Remarkable World Commentary Episode #90: When Piggybacking Occurs

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In this pointed and unflinching solo episode of Remarkable World Commentary, Donna opens the month of May with a warning to her listeners about what she calls the “piggybacking problem”, companies that walk into the blind, vision-impaired, and broader disability community posing as saviors and accessibility experts while, in her words, being “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” She argues that these outfits arrive claiming the expertise needed to make services, websites, and information accessible, and claiming to understand what people with disabilities actually need, when in reality they have never walked a mile in the community’s shoes, have no real grasp of which software works and which does not, and are simply piggybacking on the community’s vulnerability to fill their own pockets.

Donna names one company in particular, Innosearch, and accuses it of doing exactly that under the banner of helping the community shop and travel more independently, only to leave the community “high and dry” once its own pockets were full. She makes clear that this is her opinion, acknowledges that Innosearch is far from the only company guilty of the pattern, and signs off with a wish for a great day and a promise to return shortly with her second episode of the month.

TRANSCRIPT

Podcast Commentator: Greetings, Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP and MBA invites you to listen to her biweekly podcast, Remarkable World Commentary. Here, Donna shares some of her innermost thoughts, insights, perspectives, and more with her listeners. Donna focuses on topics that directly affect the future of kids, especially kids with disabilities. Donna is a blind advocate, author, sight loss coach, dinner mystery producer, writer, entrepreneur, law graduate, and podcast commentator. She has decades of lived experiences, knowledge, skills, and expertise in access, technology and information. As someone who has been internationally recognized for her work and roles, she just wants to make things better than possible.

Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Hello there. And I’m Donna J. Jodhan. It’s a beautiful month of May, and I’m happy to start it off with my very first podcast for this month. I always enjoy the month of May and I hope everybody is doing just fine. Okay, so what I’d like to start off with my first solo podcast for this month is all about the piggybacking problem. Okay. Now I, I’m very sure that most of you know what piggybacking is all about, but here is my take on what happens when piggybacking occurs. Okay. We have here wolves in sheep’s clothing. And what do I mean by this? It’s all about those who pose as sheep. And what I mean is that they come to communities made up of vulnerable persons. Persons who are blind and visually impaired or vision impaired, as I like to say, or those with other types of disabilities. They come in posing as saviors, posing as sheep. But yeah, in wolf’s clothing. And they say that, you know, they are here for the well-being of our community. They’re here to ensure that we have an equal chance at not just generating income, but also competing on the stage, be it on the world stage or the state stage or the province stage. All well and good. They pretended to have the expertise that is needed to make services, websites and info all accessible to everyone, especially to those of us with a disability. And they also pretend to know how to help persons with disabilities with regard to their needs and requirements. And in essence, they have no clue as to what software works okay.

Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: And what software does not work when it comes to accessibility. That’s what it is. They have never, ever walked a mile in our shoes. But what it is or what is happening here is that they think and they truly believe, that they could just waltz in and become our saviors. They could just wash sin in sheep’s clothing and become the ones that will help us to better our lives. And I tell you that this is not the case. One company that I’m going to call out is Infosearch. Innosearch. This is a company that has Walston and has said that, you know, they would help us to become better able to conduct our shopping, conduct, our travel needs, and more. Sure, they’ve done it, but they did it for a reason. They did not do it for the welfare of our community. They did it to fill their pockets. They piggybacked on us. They used our needs and our requirements and our vulnerability and our weaknesses to fill their pockets. And when they’ve done. Filling their pockets, they have left us high and dry. They’re not the only company. There are many, many other companies who have done this, but I just wanted to voice my opinion with regard to the problem with piggy backing, those with so-called expertise, those with so-called goodwill. But in essence, they’re just sheep or wolves in sheep’s clothing. Wolves in sheep’s clothing. And Donna Jodhan, wishing you a great day. And look for me with my second episode for the month of May shortly. Bye for now.

Podcast Commentator: Donna wants to hear from you and invites you to write to her at donnajodhan@gmail.com. Until next time.

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.