Remote from Toronto to the Governor Morehead School in Raleigh, NC.
NEWS PROVIDED BY:
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA
August 4, 2024, 6:00 AM GMT
Toronto, Ontario, CANADA, August 4, 2025 — AT-Newswire.com / TopTechTidbits.com — International accessibility champion Donna J. Jodhan reprised her role as faculty at the Envisioning Youth Empowerment (EYE) Retreat this summer, beaming in live each day from July 25 through August 2 to the Governor Morehead School campus in Raleigh, North Carolina.
“Watching our campers transform obstacles into opportunities this week reaffirmed why I do what I do. Accessibility isn’t just a right, it’s fertile ground for innovation, and these young entrepreneurs are already planting seeds for the future.”
Building on the success of her 2024 residency, Jodhan again guided blind and low-vision teens through daily two-hour “Entrepreneurship & Self-Advocacy Labs,” blending pitch-deck drills, interactive role-plays and real-time Q&A with a global audience.
“For this year, I taught the basics of entrepreneurship — what it is, how it’s done, who gets involved and why.”
Last summer’s cohort left a lasting impression on the Canadian advocate:
“Almost all of the time kids are so eager to learn, to share, and their attitudes always fill me with absolute satisfaction and fulfillment … After being with them for the better part of the week, I am convinced that our future will be in good hands.”
Founded in 2008 by Dr. Alan Chase, the week-long residential program equips low-vision youth with college-readiness, career and life-management skills. Its mission is “to offer youth with visual impairments a glimpse of post-secondary outcomes through mentoring relationships, real-world applications and resource identification,” and its rallying motto — “I Retreat From No Challenge!” — underscores every activity.
Blind since childhood, Jodhan is renowned for her 2012 Charter victory that forced the Canadian federal government to make its websites accessible, as well as her leadership in the coalition that secured the 2019 Accessible Canada Act. She hosts the Podcasts By Donna Jodhan network, operates the inclusive marketplace Access Park, and funds youth initiatives through dinner-mystery productions and pottery sales.
- Entrepreneurship Bootcamp: Lean-canvas creation, product-market fit and funding pathways.
- Self-Advocacy 2.0: Negotiating accommodations in college and the workplace.
- Gamified Learning: Students will test a board-game prototype co-designed by Jodhan and the EYE Retreat team to reinforce entrepreneurial problem-solving.
- Capstone Pitch Day: Teams present live business and advocacy pitches to an expert panel.
“Watching our campers transform obstacles into opportunities this week reaffirmed why I do what I do. Accessibility isn’t just a right, it’s fertile ground for innovation, and these young entrepreneurs are already planting seeds for the future.” — Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA
“Donna’s live-stream sessions proved that mentorship can cross any border. By week’s end, our students weren’t just pitching ventures, they were speaking the language of confidence and possibility.” — Dr. Alan Chase, Founder & Executive Director, EYE Retreat
Student / mentor applications available at: https://eyeretreat.org | Deadline: June 15 each year.
- Dr. Alan Chase, President & Executive Director, EYE Retreat
alan.chase@eyeretreat.org 📧️
+1 (919) 813-0393 📱️ - Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA
donna@donnajodhan.com📧️
+1 (416) 491-7711 📱️
Follow the conversation on social media: #EYE2025 #IRetreatFromNoChallenge #Accessibility