Sterling Creations Blog

No way! It’s the final weekend of june and I’m Scott Savoy welcoming you to a gorgeous one.
Today I am pleased to share our president’s weekly editorial with you and for this week Donna J. Jodhan focuses her attention on our listening skills!
Happy weekend everyone!

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Is listening now an ancient skill?

This is the big question for me and I am asking this question because of a very concerning trend where so many are becoming more and more guilty of not doing the following.
Too many of us are not paying attention to conversations.
Instead, we only listen to what interests us and somehow manage to block out other pieces of the conversation so that soon after said conversation we either return to ask something that was mentioned in the conversation or we miss it all and you need to repeat it not once but several times.

Phone messages are not being listened to; instead the person receiving the message calls you to ask what you said in your phone message to them.
So I ask this question: Why leave any phone message at all? Or just simply leave a message asking the one you call to call you back!

Emails are no longer being thoroughly read
For some reason reading and absorbing have both gone missing in action and too many times you need to reiterate the text of the email.
And you will be lucky if you are not asked to repeat what you wrote!

Finally, you go out to have a meal and guess what? Diners show up with their I devices so that most of the meal is spent with your guests interacting with their I device and paying little or no attention to what is being said at the table.

This I find to be extremely rude and disrespectful and as a blind/vision impaired person it is almost impossible for me to know if I am being heard or simply being ignored in favour of some artificial friend.

Just my two cents for today.
Image = Brand new Apple iPhones 6 and 5S sit on a Macbook keyboard surrounded by iPad tablets and various other Apple devices.

To learn more about me as a sight loss coach visit www.donnajodhan.com

To reach me, please send an email to info@sterlingcreations.ca.

Here is a complete list of where you can view Donna’s blogs and editorials.
Donna Jodhan! Advocating accessibility for all
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com
Weekly features on how to increase your success with your business ventures
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm
Weekly articles and editorials on issues about accessibility
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog

Now you can enjoy Donna’s detective DJ crime crushers Series by visiting http://www.donnajodhan.com

You can follow me on twitter @accessibleworld
and chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Greetings and I’m Christian Robicheau at the Sterling Creations business desk welcoming you to another wonderful weekend of June.
I simply cannot believe that this month is simply speeding along and today I am pleased to share our president’s weekly editorial with you.
For this week Donna J. Jodhan appeals to everyone to remember some important words when entering into meaningful engagement.
Happy weekend everyone.

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It is only through us and for us

In early April and after almost three years after the promised appointment, the Federal Government announced the appointment of a Chief Accessibility Officer. Then in late April it followed up with another promised appointment again almost 3 years after the promise when it announced the appointment of an Accessibility Commissioner.

These two very important appointments resulted after the milestone Bill C81 came into being on July 11 2019.

For whereas I am relieved and thrilled that these two appointments have finally been made, I’d like to respectfully submit the following feedback.

These two appointments are of two lawyers/legal minds which in itself is goodness. However, these two individuals are somewhat obscure and relatively unknown to many Canadians with disabilities across Canada.

This means that one of the most important first duties for these two appointees would be for them to seriously engage and communicate with Canadians with disabilities coast to coast. To reach out, learn the pulse of these communities, listen and learn, and work with them and not for them.

In short, it is only with us and for us that the job can be carried out most effectively! Nothing else matters.
Finally, I urge these two appointees to seriously consider ways to engage and communicate much sooner rather than later.

Just my two cents for today.
Image = bill C81

To learn more about me as a sight loss coach visit www.donnajodhan.com

To reach me, please send an email to info@sterlingcreations.ca.

Here is a complete list of where you can view Donna’s blogs and editorials.
Donna Jodhan! Advocating accessibility for all
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com
Weekly features on how to increase your success with your business ventures
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm
Weekly articles and editorials on issues about accessibility
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog

Now you can enjoy Donna’s detective DJ crime crushers Series by visiting http://www.donnajodhan.com

You can follow me on twitter @accessibleworld
and chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Ah yes and it was a very welcomed break for us at the Sterling Creations business desk.
I’m Scott Savoy welcoming you to the jolly month of June and I am pleased to share our president’s weekly editorial with you.
For today, Donna J. Jodhan zooms on on the topics of unexpectedness and uncertainty.
Please read and send us your feedback.
Happy weekend everyone.

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Dealing with uncertainty and unexpectedness
By Donna J. Jodhan

Call it the double U challenge; this is what it is for me and I suspect that it is probably the same for many of us.

When things are uncertain, we cannot help but feel so very helpless. We feel as if our futures are in a cloud or that it is in serious jeopardy. Our hands are literally tied and this can only change if uncertainty turns to certainty. When this occurs, then and only then can we start to formulate some sort of strategy.

The same could be said for unexpectedness except that in this case things tend to sneak up on us when we least expect it. I like to think of this circumstance as one where I am swimming in a very calm sea and all of a sudden a huge wave comes rolling towards me and I literally have seconds to either duck for cover or surf the wave.

This is what our lives have become more of thanks to Covid. Uncertainty and unexpectedness and there is nothing that we can do about it. It is as it is as they say. However, I will also add that Covid has made these two challenges even more acute. Maybe we need to accept and make sure that our feet are firmly planted so as to help us buffer it.

Just my two cents for today.
Image = Recovery from the Coronavirus. A pencil eraser erases the Coronavirus to reveal a rainbow.

To learn more about me as a sight loss coach visit www.donnajodhan.com

To reach me, please send an email to info@sterlingcreations.ca.

Here is a complete list of where you can view Donna’s blogs and editorials.
Donna Jodhan! Advocating accessibility for all
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com
Weekly features on how to increase your success with your business ventures
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm
Weekly articles and editorials on issues about accessibility
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog

Now you can enjoy Donna’s detective DJ crime crushers Series by visiting http://www.donnajodhan.com

You can follow me on twitter @accessibleworld
and chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Greetings from us at the Sterling Creations desk and I’m Christian Robicheau wishing you a nice long relaxing holiday weekend if indeed it is a holiday weekend in your neck of the woods.
Today, I am pleased to share our president’s weekly editorial with you and for today Donna J. Jodhan is really centered on the meaning of the term engagement.
Please give her editorial some serious consideration.
Happy weekend.

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When engagement fails

Please do not get me wrong! I am a very strong advocate for engagement and when it works it does indeed work but when it fails it is all because one party enters this process with pre conceived ideas and attitudes and then it is soon discovered that they never really had any intentions of changing their stances.

These are my thoughts for today and I am only sharing this after having witnessed certain sad, embarrassing, disrespectful, and humiliating actions on the part of certain specific Canadian Government departments. These are the bad and rotten apples that definitely spoil the images and profiles of other Canadian Government departments that are trying so hard to engage in meaningful discussions.

These are certain specific Canadian Government departments that intentionally continue to engage in wilful and reckless actions and ones that intentionally continue to defy the rules and regulations of the accessible Canada Act.

These are the departments that should definitely know better but such is their mindset that their lawyers have no problem in continuing to defy the ACA and I can only urge the Honourable Prime Minister and the responsible Minister along with her team to please do something about this! This can only lead to a growing black mark being perpetrated by some renegade folks who do not care choosing instead to continue to terrorize Canadians with disabilities rather than working to build a better Canada for them.

Just my two cents for today.
Image = An illustration depicts the word TEAMBUILDING under which are 6 icons which read Team Spirit, Inspiration, Goals, Competence, Support and Motivation.

To learn more about me as a sight loss coach visit www.donnajodhan.com

To reach me, please send an email to info@sterlingcreations.ca.

Here is a complete list of where you can view Donna’s blogs and editorials.
Donna Jodhan! Advocating accessibility for all
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com
Weekly features on how to increase your success with your business ventures
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm
Weekly articles and editorials on issues about accessibility
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog

Now you can enjoy Donna’s detective DJ crime crushers Series by visiting http://www.donnajodhan.com

You can follow me on twitter @accessibleworld
and chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Greetings from the Sterling Creations team and I’m Scott Savoy hoping that wherever you are; it is pleasant and springlike.
Today I am pleased to share a very insightful editorial with you written by our president Donna J. Jodhan and for this week Donna focuses on this willful and reckless scammers!
Happy weekend everyone!

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The Pandemic perpetrators
By Donna J. Jodhan

Who are they? They are the scammers who continue to work under the cover of the pandemic using their scams and schemes to play havoc with our lives. Who are the victims? Everyone but in particular; seniors and those with disabilities! In short, the most vulnerable.

The Pandemic Perpetrators are becoming more and more creative and cunning. They are even managing to conn those who should know better; those poor unsuspecting folks who think that they are perpetrator and scam proof because they are a bit too sure of themselves.

I recently witnessed this first hand for myself when I saw how someone who I thought should know better become entrapped.

This person has become involved with a very enticing multi level marketing scheme! They have gotten themselves deeply immersed in an initiative where they truly believe that they can help others to create so-called lucrative business opportunities for themselves and lo and behold! The better business bureau of America is warning that this Pandemic Perpetrator is in the midst of some very serious fraud investigations!

This person really believes what they are selling but alas! They are falling way short of being able to fully explain this so-called lucrative initiative but you know when you are about to be snowed when they are unable to fully explain the initiative and then they are unable to deliver on promised materials in a timely manner.

We need to be more aware of our immediate surroundings. We need to look before we leap, think before we commit, and ask all of the relevant questions before doing anything else.

Just my two cents for today.
Image = Close up of a smart phone showing an incoming call marked SCAMMER.

To learn more about me as a sight loss coach visit www.donnajodhan.com

To reach me, please send an email to info@sterlingcreations.ca.

Here is a complete list of where you can view Donna’s blogs and editorials.
Donna Jodhan! Advocating accessibility for all
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com
Weekly features on how to increase your success with your business ventures
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm
Weekly articles and editorials on issues about accessibility
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog

Now you can enjoy Donna’s detective DJ crime crushers Series by visiting http://www.donnajodhan.com

You can follow me on twitter @accessibleworld
and chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

And on behalf of the Sterling Creations team, I Christian Robicheau would like to wish all moms wherever you are; a very happy Mother’s Day!
Today, I am pleased to share our president’s weekly editorial with you and for this week Donna J. Jodhan writes a very positive and uplifting editorial; all about the Ukraine example!
Happy weekend to all!

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The Ukraine example

At the end of the day, it does not matter how far away we are from the Ukraine and whether or not the war there is directly affecting us; this is a perfect example of courage, commitment, and undying love of life, freedom, and country for us all to follow.

I know that there are several who have openly said that they do not care because this does not affect them! How wrong you are and what a very selfish and self centered so called excuse this is. In fact, it is not an excuse but rather an expression of ignorance and naivety!

Here we have the picture of David versus Goliath with the Ukraine as David and Russia as Goliath! I would respectfully submit that if we were unable to show our kindness, generosity, and selflessness during this pandemic then here is a perfect time for us to correct our unhealthy attitudes.

We need to really make a bigger effort to start looking past ourselves and our own selfish needs. We need to wake up and discover that this world does not just revolve around us! The wonderful citizens of the Ukraine continue to show us how courage and commitment can be used to defy the odds. They are standing together and this is what we as a world need to do if we have any hope of making things better for any promise of a future !

The kids of the World Wars showed us but it seems as if we may have forgotten! Now we need to remove the blinders and curtains and wake up!
The crisis in the Ukraine is going to affect us all and we need to realize this now!

God bless the Ukraine and give them the strength to stand tall!!
Just my two cents for today!
Image = hope

To learn more about me as a sight loss coach visit www.donnajodhan.com

To reach me, please send an email to info@sterlingcreations.ca.

Here is a complete list of where you can view Donna’s blogs and editorials.
Donna Jodhan! Advocating accessibility for all
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com
Weekly features on how to increase your success with your business ventures
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm
Weekly articles and editorials on issues about accessibility
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog

Now you can enjoy Donna’s detective DJ crime crushers Series by visiting http://www.donnajodhan.com

You can follow me on twitter @accessibleworld
and chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Greetings everyone and I’m Scott Savoy at the Sterling Creations desk wishing everyone a final pleasant Saturday of April.
This has been a very cold month but hopefully May will be a better one.
Today, I am pleased to share our president’s weekly editorial with you and for this week Donna J. Jodhan talks about the changing workplace and I invite you to give this a read.
Here’s wishing you a great weekend.

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The changing workplace
By Donna J. Jodhan

Ah yes! The changing workplace and it has only be hastened by this horrific Covid choke hold.

Some may say that it would only have been a matter of time before the mainstream workplace would have disappeared and this is probably very true.

Whatever it may be; the mainstream workplace has definitely seen some very drastic changes since March 2020. Gone are the days when so many of us had to travel to our offices. Gone are the days when many of us had to work in cramped workplaces filled with even rows and rows of cubicles or rows and rows of desks crammed into open areas. Gone are the days when many of us had to contend with having to ride in crowded elevators up to our workplace.

Now we are seeing a whole new trend. The home is now the workplace. The home office, the dining room or kitchen table, the living room, the bedroom, and even the pre fabricated structure in the back yard is now the new design of a workplace.

Some may say that it would eventually have happened anyway but that Covid has only helped to move things along much more quickly. There are those who have welcomed this new type of workplace but then there are those who are not so sure.

I would humbly submit that if anything, the new workplace gives us a chance to exert more control over the design, location, dimensions, and what we include in our surroundings.

Just my two cents for today.
Image = Virtual meeting showing many faces of diverse people. Group video conference. Online meeting.

To learn more about me as a sight loss coach visit www.donnajodhan.com

To reach me, please send an email to info@sterlingcreations.ca.

Here is a complete list of where you can view Donna’s blogs and editorials.
Donna Jodhan! Advocating accessibility for all
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com
Weekly features on how to increase your success with your business ventures
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm
Weekly articles and editorials on issues about accessibility
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog

Now you can enjoy Donna’s detective DJ crime crushers Series by visiting http://www.donnajodhan.com

You can follow me on twitter @accessibleworld
and chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Greetings from the Sterling Creations team and I’m Christian Robicheau wishing you a very happy and enjoyable spring weekend.
Today, I am pleased to share our president’s weekly editorial with you and for this week Donna J. Jodhan discusses a very serious issue; she would like to know why is it that the Canadian Human Rights Commission is not stronger when it comes to helping to protect and preserve the rights of Canadians with disabilities!
Happy weekend everyone!

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The incomplete picture
By Donna J. Jodhan

Forgive me if I seem to be missing something here; what’s wrong with this picture? In July 2019 Canada passed legislation to herald in an Accessible Canada Act! Very well done but there is something missing to help complete this picture! One of committed accessibility.

Over the years I have had the pleasure and privilege of engaging and interacting with the Canadian Human Rights Commission; an organization that is supposed to ensure that the complaints and concerns of Canadians are quickly and fairly dealt with. In particular, for Canadians with disabilities. This is an organization that has done its best to engage with Canadians with disabilities and it continues to work diligently to build trust amongst groups of persons who are considered to be the most vulnerable.

Sadly enough, the CHRC continues to struggle to process complaints and when one is told that they are still working on complaints submitted in 2020 then I rest my case. In addition, the CHRC continues to struggle when it comes to making its online complaints system accessible and navigable to those who are blind/vision impaired and others.

This may just be the tip of the iceberg for an organization whose spirit is more than willing but its flesh is woefully weak! It keeps attempting to walk the walk but for many reasons; some obvious and others hidden, it keeps having trouble rising from a kneeling position to a firmly walking one.

I will keep my opinion private as to some of the hidden ones but suffice it to say that some of the obvious ones could be that the CHRC needs much more financial support from the Federal Government. It badly needs financial resources to bring its online complaints system up to snuff so that it can be made completely accessible. It needs more Human resources to assist in processing the massive backlog of complaints filed. Above all, it needs to adopt a more aggressive posture of dealing with those respondents who are constantly using delaying tactics to do such things as dampen the efforts of complainants and drag out their complaints to the extent that by the time a complaint gets to Tribunal it may no longer be worth the time and effort.

There is no doubt that several present and perspective respondents are aware of the above and they continue to use these glitches to their advantage. It remains to be seen if anything concrete will change if/when the promised appointment of an accessibility commissioner is made.

For now, complainants remain at the mercy of the struggling system while respondents continue to have the upper hand.

Just my two cents for today.
Image = Canadian Human Rights Commission logo.

To learn more about me as a sight loss coach visit www.donnajodhan.com

To reach me, please send an email to info@sterlingcreations.ca.

Here is a complete list of where you can view Donna’s blogs and editorials.
Donna Jodhan! Advocating accessibility for all
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com
Weekly features on how to increase your success with your business ventures
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm
Weekly articles and editorials on issues about accessibility
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog

Now you can enjoy Donna’s detective DJ crime crushers Series by visiting http://www.donnajodhan.com

You can follow me on twitter @accessibleworld
and chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Greetings from the Sterling Creations team and wherever you are, I’m Scott Savoy wishing you a very happy and enjoyable holiday weekend.
I know that many of you will be busy relaxing, cooking, and going on those exciting Easter hunts but if you have a moment, I invite you to read our president’s weekly editorial.
Today, Donna J. Jodhan focuses on knowing our rights!
Take care and enjoy your weekend now.

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How aware are we of our rights?
By Donna J. Jodhan

This may be a very interesting question but at the end of the day the response may not be as clear as we would like it to be. We may be surprised to learn that there are a plethora of responses.

Some may say that it all depends.
Others may say that they really do not know what their rights are.
Still others may say that they are somewhat aware but need to know more.
Then you have those who will say that it does not matter anyway because at the end of the day rights are not really respected, recognized, or protected.

It is my humble opinion that different cultures view rights differently. That different countries do the same. Then you would probably see that the more developed countries would probably consider rights to be a very important part of their daily lives while persons living in second or third world countries would probably ignore rights or would not even recognize them.

Sadly enough however, there are persons living in developed countries who readily say that they are not really aware of their rights and even if they were to become more aware, it would probably not change their approach to standing up for their rights. Why? Because it would not matter anyway.

Whatever the view or opinion, this question continues to be one for debate. No clear cut response; just more questions on top of questions.
Just my two cents for today.
Image =. Three people sit together at a table learning. One of them smiles into the camera.

To learn more about me as a sight loss coach visit www.donnajodhan.com

To reach me, please send an email to info@sterlingcreations.ca.

Here is a complete list of where you can view Donna’s blogs and editorials.
Donna Jodhan! Advocating accessibility for all
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com
Weekly features on how to increase your success with your business ventures
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm
Weekly articles and editorials on issues about accessibility
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog

Now you can enjoy Donna’s detective DJ crime crushers Series by visiting http://www.donnajodhan.com

You can follow me on twitter @accessibleworld
and chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Greetings from the Sterling Creations team and I’m Christian Robicheau welcoming you to a typical April weekend.
I hope that wherever you are, it is pleasant and comfortable.
Today, I am pleased to share our president’s weekly editorial with you and for this week Donna J. Jodhan zooms in on the mobile app dilemma.
Please read her perspectives.
Wishing you a great weekend.

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The mobile app dilemma

Technology sure has left large groups of consumers and customers in a very serious predicament and what am I referring to now?

I am referring to a very sobering fact! This being that as more and more business places over a widening plethora of industries move to demanding and requesting that customers and consumers engage and communicate with them through mobile devices and apps; it means that some very important bread and butter consumers and customers are both being left out and forgotten!
Here are my thoughts!

Seniors who are either intimidated by mobile technology, do not possess a mobile device, do not own computers, do not use the Internet, and who cannot even afford to pay for proper Internet connections are either being forgotten, left out, or a bit or much of both.
In short, they are being left out in the cold!

Persons with disabilities who continue to be challenged with having to use mobile apps that are not accessible, usable, or navigable; they too are both being forgotten and left behind. They too are being left out in the cold!

We are dealing with a rapidly aging population and this is a fact of life that too many businesses still seem to be either unaware of or they are choosing to bury their heads in the sand when it comes to this picture. In short they are hoping that a miracle will descend and make things right.

Too many businesses are failing to either realize all of this or they naively believe that they can simply push or bully customers and consumers into using mobile technology. I agree that mobile technology will be the way to go moving forward but please! We need to find immediate ways to meet the requirements and needs of those mentioned above.

Telling a person that they can get around this by asking a friend or family member to assist is a poor excuse and as I would respectfully submit it is humiliating, insulting, and downright disrespectful! I can only urge businesses to please do something about this!

Just my two cents for today.
Image = Brand new Apple iPhones 6 and 5S sit on a Macbook keyboard surrounded by iPad tablets and various other Apple devices.

To learn more about me as a sight loss coach visit www.donnajodhan.com

To reach me, please send an email to info@sterlingcreations.ca.

Here is a complete list of where you can view Donna’s blogs and editorials.
Donna Jodhan! Advocating accessibility for all
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com
Weekly features on how to increase your success with your business ventures
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm
Weekly articles and editorials on issues about accessibility
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog

Now you can enjoy Donna’s detective DJ crime crushers Series by visiting http://www.donnajodhan.com

You can follow me on twitter @accessibleworld
and chat with me on Skype at habsfan0526.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan