance on the Mac for the Blind podcast about her advocacy history, and a Chess.com article about Donna as a blind chess player.
2022
The Living the Dream podcast with Curtis Jackson, on the Charter challenge and the campaign for the Accessible Canada Act.
2024
An in-depth interview in Lifestyles Magazine on her advocacy, her website accessibility work and her life.

Writing and Publishing

2003 to 2005: Three Books
Secrets to Financial Success, Untapped Wealth and Untapped Wealth Discovered, written under the pen names Jeff N. Marquis and Kerry J. Harrison, on reaching the markets of an aging population and of consumers with disabilities.
2008 to 2009: Avalanche Search Networks
Weekly articles for a Toronto search engine optimization company.
2010: Blindness, No Barriers to Ice Skating
An article on why and how she took up ice skating as a vision-impaired person.
2011 to 2013: The Fredshead Blog
A wide range of articles, from personal stories to opinions on advocacy and accessibility.
2011 to 2016: E-Access Bulletin
Articles on Canadian issues for this United Kingdom newsletter.
2013: Diversity in the Workplace
Articles on the challenges people with disabilities face at work, for an Ottawa-based website.
2014: From Hobby to Business
An article for the American Council of the Blind’s magazine on turning her audio mysteries into a business selling worldwide.
2018 to 2020: Getting Together with Technology
Weekly blogs, shared across Canada, on conquering challenges in the kitchen, around the home and in social situations.
2021: Braille Chess Association
An article for the association in England on the joy of chess. Donna still plays members by email and in virtual tournaments.
2023 Onward: Access Information News
Articles on advocacy for Access Information News, which also features her Remarkable World Commentary podcast.

Speaking and Teaching

2006: Ursula Franklin School
A visit with grade nine and ten students to explore their tactile works of art, made from leaves, pebbles and sticks.
2016: Getting Together with Technology
A live presentation at the CNIB in Toronto on the low-tech aids Donna uses every day.
2017: McGill University Transportation Seminar
“Navigating Canada’s Largest Airport: How Can We Make It a Better Experience for All Users,” a live presentation in a McGill seminar series.
2017: Saint Cyril School
A lunchtime talk for young chess students about learning and playing chess as a vision-impaired person, at the invitation of her chess coach.
2018 and 2021: Visionaries Toronto
A 2018 speech on what advocacy means to her, and a 2021 talk on the founding, mission and success of Barrier-Free Canada.
2022: Victoria Disability Resource Centre
Keynote speaker at the centre’s 33rd annual general meeting.
2023: The Carroll Center for the Blind
A panelist on entrepreneurship for the Screen Reader User Testing and Training class.
2024: Entrepreneurship Sessions
Thanks to a generous donation from Janet Perez, Donna coached students from the Screen Reader User Testing and Training program as they developed their professional profiles.
2024 Onward: The EYE Retreat
Virtual instructor at the Envisioning Youth Empowerment Retreat in North Carolina, teaching advocacy and entrepreneurship in 2024 and entrepreneurship in 2025.
2025: CCB Visionaries Mississauga
A virtual presentation on the steps to becoming an entrepreneur.

Creative Work and Entrepreneurship

2010 Onward: Detective DJ and the Crime Crushers
Donna has written, produced and narrated three seasons of thirteen episodes each, plus two “12 Days of Christmas” box sets. The series favours courtroom drama and suspense over violence, and has been broadcast on ACB Radio and Accessible Media Inc. and shared on YouTube.
2014 to 2020: Dinner Mystery Evenings
Live evenings of dinner, game shows and a mystery play, written, produced and hosted by Donna in Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax.
2021: An Apple Webcast With John Panarese
A webcast answering questions about using Apple devices and Mac computers as a blind or vision-impaired person, and about employment opportunities.
2023 Onward: Blindly Brilliant
Signature pottery, from bowls and special dishes to decorative houses and Christmas pieces, created with Shaun Kelly of the Studio on the Hill and offered on Etsy.
2024: Access Park
An accessible online marketplace, launched on October 21, 2024, where Donna offers her pottery and welcomes other sellers.
2024: Vision Tech Academy
A directory that brings assistive technology trainers and students together, announced on January 1, 2025, in honour of the late John Panarese.
2025: Training in Memory of John D. Panarese
A project with Craig Cohen and Ben Levy, later joined by Joan Work and Leo Bissonnette, to offer Apple device training to people with vision impairments and sight loss.

Fighting for Accessible Certification Exams, 2024 to 2026

On November 25, 2024, Donna was awarded a full $7,500 USD scholarship to the Apex Program, a 12-week cybersecurity training initiative sponsored by Novacoast, Inc., to prepare for the CompTIA Network+ and Security+ certification exams. What she received was roughly 21 Word documents, a login her screen reader could not read, no learning platform and no human support. She studied for a year anyway, and she has documented everything that followed in public.

October 1, 2025: The First Exam
At a Pearson VUE testing centre, Donna was unable to take the Network+ exam because its diagrams carried no verified descriptions for her human reader to read aloud.
January 2026: The Scholarship Is Cancelled
After Donna wrote honestly about her experience, Apex cancelled her scholarship.
Support From the CNIB and CompTIA
The CNIB wrote to Pearson VUE on her behalf, and CompTIA granted her a full credit toward the Security+ exam.
May 27, 2026: The Second Attempt
Pearson approved every accommodation Donna requested, but her reader again had no validated descriptions of the exam’s diagrams and could only offer her own interpretation. Donna did not pass. As she wrote afterward, when a process is inaccessible, “you never find out what you actually knew.”
June and July 2026: Writing to the Top
Donna wrote directly to the chief executives of CompTIA and Pearson VUE, describing what had happened and offering her accessibility expertise, free of charge, to fix it.

Donna tells the whole story in her own words in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 of her article series, and invites readers to sign her petition calling for accessible Pearson-proctored CompTIA exams.

Awards and Recognition

2008
Unsung Hero Award, City of Toronto.
2010
National Award, Council of Canadians with Disabilities.
2011
Named one of Backbone Magazine’s Top 15 in digital technology.
2017
Person of the Year, Canadian Council of the Blind.
2018
Award from Elections Canada for her work with the Advisory Group for Disability Issues.
2022
Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Award.
Also
IBM Innovation Award from IBM Canada, and the Royal Bank Training and Technology Appreciation Award.

Learn More

Donna’s history is still being written. To follow what she is doing now, visit her Projects page, explore Podcasts By Donna Jodhan, or see the Services she offers.

Every document relating to this page is available in alternate accessible formats on request. Write to donna@donnajodhan.com.

Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA
Global Leader In Disability Rights, Digital Accessibility, And Inclusive Policy Reform
Turning policy into progress for people with disabilities.

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