Remarkable World Commentary Episode #98: How Accessible is Learning Online?

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In this candid episode of Remarkable World Commentary, host Donna J. Jodhan returns to a long-standing pet peeve Aow accessible is online learning? And argues that while online learning has made real progress, there is still a lot more to do. She points beyond exams to registration forms, learning materials, and learning management systems that remain inaccessible to people who are blind or visually impaired or who have cognitive challenges. On online exams specifically, she highlights diagrams and images that go undescribed, screen readers that aren’t compatible with the testing software, and readers, scribes, or proctors sent in cold without understanding what they’re reading. She also flags the shortage of trainers and instructors who can teach blind and low-vision users how to combine a screen reader or ZoomText with online forms.

In the second half, Donna shares a listener’s account of the lasting stress of a home invasion and introduces her “mental stretch” technique, which uses the senses of smell, touch, sight, taste, and hearing to help people relax, recharge, and become more in tune with their stress. She invites listeners to write in with feedback or to learn the technique, and closes by wishing everyone a great rest of the day and week.

TRANSCRIPT

Podcast Commentator: Greetings. Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, and MBA invites you to listen to her bi-weekly 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: Greetings, everybody. And I’m Donna J. Jodhan, your host for the Remarkable World Commentary for July 2026. So what do I have on my mind for my first episode, my first podcast for July? This is a pet peeve of mine, and I’m telling you, it just continues to go on and on and on. And it’s all about how accessible is online learning. Again, how accessible is online learning? I want to hear your feedback. I would love for you to write to me and let me know what your thoughts are. Write to me at donnajodhan@gmail.com. That’s donnajodhan@gmail.com. I have been a lifelong learner. I’ve gone from the times when we used to submit our exams in, by typing it out on a good old typewriter, to recording it with a tape recorder. And now we have online learning. I have to admit that there have been a lot of progress with regard to online learning, but there is still a lot more to do. It’s not just the exams that I am referring to today. How about registration forms, learning materials, and contents? A lot of the learning management systems are still not very accessible to those of us who are blind and visually impaired, and to those of us with cognitive challenges. Now let’s look at access to online exams. The thing about that is that when it comes to diagrams, and when it comes to understanding what the diagram is trying to represent or what the image is trying to represent, there needs to be a lot more work done in this area. For if you go in there to many of these exams — and I’m not going to name some of these exams, because I really don’t want to get into a fight with any company.

Donna Jodhan: If the screen reader that you’re using is not compatible to the software that is being used by those administering the exams, then you’re in big trouble. If you have a reader or a scribe or a proctor that you’re lucky enough to get when you go to write your online exams, let it be known that these readers need to be comfortable, and they need to understand what they’re reading. It is totally unfair to expect a reader to go in cold and be able to read something to someone else. That’s my thought. Now, when we come to access to trainers and instructors, that’s another problem. Access to trainers and instructors are still lagging behind. We don’t have access to trainers and instructors who are able to train us and instruct us as to how to put together the combination of a screen reader or ZoomText, or any sort of zoom software — put it together with the online forms. There’s still a lot of work to be done when it comes to this. All right. That is my rant for today. So let’s go to a story for today. What is one of the most stressful events takes place in our lives, if we are unlucky enough to have it happen to us? This comes from one of my listeners, and they tell me: a home invasion. When a home invasion takes place, one’s life changes. It changes for the worst.

Donna Jodhan: A home invasion changes one’s life. So many things happen. Your house is entered into by someone you don’t know, for the most part. Even if you know the person, the person comes in uninvited and they come into your home, intending to do you harm and to take possession of your possessions. A home invasion is not something that anyone would want to happen in their lives. But there you have it. It’s one of the most stressful things that can happen to you. This particular listener reached out to me after a home invasion of a year ago, and thanks to my mental stretch, I have been able to help them deal with it, to relax that little bit more, to recharge and regurgitate. You’re never, ever going to get over a home invasion, but please leave my mental stretch to help you out. What is my mental stretch? It really helps you to use every part of your body to become more in tune with your stress. And you utilize the senses of smell, touch, sight, taste, and hearing to help you out. You want to know more about my mental stretch? Then please call me. Or better yet, email me at donnajodhan@gmail.com. Take advantage of my mental stretch. I will show you how, after years of using it with others. Okay. Right, this is it for me for this first podcast, the Remarkable World Commentary for July. I wish everyone a great rest of the day and a great rest of the week, and I will see you next time. Take care 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.