Author Archives: Donna W. Hill

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About Donna W. Hill

Donna W. Hill is a writer, speaker, animal lover and avid knitter from Pennsylvania's Endless Mountains. Her first novel, The Heart of Applebutter Hill, is an adventure-mystery with excursions into fantasy for general audiences. Professionals in the fields of education and the arts have endorsed it as a diversity, inclusion and anti-bullying resource for junior high through college. A songwriter with three albums, Hill provided educational and motivational programs in the Greater Philadelphia area for fifteen years before moving to the mountains. Her essay, "Satori Green" appears in Richard Singer's Now, Embracing the Present Moment (2010, O-Books), and her cancer-survivor story is in Dawn Colclasure’s On the Wings of Pink Angels (2012). From 2009 through 2013, Hill was an online journalist for numerous publications, covering topics ranging from nature, health care and accessibility to music, knitting and chocolate. She is an experienced talk show guest and guest blogger and presents workshops about writing and her novel for school, university, community and business groups. The Heart of Applebutter Hill is available in print and e-versions at Amazon, B&N, Apple, Sony, Smashwords, Create Space and other outlets. It is also available through Bookshare for readers with print disabilities.

Labrador or Writer: Who’s the Smart One?

Posted on February 15, 2016 by Donna W. Hill

Working with guide dogs is, among other wonders, a frequently humbling experience. Even after 45 years and four canine helpers, I occasionally realize that I haven’t learned all that much. All of my dogs regularly must endure my obstinate nature, … Continue reading →

Posted in authors, Blindness, Dogs, Guide dogs, nature, Pennsylvania, Rural Life, Uncategorized, Visually Impaired, Wrighting | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Web Accessibility for Blind Americans: Obama’s Broken Promise

Posted on February 8, 2016 by Donna W. Hill

Most Americans take the internet for granted. Banking, accessing medical records, making reservations, shopping and school/work-related research are routinely done online. Blind Americans, however, who rely on text-to-speech software (aka screen readers) are being left behind. And, why? The technology … Continue reading →

Posted in Accessibility, ADA, Blindness, Disability, Print Disabilities, Uncategorized, Visually Impaired | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Challenger’s Challenge: 30 Years Later, a Street Performer turned Author Remembers

Posted on January 28, 2016 by Donna W. Hill

Six weeks before the Challenger catastrophe (1/28/86), I bought my first home. I moved from Philadelphia’s Germantown section, where I’d spent eleven years as an apartment-dweller, into the magically wonderful, Montgomery County neighborhood of Glenside. Rich, my soon-to-be-husband, and I … Continue reading →

Posted in authors, memoir, songwriting, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

An Author’s Life Without Accessible Websites and an Easy Fix: Sign This Petition to Wake Up Obama

Posted on January 22, 2016 by Donna W. Hill

I just spent two-plus hours composing the following tech-support email to LinkedIn Customer Experience Advocate, Carina. It demonstrates, if you can stand to read it, why blind people need President Obama to release regulations for web accessibility. These regulations are … Continue reading →

Posted in Accessibility, ADA, Blindness, Uncategorized, Wrighting | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Hunter with ring over his nose

Posted on December 28, 2015 by Donna W. Hill

Well, I didn’t mean to post this, just to add it to my library. But, now that it’s here … Hunter figured out a new way to carry his red rubber ring.

Posted in Dogs, Guide dogs, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Featured Book: The Heart of Applebutter Hill by Donna W. Hill

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Donna W. Hill

Originally posted on Jamaica Pen Publishers:
The Heart of Applebutter Hill The Heart of Applebutter Hill book 14-year-old Adiaphoran refugees Baggy and Abigail are a bit cynical, as they are alone in a new country. Rounded up with other refugee kids,…

Posted in adventure-mystery, authors, Blindness, Disability, Dogs, Education, fantasy, Guide dogs, novel, Print Disabilities, Uncategorized, Visually Impaired, young adult | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Writing: the What & Why of It

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Donna W. Hill

The written word permeates all aspects of our lives. Even if we exclude books, newspapers and magazines, our world is filled with documents of identification and ownership, insurance policies, medical records, instructions and warnings. The written word is etched into … Continue reading →

Posted in authors, Education, Literacy, Uncategorized, Wrighting, Writing Process | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Writer’s Rant: Unchain Me from This PC!

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Donna W. Hill

Hope springs eternal … at least until it is dashed on the rocks of reality. Whether it’s a month, a year or a decade, perceptions of that perfect house, job, community or relationship can switch from a beautiful thing to … Continue reading →

Posted in Accessibility, ADA, authors, Blindness, Uncategorized, Visually Impaired, Wrighting | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

National Poetry Month: a Tribute from a Fictional Creative Writing Class

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Donna W. Hill

“No, you go first.” Here’s a chapter from my novel The Heart of Applebutter Hill. It’s the first day of the summer term at the Plumkettle Learning Center. Our heroine, 14-year-old Abigail, her guide dog Curly Connor and best friend … Continue reading →

Posted in authors, Blindness, Braille, novel, poetry, Uncategorized, Visually Impaired, Wrighting, young adult | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Writers’ Gazebo: Assumptions & Directions

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Donna W. Hill

Good writers take great pains to make their work perfect. Whether it’s an article, story, novel or the text for a marketing campaign, they check and double-check to ensure that spelling and grammar conform to current standards. They labor over … Continue reading →

Posted in authors, marketing, PR, Uncategorized, Wrighting | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments