Latest / Podcasts By Donna Jodhan / Remarkable World Commentary Episode #98: How Accessible is Learning Online?

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Remarkable World Commentary Episode #98: How Accessible is Learning Online? · Podcasts By Donna Jodhan

• 0:12
  Podcast Commentator: Greetings, Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP and MBA invites you to listen to
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  her biweekly podcast, Remarkable World Commentary.
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  Here, Donna shares some of her innermost thoughts,
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  insights, perspectives, and more with her listeners.
• 0:31
  Donna focuses on topics that directly affect the future of kids,
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  especially kids with disabilities.
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  Donna is a blind advocate, author, sight loss coach,
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  dinner mystery producer, writer, entrepreneur,
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  law graduate, and podcast commentator.
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  She has decades of lived experiences, knowledge,
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  skills, and expertise in access, technology and information.
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  As someone who has been internationally recognized for her work and roles,
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  she just wants to make things better than possible.
• 1:07
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Greetings, everybody. And I'm Donna J.
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  Jordan, your host for the Remarkable World Commentary for July 2026.
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  So what do I have on my mind for my first episode or my first podcast for July?
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  You know, this is a pet peeve of mine, and I'm telling you,
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  it just continues to go on and on and on.
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  And it's all about how accessible is online learning again,
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  how accessible is online learning?
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  I want to hear your feedback.
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  I would love for you to write to me and let me know what your thoughts are.
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  Write to me at Donna johnson@gmail.com.
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  That's odhan@gmail.com.
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  I have been a lifelong learner.
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  I've gone from the times when we used to submit our exams in
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  by typing it out on a good old typewriter to recording it with a tape recorder.
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  And now we have online learning.
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  I have to admit that there have been a lot of progress with regard to online learning,
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  but there is still a lot more to do.
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  It's not just the exams that I am referring to today.
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  How about registration forms, learning materials and contents?
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  A lot of the learning management systems are still not very accessible to those of us who
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  are blind and visually impaired.
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  And to those of us with cognitive challenges.
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  Now let's look at access to online exams.
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  The thing about that is that when it comes to diagrams and when it comes to understanding
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  what the diagram is trying to represent or what the image is trying to represent,
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  there needs to be a lot more work done in this area.
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  For if you go in there to many of these exams,
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  and I'm not going to name some of these exams,
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  because I really don't want to get into a fight with any company.
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  If the screen reader that you're using is not compatible to the software that is being used
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  by those administering the exams, then you're in big trouble.
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  If you have a reader or a scribe or a proctor that you're lucky enough to get when you go
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  to write your online exams.
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  Let it be known that these readers need to be comfortable and they need to understand what
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  they're reading. It is totally unfair to expect a reader to go in cold and be able to
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  read something to someone else.
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  That's my thought. Now, when we come to access to trainers and
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  instructors, that's another problem.
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  Access to trainers and instructors still are still lagging behind.
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  We don't have access to trainers and instructors who are able to train us and
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  instruct us as to how to put together the combination of a screen reader or a Zoom
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  text, or any sort of Zoom software.
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  Put it together with the online forms.
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  There's still a lot of work to be done when it comes to this.
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  All right. That is my rant for today.
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  So let's go to a story for today.
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  What is one of the most stressful events takes place in our lives?
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  If we are unlucky enough to have it happen to us?
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  This comes from one of my listeners, and they tell me a home invasion when a home
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  invasion takes place. One's life changes.
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  It changes for the worst.
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  A home invasion changes one's life.
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  So many things happen.
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  Your house is entered into by someone you don't know for the most part.
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  Even if you know the person.
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  The person comes in uninvited and they come into your home,
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  intending to do you harm and to take possession of your possessions.
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  A home invasion is not something that anyone would want to happen in their lives.
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  But there you have it.
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  It's one of the most stressful things that can happen to you.
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  This particular listener reached out to me after a home invasion of a year ago,
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  and thanks to my mental stretch, I have been able to help them deal with it,
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  to relax that little bit more, to recharge and regurgitate.
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  You're never, ever going to get over a home invasion,
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  but please leave my mental strength to help you out.
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  What is my mental stretch?
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  It really helps you to use every part of your body to become more in tune with your stress.
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  Okay. And you utilize this.
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  Utilize sorry. The senses of smell, touch, sight,
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  taste and hearing to help you out.
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  You want to know more about my mental stress?
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  Then please call me. Or better yet, email me at Donna jordan@gmail.com.
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  Take advantage of my mental stretch.
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  I will show you how after years of using it with others.
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  Okay, right. This is it for me for this first podcast,
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  The Remarkable World Commentary for July.
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  I wish everyone a great rest of the day and a great rest of the week,
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  and I will see you next time.
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  Take care. Now.
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  Podcast Commentator: Donna wants to hear from you and invites you to write to her at donnajodhan@gmail.com.
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  Until next time.