26 Feb 2025

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
S1 (00:14):
Good evening and welcome to Focal Point here on Vision
Australia Radio 1190 7 a.m. in Adelaide, online at Via
Radio Warrego, Radio Digital in Adelaide and Darwin through the
TuneIn radio app. Look for Vision Australia Radio Adelaide your
favourite podcast streaming service. Also find us Peter Greco on
behalf of Philip Napier and a big hello to Wendy

(00:36):
McDougall listening in saying wonderful to be here. Thank you
for your company coming up very soon we'll catch up
with Jock Beveridge from Guide Dogs in Queensland with a
tremendous initiative as far as helping with their puppies go.
You'll love that story. We'll meet Grace Hobbs, a champion
tennis player. Grace will share some of her life, particularly

(00:58):
living with usher syndrome will then be joined by Amber
Freeman from the Australian Federation of Disability organizations. They've got
some excellent, excellent material out as far as financial literacy goes.
So if you're self-managed on the NDIS, you'd love to
hear that they'll have an official launch and your official
invitation to attend will be on the radio soon and

(01:21):
feel Vatapi will join us. Co-Founder and co-presenter for Focal Point,
Phil Scott. Always lots of things to talk about. I'm
sure politics, iPhone 16 and more will be the topic.
And I might just ask Phil what he thinks of
Clive Palmer. If you're listening through 1190 7 a.m. in Adelaide,
around the clock for your listening pleasure. Lindsay and Sam

(01:41):
are here with Studio One just before we hear what's
on their program. Last year we caught up with Graham Colton,
who talked about a national blind cricket reunion happening in April. Sadly,
that is about or that has been postponed. We had
a great response to it, but it's been postponed to
hopefully later in the year. If you want more details,

(02:01):
give Graham a call 0412 192 418. By Cricket reunion postponed at
this stage. For more details, give grammar call 041292418. Let's
find out what's on studio M tonight.

S2 (02:20):
While it is nice when someone offers to help out,
is it possible for them to be over helpful?

S3 (02:26):
We uncover the Boy Scout syndrome.

S2 (02:29):
Join us at 8:00 for studio one.

S1 (02:32):
Let's find out about a wonderful sounding initiative that's happening
at Guide Dogs in Queensland and speak to their CEO,
Jock Beveridge. Jock, great to meet you and thank you
for your time. Thanks.

S4 (02:43):
Very great to be with you too.

S1 (02:44):
Tell us about this initiative. How did it all come about?

S4 (02:46):
Well, it started a few years ago now when we
were approached by a low security correctional centre here in
Brisbane called the Helena Jones Centre, about potentially one of
the ladies in there taking on one of our pups
as a puppy raiser. So we did a bit of exploring.
We're always in need of volunteers, particularly puppy raisers in

(03:10):
the community, and this really seemed like a great opportunity
to create a win win partnership where we were getting
some awesome puppy raisers for our new pups, and we
were also working with Queensland Corrective Services to help these
women rehabilitate and reintegrate back into the community. So yeah,

(03:30):
and it's gone really well.

S1 (03:32):
Was it kind of a bit because of Covid and
sort of volunteers were a bit harder to source?

S4 (03:36):
Yeah. Immediately post Covid we did have some issues, but
it's always a challenge for us to find a puppy
raiser in particular, because it's such a big commitment and
our first and second stage raisers normally take on PUP
for about six months. So it's a big commitment during
that period where the PUP is really with them full

(03:56):
time and they're teaching their puppets. Basic obedience and In
socialization skills taken out in the community. So it's not
a small volunteering job. It's a very rewarding one. But yeah,
a little bit of challenge post Covid, but it's we're
really always on the lookout for for new volunteers to
help bring into the program and the corrections.

S1 (04:15):
They're I guess they're always on the lookout for opportunities. So, um,
you know, people who are serving time to kind of
get out and maybe do something to kind of make
their lives a bit more fulfilling and hopefully assimilate them
back into the community when that time comes as well.

S4 (04:30):
Yeah. That's right. Peter, you you've nailed that, really. I mean,
it's a it's a transitional facility, the Jones Center. So
it's located in one of the suburbs of northern Brisbane.
So the women there are on their way back, on
their way to being released and to be reintegrated back
into the community. So this centre is really about starting

(04:52):
to prepare them for that. So they have relatively free
range to come and go do shopping for kids, they
can now live with them there on site. So it
really is a it's kind of putting one foot back
in the community and doing some volunteer work like this
really helps them to reconnect back with the community that

(05:12):
they haven't been a part of for a while and
gives them a purpose while they're doing that.

S1 (05:16):
So it started with one person, like at the beginning,
just one person to kind of, uh, you know, be
the proverbial guinea pig.

S4 (05:23):
Yeah, it started with one. And, um, so now they've, um,
successfully raised four dogs, and we now have some of
the ladies come on site regularly to do volunteer work
in our nursery and in our kennels. So they come
in small groups or whatever we need from day to day. But, um,

(05:43):
usually 2 or 3 days a week, we have a
small group of the ladies come on site and help
out with a range of tasks. You know, it can
be anything from walking the dogs or helping to prepare
food for the pups, or cleaning up the kennels. Uh,
doing some basic obedience work with the with the dog.
So yeah, a range of duties, whatever we need. Yeah.

(06:04):
We're a volunteer centered organization, always have been. And volunteers
continue to play a really important part in what we do.
So yeah, it's been great to grow this over time.
And as you say, started with one. And it's really
blossomed into a whole lot more.

S1 (06:18):
You talked about, obviously, the responsibility and how important the
person's role is to make sure what they're doing is right,
because eventually that guard dog is going to be, you know,
being used by a client. So hopefully, uh, travel and
navigate life really, really well. They're kind of supervised in
terms of what they get trained in, what sort of

(06:39):
areas to work in and how to do what they
sort of are trying to do as well.

S4 (06:42):
Yeah. So we we provide the same oversight of the
them as puppy raisers or volunteers, as we do for
any of our other puppy raisers and other general kennels volunteers.
So and that is a closely monitored process. So particularly
for new puppy raisers, when they they go through a
fairly extensive screening and preparation process before they even get

(07:05):
the pup. And then once they do, they usually will
come back onto site fairly regularly to do group classes
with their pup and learn some of the skills that
they need to do to teach their pup. And they
will range from basic obedience work to teaching them how
to become used to a range of different sounds and

(07:25):
stimulations in the community, and not be distracted by those,
or even stressed or concerned by those. Uh, it's a
good home behavior, learning how to not jump up on
the bench and take things and not meant to, and
that sort of thing. So, so yeah, it's a it's
a well coordinated process that our professional dog trainers and
staff work closely with the volunteers on.

S1 (07:47):
I mean, it sounds like a fun thing. You know,
you get a puppy for six months or whatever and
you get to train them. As I say, it sounds
like all beer and Skittles, pardon the expression, but it's
a lot more than that. And it's such a big
commitment because it's kind of day in, day out, you know,
kind of, uh, uh, you know, you don't kind of
regret it for a few days and then come back
to it. It's a continuous process.

S4 (08:07):
It is for that period. It's really 24 over seven. Yeah.
But it is a very rewarding one. Yeah. We have
a lot of repeat raisers who just love the experience
and find it incredibly rewarding, and they come back and
do it again. And sometimes we hear people who haven't
done puppy raising tell us they couldn't imagine having to

(08:28):
give up the puppy in return. But what they probably
don't realize is that it's not like giving up your
family pet, you know, so very early on. The volunteers
are invested in the journey of the PUP and in
their role teaching the pup the skills that it's going
to need to become a future guide dog. And it's
kind of like being a proud parent and passing that

(08:50):
that pup on to the next stage of its journey,
and our raises get to keep track of that journey.
And when the pups eventually become guide dogs, they are
updated on how the dog is going and the partnership
and where they've ended up. So it's a very rewarding
journey to be a part of that. People do keep
coming back for despite the fact that, as I say,

(09:11):
it is a 24 over seven commitment for six months.
But like.

S1 (09:14):
Seeing your child graduate to jock.

S4 (09:16):
It is it's very much like that. But yeah, it
is nuts. These are proud moments and we treat it
like that. We have little graduation ceremonies and sort of
progression events that we have to celebrate those milestones and
invite the raises in to be part of that. And
when they actually graduate with a client and they form
a new team, we we invite all the raisers into

(09:39):
our annual graduation event to to again be be part
of that celebration and be reminded of the impact they
had on that journey.

S1 (09:47):
Jock, the program is growing, and obviously that's a, you know,
a double thumbs up for how it is working, but
I guess human corrections kind of do, uh, sort of, uh,
research and you work out how successful it is and
get feedback from the ladies that are taking part in it.
Sounds like it's all been pretty positive. And maybe also
perhaps some things get sort of adjusted along the way

(10:08):
as well, maybe to make it even better as we
go along.

S4 (10:10):
Well, we're continually monitoring the feedback from both our staff
and from the the ladies and from the staff at
the Helena Jones Center. So there's there's good communication in there.
And really, it's that feedback that has continued to inform
the expansion of it. So as we talked about starting
off with just one zone, one part there to see

(10:33):
how that went and each step, we've had some positive learnings.
But these have all been really good experiences. So through
each step our conversations have been around, oh, how can
we continue to build on this and make it even
more meaningful? But both for us and for the ladies
in the center and the staff there for that matter.
So yeah, we're we're in continual dialogue and we talk

(10:56):
every week and, uh, we'll, uh, we'll continue to manage
the program for as long as it continues to be successful,
which I think is for the foreseeable future.

S1 (11:07):
I'm not sure how much you can even comment on
this or how much you know, but in terms of
how successful it is, as far as, you know, people
being assimilated back into the community after taking part in
something like this. Do you have any kind of numbers
or any feelings as to how successful it is? And,
you know, perhaps preventing people from maybe being back in
that sort of position, as we sometimes hear about, we.

S4 (11:29):
Don't have any specific data on that, and we don't, um,
we don't track that. But what we do know from
the people that run the center at the Helena Jones
Center is that the more these ladies are plugged into
their community and engaged in purposeful work and activity, the
more successful their transition back into society is going to be.

(11:52):
So they do see programs like this as a very
important in setting them up for a successful transition back
into the community. So we um, yeah, we're really proud
to be a part of that. And we, um, yeah,
have had a couple of the ladies who have made
that transition and continue to do volunteer work for us
as well. So that's been great. We've got some some

(12:15):
anecdotal evidence there that it certainly seems to be working.

S1 (12:18):
Let's be very, very powerful. And I know like the
last month or so, I'm laughing a bit. There's been
so much talk about sort of diversity and inclusion. This
is kind of at another level and kind of show
the benefits of of diversity and inclusion and kind of
everyone being included and, you know, all being in for
the one course, if I can put it that way.

S4 (12:36):
Well, it is so this is something that, um, we
is quite different from what we've done in the past
in reaching out to say, hey, there is a, there
is a place for these ladies in our volunteering program
and including the minute has been enriching for everybody. No question.

S1 (12:55):
I know we're a big, wide, brown country as they
like to say. Queensland kind of amplifies that in a sense.
Your people that work in your guide dogs area, you
must get to some far reaching places in Queensland and
a different sort of climates. I mean, you know, cyclones
and floods and all that sort of stuff. You must
have some clients that live in rather interesting areas.

S4 (13:16):
We do. Peter. Yeah. We've got clients spread right throughout
the state, many guide dog clients and many non dog
clients as well. So a lot of your listeners will
probably be surprised to hear that most of our clients
don't actually have a guide dog. So we provide a
full range of other services that include orientation and mobility,

(13:36):
training and occupational therapy and psychology, and a range of others,
and a lot of services into schools around the state
for kids with low vision or blindness. So when you
include the mix of, um, of, uh, clients in, in
the full extent. Yeah. We've got. Right. We go up
to Torres Straits, we've got, uh, some kids up there and, and, uh,

(13:58):
couple of the programs we run now right down to
the border and as far west as Mount Isa and
everywhere in between. So it's a big area to cover
our our staff travel a lot. A lot of driving
and a lot of flying in and flying out of places.
And we have a few offices that are spread across
regional Queensland that act as hubs for servicing some of
those areas as well.

S1 (14:19):
Yes, I was trying to think, well, Brisbane is kind
of Queensland, but as you kind of touched on, there's
a lot north and there's a lot west of Brisbane
as well.

S4 (14:27):
Yeah, well people are often surprised to hear that the
um yeah, Brisbane to Cairns is about the same distance
as Brisbane to Melbourne. Yeah. And, and you've got a
lot of coastline still north of Cairns to cover. So
uh yeah. So it's a big state. Yeah.

S1 (14:42):
Great to talk to you and thank you for sharing that.
I mean heaven knows nice. We need a bit of
good news and a bit of uplifting stuff, and certainly
this is something that is really worth spreading the word about.
So to all those that are involved, ah, thank you
so much for giving us a bit of a snapshot
and long may it continue. And if clients are benefiting,
I guess from a program like this point of view,
if clients are benefiting, that's kind of, you know, the

(15:04):
main thing in many respects, but there's a lot of
other benefits from it as well, which is tremendous.

S4 (15:08):
Yeah, there are a lot. But ultimately, as you say,
it is about the clients. And there are people in
our community who are getting beautifully well trained guide dogs
because of this program. So that's what we're on about
at the end of the day. Well done to all involved.

S1 (15:24):
Just great to catch up with you. We wish you.

S4 (15:25):
Well. Thanks a lot, Peter. It's been a.

S1 (15:27):
Pleasure. That's Jock Beveridge who's the CEO for Queensland Guide Dogs,
doing some tremendous work with the ladies who are sort
of transitioning out of prison into the community. And as
I say, long may that continue. Well, it's certainly been
a stellar time for Grace Hobbs, who's really turning out

(15:47):
to be a wonderful tennis champion. And it's great to
welcome guests to the program. Grace, thanks for your time
and congratulations on your career so far.

S5 (15:54):
Oh thank you. Thank you for having me. It's a.

S1 (15:57):
Pleasure. What got you into tennis?

S5 (15:59):
I had played tennis, you know, for a bit of
fun when I was younger. And I wanted to start
tennis back up again, and we found my mum actually
found blind, low vision tennis, and, um, I gave it
a go and enjoyed it.

S1 (16:15):
So you played as a person with sort of sight
or you played conventional tennis, if I can put it
that way.

S5 (16:19):
Ah, yeah. Just some more for some fun, just to
get a bit active. And yeah.

S1 (16:24):
I'm happy to tell a little bit about your vision impairment.

S5 (16:27):
Yes. So I was born with Usher syndrome type one,
which is a dual sensory condition. So I was born
profoundly deaf with I had bilateral cochlear and I have
on for the vision. I've got retinitis Pigmentosa.

S1 (16:42):
And of course, we've learned over the years doing programs
like this that particularly with RP, it can degenerate or
you can lose your sight at different rates in different people.
It's quite marked how different, how much the sight can
differ from person to person. Yes. What's your situation then?
How much sight have you got? At the moment.

S5 (17:03):
I'm not 100% sure, but it's around ten degrees on
each side.

S1 (17:08):
So what did you play as a B3?

S5 (17:10):
Oh no, I played as a B4.

S1 (17:11):
Okay as a B4. And what about the kind of
prognosis for your side? Do you know much about that?
Do you kind of, uh, think much about, you know,
how it might have impact you in the future?

S5 (17:22):
Um, occasionally from time to time, but I take it
as a day as it comes. So, yeah, it just
takes a day as it comes and just enjoy what
I the sport I have.

S1 (17:31):
And what about your cochlear implant? What age did what
age were you when you had that?

S5 (17:35):
I got my first one implanted at, uh, two years old,
and then the next one a year Later on the
left side.

S1 (17:42):
And what's the situation now? Is that kind of it
knowing about it, or did they get kind of updated or, um, uh,
you know, as time goes on, they, they change.

S5 (17:52):
Every maybe 5 or 6 years. They come out with
a new cochlear. And, um, I just upgrade to the
new one when it comes out, um, on. So I've
got an internal, um, cochlear as well. And that one,
I don't have to get updated. It's just only the
external one.

S1 (18:07):
The third take much adjusting when it happens.

S5 (18:09):
No, no, my I keep the same, um, audio sound.
So there's not much change and all that. And what was.

S1 (18:16):
School like particularly, uh, you know, in those early years when, uh, uh, you,
I guess, come to terms with living with, with the
cochlear implant and your vision impairment. What was school like?

S5 (18:26):
Uh, so at first it was the cochlear implant. Um,
I just adjusted with, you know, uh, the teacher having a, uh,
the teacher had had an FM, so the audio was
a little went straight to my cochlear, and it was
a lot easier to hear the teacher at times. Um,
the vision loss wasn't until later on, but I started
to notice in high school, when you're entering the classroom

(18:48):
when it's really dark. I would run into chairs and, um,
I adjusted by just remembering the classroom layout because it
rarely changed.

S1 (18:56):
Okay. So you kind of adjusted and learned to live
with it? Yeah.

S5 (18:59):
That's correct.

S1 (19:00):
And of course, then you talked about when you go inside,
then when you go outside, it's probably a bit of
adjusting needed as well as far as your sight situation
or your eyes go.

S5 (19:08):
Ah yes. It's adjusting from dark to light. Yeah. But
where I was, we had like, um, shelters. So it
actually wasn't too much adjusting. It was just once I
got beyond the shelter then. Yes.

S1 (19:21):
What did you. When did you discover that you were
good at tennis?

S5 (19:24):
I guess what I trained, I, uh, I put the
effort in the hard work to be where I am.
I wouldn't say, like, there's a lot of improvements that
I have to do, So, um, but yeah, no, I
just enjoyed it and just kept going.

S1 (19:43):
With playing for fun. Our advantage in terms of kind
of adjusting to the game now.

S5 (19:48):
Obviously when I started up it was more for just some, um,
some fun and um, sort of getting a bit more competitive.
And I think starting out when it was when I
was playing for fun was I was able to learn
the skills for it, so and then not and then
just being going into competitiveness. So it was more of
a build, like a stepping stone situation.

S1 (20:08):
Would last year be your best year yet?

S5 (20:10):
Oh, absolutely. That was uh.

S1 (20:12):
That.

S5 (20:13):
Was um, yeah. Keeping my title, uh, second year in
a row was, uh, it was tough, but I got
there and I, I'm, I'm impressed with how I played.

S1 (20:24):
Okay, well, they should be too. You talked about your
work ethic and and you've trained hard. Work hard. Where's
that sort of influence come from? Um, I.

S5 (20:32):
Guess just wanting to keep, uh. Well, number one, and, um,
knowing that if I put the effort in, I'm going
to see it in my matches and how I play.
So just keep practicing those skills. I will see it
slowly going into my matches.

S1 (20:49):
Grace. Last week we spoke about the fact that the
Deaf World Cup for football is coming to Australia in 2027,
and we spoke to Ray Younan about that. He was
making the point that when the players play, both men
and women, those that have implants take them out partly
to kind of balance and make it even as far
as the players go, but also in terms of like

(21:10):
safety and not losing them. What happens with you when
you play tennis?

S5 (21:14):
Um, I leave them on. I wear a hat, so
it sort of keeps it in place at times. Um,
but sometimes when I go and hear the umpire, I
have permission to come closer and ask, or what was
the score or what? What did the umpire say? So
I keep it in sometimes, um, I rely on the
little bell of the ball, so there's a little bell

(21:34):
in the ball. bowl. So like sometimes I can pick
that up so I leave it on.

S1 (21:39):
Do you reckon that's kind of improved your hearing, playing
a sport like tennis and obviously apart from being able
to see the ball, you know, in your sort of
B4 category, but the way you listen out for it,
do you think it kind of improves your your hearing
as well or maybe more your concentration?

S5 (21:54):
Um, yes, my hearing, because when I'm out in the day,
like daily lives, sometimes I hear the bell and I think, oh,
that's the, the, the ball we use. And, you know,
I think I can I've now picked up on that.
Just that noise.

S1 (22:06):
Now you've done a fair bit of international travel too
haven't you.

S5 (22:09):
Yes. So I went to Birmingham in I think it was,
it was 2023. And then last year I went to
Italy and.

S1 (22:17):
So Birmingham was the, the games wasn't it. Yes.

S5 (22:20):
That was.

S1 (22:21):
That was the big event because that was all sport
wasn't it. Or not just tennis.

S5 (22:24):
Yeah. No, that was all the sports. And being able
to see the other competitors from the other sports and uh,
having the Australia team behind you even from other sports was,
was amazing.

S1 (22:34):
If we heard about that. It was a great effort
by everyone. As I say, kind of be very supportive
and really, you know, playing for Team Australia regardless of
what sport you're playing.

S5 (22:43):
Yes, yes. No. We had a we had a Team
Australia meeting and I, I got to see all the
Australians and I thought, I thought that was it was
a lot of people. So it was nice to see
it all in one place. Grace have you.

S1 (22:53):
Thought about trying other sports or have you indeed tried other.

S5 (22:56):
Sports? I haven't tried any other sports, but, um, I
might give them a go and see what their the
sports are like. Um, might get. I'm going to see
if I can give goalball and blind cricket a go and, um,
explore those areas and see what they're like, and. Yeah, well, I.

S1 (23:12):
Guess when you're number one at tennis, you probably want
to keep defending that title too, don't you? Yeah, yeah.
Tell us about Italy last year. That was that was
incredible for you by the sound of it. Yeah.

S5 (23:22):
No, it was a really, um, it was a very competitive, uh, experience. Uh,
you know, everyone wants to try and knock me out
of world number one. So it was a bit of
a daunting like going out at first like I'm I
had the first day off. So actually a couple of
us had the first day off. So we were actually
able to go and practice on the courts, on the,

(23:42):
on the site, and they would get an hour of practicing,
which was like, which was amazing. And just yeah, it
was a bit scary. But I think after the first match,
I think I knew I could do this. I was like,
I can do this and um, just keep going. Do
you get a.

S1 (23:58):
Chance to kind of experience a place like Italy or
UK with Birmingham? Do you get a chance to kind
of do any touristy things, or is it very much, uh,
you know, strictly business?

S5 (24:06):
Uh, strictly business basically went over there and, um, yeah.
But like I had I had done some previous travel
there as well. So before the tennis. So I had,
I had experience with the area as well.

S1 (24:19):
What about as far as the future goes. You talked
about maybe trying some other sport, but did you play
over the summer here in Australia? Of course, the Australian
Open and the sort of summer of tennis is pretty
big here in Australia. How did you go as far
as that went?

S5 (24:32):
Yeah, no, I've been I've been training over the holidays
as well. Um, obviously I took a bit of a
break over Christmas and recharged and went back at it,
and I was a, I had went down to the
Australian Open and, um, I was in the all abilities
showcase match with Dylan Alcott and me and, um, Ross
Patterson and other BFL men's champion. Um, we went on

(24:54):
a call and showcased at arena. We also a couple
of of us at Blind Vision went on Margaret Court
and we had a little bit of a session there.
So no, it was a it was amazing. So I
still had some tennis over the break.

S1 (25:08):
What's that like playing on, you know, like Margaret Court
and those kind of arenas that we all see about, uh,
you know, read about, hear about, see on TV, etc.,
what's like when you're actually out there.

S5 (25:18):
Oh, it's amazing. It's it's a completely different experience. And
I really love playing on. It was my second time
playing on Margaret Court Arena and I, I love it,
I love that court. Um, I love just being able
to go where all the players walk underneath, which is,
you know, you only see it on television, on the
cameras and being able to go underneath there and, you know,
walk it. It's it's actually really amazing. Kia arena was

(25:41):
so much more different. Like you have all the people
in the crowd and you don't really think about it
as much, but it is amazing what the sort.

S1 (25:48):
Of thing you think about more almost when you look
back on it.

S5 (25:50):
Oh yeah. Absolutely. It would be definitely playing on those arenas.

S1 (25:54):
Yeah. And you talked about Ross Patterson. Of course, he's
also been very successful. And I mean, in a sense,
tennis isn't, um, as big a sport for people blind
or have low vision in Australia. But here we've got
some really good players such as yourself that, you know,
we sort of punch above our weight when it comes
to Aussies.

S5 (26:11):
Yeah. No, we've got an amazing team here in Australia.

S1 (26:14):
What about as far as the future goes then? What
sort of things would you would you like to achieve?
What's on your sort of drawing board?

S5 (26:20):
Oh, I would love to keep playing tennis as long
as possible. And, um, obviously when the condition, um, gets worse,
I can go down into B3 so I can keep
playing as you know, as long as I want. And
I'm that's what my plan is. And just to keep
playing and be around all the other Australians and being
able to represent my country.

S1 (26:39):
First before I guess you kind of see the B1, B2,
B3 playing, does that kind of give you a bit
of a different perspective on the game as well? That,
and I guess as you say, like a a future
if your sight is deteriorating you, this means you can
still keep playing. But yeah, you kind of get a
bit of a sense of, you know, how good the
other players are playing with, you know, their, their lesser side. Yeah.

S5 (27:00):
No it's in in all the different levels of play
so differently. So you actually because like B3 has two bounces.
So you so you have those extra bounce to get
that ball. Whereas in B4 I wouldn't be able to.
So if I missed the ball by chance I wouldn't
have been able to get it and then we'd B3
get that chance to. And no, it's absolutely amazing. Like
even watching the B1 is it. It's such a different um,

(27:24):
I feel like I'm watching a different match, but it's
so different that they today, obviously blindfolded, and it just
feels very different from watching. It seemed very different as well.

S1 (27:33):
They also wanted doubles, didn't you?

S5 (27:34):
Yes they did. That is correct.

S1 (27:36):
What's that like, playing doubles?

S5 (27:38):
Oh, doubles is very fun. Um, obviously with my doubles partner.
We both won two years in a row, so we
were number one in B2B for women's. And. No, it's amazing. Like, um,
obviously my doubles partner Courtney Welbeck, she's a B2, so
she gets three bounces. So if I miss the ball

(27:59):
she can still get the ball. So it's actually really
interesting how we can play, how we play.

S1 (28:05):
Of course Courtney won the Blind Side of the year
last year.

S5 (28:07):
Yes she did.

S1 (28:09):
We had a chat to her about that, which is fantastic. Uh,
just quickly, uh, we love to chat longer, but we're
running out of time. What did your life and tennis.

S5 (28:16):
I work at Vision Australia.

S1 (28:18):
Terrific. They've been good support in terms of time off
and that sort of thing.

S5 (28:22):
Oh, they've been absolutely amazing with the time. Even, um,
just when I go to domestic tournaments, sometimes, you know,
flights get cancelled and, you know, last minute changes. And, um,
they've been absolutely amazing about that.

S1 (28:34):
I'm going to say something tongue in cheek. Grace. Lucky
you said that. Nice about Virgin Australia because you're on
Virgin Australia radio.

S5 (28:40):
Oh thank.

S1 (28:41):
You Grace. Congratulations. It's great to find out a little
bit more about you. I've heard a lot about you,
and now we've got to know just a little bit.
We look forward to following your progress. And thanks again
so much for speaking to us.

S5 (28:53):
Thank you for having me.

S1 (28:55):
That's the grace Hobbs. They're the number one ranked B4
tennis player from Australia. Certainly doing great things. And also
not just in the sport of tennis. You're listening to
Focalpoint here on Vision Australia Radio 1190 7 a.m. in
Adelaide on the web. VA radio.org and VA radio digital.

(29:16):
Hope you're enjoying the program. If you're on the NDIS
or would like to be, or maybe more particularly if
you're self-managed and would like to self-manage. The Australian Federation
of Disability Organisations have got some great resources that they'd
like to share with us, and Amber Freeman, who looks
after communications and projects, is with us. Amber, lovely to

(29:37):
meet you. Thank you for your time.

S6 (29:38):
Thank you for having me, Peter. I'm really excited to
share these new financial literacy resources, which we've developed, as
you mentioned, specifically for NDIS self managers or those who
intend to self-manage their NDIS funds.

S1 (29:53):
So if you're in need and think someone should do
something about it, we're going to do something about it.

S6 (29:57):
Yes, absolutely. Especially in context of the recent NDIS legislation,
as it's been really good timing actually for the launch
of the resources. So, you know, managing your own NDIS
funds gives you greater choice and control. But it does
come with those extra responsibilities like understanding invoices, tracking spending

(30:17):
and making sure everything aligns to your plan. So we
know that many people want to self-manage but don't feel
confident enough to take that step. So and then. Others
are already self-managing, but could use clearer, more accessible guidance
to help make things easier. So as a result of
the project, with support from Extra Foundation, Aptos created this

(30:38):
set of financial literacy resources to help both self managers
but also the families and support networks as well.

S1 (30:45):
That's a great point, isn't it? Because, you know, often
it's not just the individual that has to be across
these sort of factors, but lots of, you know, say
family members or carers or just people that want to
be supportive as well.

S6 (30:57):
Yeah, absolutely. And you'll find that a lot of the resources,
you know, it's helpful for people who, you know, have
need to upskill in financial literacy anyway, whether they're on
the NDIS or not or they're, you know, potentially will
be on the NDIS. Um, in the future. You've got a.

S1 (31:15):
Webinar coming up soon. Yeah.

S6 (31:17):
So that's next week. So we're launching the resources next
week and the link will be in the show notes
for that and the link to all the resources as well.
So all the resources have been co-designed and tested by
people with disability, just so that we know that accessibility
and inclusion have been paramount throughout the lifespan of the project.

S1 (31:38):
Well, with that, I'm going to go all the way.
But what sort of things do you cover? Like what
sort of things that are in this that maybe we
should know about, but maybe we don't know about? Or
until we kind of dig a little bit deeper we
don't know about?

S6 (31:48):
Yeah, sure. So there's a range of resources to suit
everybody's tastes and interests. Um, I personally like to listen
to things. It helps me absorb information better. But there's
a video series, there's fact sheets as well, and there's
an online course too. So, um, there's quite a range

(32:09):
of resources out there. We have created an easy read
introduction document to as part of the fact sheets. And
there's things like, um, how to create a spending Tracker,
whether something is everyday or disability related, how to buy supports,
how to keep records and prepare for an audit. Things

(32:30):
like service agreements, even setting up a bank account. You know, um,
some of these things that sometimes we take for granted.
But as soon as you're adding in that element of
the NDIS, it can become a little bit more complex.
So we just want to empower people to keep self-managing
or give it a go.

S1 (32:48):
And in a way kind of demystifying it. Because often
when you hear stuff on the radio or read stuff
in the paper or wherever online, etc., it can be very,
very confusing. And then you get counter-arguments and, you know,
then people want to enter into all sorts of discussions
that maybe sort of cloud the issue.

S6 (33:04):
Yeah. And even things like the terminology, you know, some
of the financial terms alone can be quite discombobulating. I
always like to say, um, but even the NDIS terms
as well, sometimes they use terms that we would normally
describe in a different way. So we have actually created
a couple of fact sheets around both financial terms and

(33:25):
NDIS terms as well. That might help people. We've got
things like your rights as a consumer as well, and
what cost effective means in context of the NDIS. So
there's a whole heap of things out there and the
video series that we've created, we've also had them translated
by an Auslan interpreter too. So there's two sets of

(33:47):
videos there. So some people can engage specifically with the
Auslan videos, um, for deaf participants. And then there's a
video series that has been hosted by people with disability
as well. Um, you'd like to see that all of
the fact sheets are also accessible PDFs. So I did

(34:08):
all the accessibility myself. So if there's any problems, somebody
can come and see me about that. Um, but so
hopefully that means that it's accessible for people using screen
readers as well. And the online Moodle course that we've
designed is specifically for people with, um, using screen readers too.
So two of the people on our working group, um,

(34:30):
had vision impairment. So that helped us troubleshoot things, like
to make sure that the quiz would be able to
be accessed as well.

S1 (34:38):
I know this is a bit of a Dorothy Dixer,
but how important is the fact that you've had feedback
and sort of input consulting with consumers, with people with disabilities,
rather than someone saying, oh, this is a good idea,
I know how we'll put this together. And then all
these sort of other issues can arise from that. How
important is the consulting?

S6 (34:56):
That's priceless. I think co-design is absolutely crucial when creating
things like this. You know the phrase nothing about us
without us. You know, it needs to be things that
are co-designed the whole way throughout the lifespan of something
from its inception, all the way up to that testing
and troubleshooting sort of stage. We've been very lucky to

(35:18):
have a working group who have been along with the
project the whole way along, and we've had a couple
of people with intellectual disability within that working group two
who come along with their support workers. Um, so yeah,
it's been really, really useful. And um, as part of it, actually,
what came out was it's difficult to get resources around self-management.

(35:41):
I know NDIS has actually recently released some updated resources,
but what we've actually done on the af2 website is
sort of put together what we're calling the ABCs of self-management.
So which is sort of like a curated list of
resources and links covering those essential topics related to self-management.
And this list is designed to be a reference tool.

(36:03):
So we'll keep updating this over time. So people who
are both self-managing and who those who support them, like
we said, family members, advocates, service providers, Carers, you know,
it's something that they can come back to and find
resources over time that are trustworthy as well.

S1 (36:22):
What about the kind of different, I call them, buckets
of money that people have made available for them? Things
like transport, things like capacity building, you know, the technology
sort of support as well. You kind of go into
that and the different buckets and what kind of can
be taken out for what sort of service. Yeah.

S6 (36:39):
So there is a little bit on that. Um, and
it is often something that I like to get directly
from the horse's mouth. So I like to make sure
that I'm keeping track of that, um, from the, directly
from the NDIS, because sometimes these sorts of um, like
we said, what is everyday or disability related can sort

(37:00):
of change. Um, and we just need to check every
now and then whether the way that we're using our
NDIS funds is correct.

S1 (37:08):
Because it's so important, isn't it. Because, you know, maybe
change of government, who knows. They're all pretty keen to
make sure that everything is done correctly, which it should be, because,
you know, one bad apple could spoil it for everyone else.
So if you kind of know what you should be
doing and do it correctly, then there shouldn't be any
questions asked. And hopefully you can just keep keep going
without any kind of interruptions.

S6 (37:30):
Yeah that's right. And something, you know, things like using
unregistered providers a lot of sort of scares people off.
But if you're doing it in the, in the right
sort of way and you're keeping correct records, then generally,
you know, you're, you're able to do that. And, um,
it's something that, um, some people need and want to

(37:51):
do that because the service and the support that they
provide is really something that they need. So yeah, we
do touch on a lot of that sort of stuff
in there, both in terms of after created resources, but
also things from people like my care space and, you know,
directly from the NDIS as well. Um, yeah. So there's
there's a lot in there. Too much. Some would say.

S1 (38:14):
You kind of touched on this a bit earlier with
one of your answers, but it's very, very important as
well that if there is any queries that, you know,
you can sort of pick up the phone or contact
the NDIS to to get clarification. That's really, really important
as well. And yeah, that kind of goes to my
question about, you know, if things change in the future.
A lot of this information is still going to be
very relevant anyway, isn't it?

S6 (38:34):
Yeah, absolutely. Especially in terms of financial literacy like, you know,
self learnt a lot along the way just around, um,
you know, how to manage your funds both whether that's
NDIS funds or not. But you know, some of the
NDIS specific stuff like, like we said, preparing for an
audit and a review, sometimes those are things that are

(38:55):
really overwhelming and quite scary as well. So having some
support there from, you know, not only the information but
also kind of someone giving you a bit of a
virtual hug and going, look, it's going to be okay.
Or here's a bit of a sense of direction, you know.
But I've also included in that ABC's of self management

(39:15):
some things like some accessibility tools as well. So how
to make your phone a bit more accessible to use
some digital literacy which is always my passion too. So
there's all sorts of like hidden gems in there too.

S1 (39:32):
That's a bit more about Wednesday then the 5th of March.
What will be happening and what can people do to
take part in that? Yeah.

S6 (39:38):
So we're officially launching the resources on, on on next
Wednesday at 1:00 pm. That's Eastern Standard Time. And in
the session we'll just introduce the resources and answer any
questions that you might have. Um, it's going to be
hosted by the lovely Mary Henley Collopy who's after is
NDIS expert advisor. So yeah, she's great and she's always

(40:02):
very good value and very knowledgeable. And she's actually presented
a few of our videos too. So to make sure
that the event is accessible. Obviously we've got Auslan and
Live captions there. But yeah, like we said, you don't
have to wait for the webinar to get started. We'd
love to have you come. But all the fact sheets,
the videos, the online course, everything's already all available now

(40:25):
and it's all completely free to access. So yeah, you
can download the fact sheets, watch or listen to the
videos and jump into the Moodle course today.

S1 (40:34):
Okay, so the the launch if you like. It's kind
of a bit of a formality. You can kind of
access the information. You don't have to go to the
launch to kind of access it or that.

S6 (40:44):
No. But if you do come, um, yeah. I'll send
one of those virtual hugs out to you.

S1 (40:51):
Now, we'll put the details up as to who can attend.
So people do need to register to attend, don't they? Yeah.

S6 (40:57):
If you register, it's via Eventbrite and we'll send you
a link to the, um, zoom on the day. And
so the link for that will all be in the
show notes, along with all the links for the resources.
And if anyone's also keen to spread the word, as

(41:17):
a lot of us have friends who are on NDIS
or carers or advocates as well, so these tools can
only be as useful as you know if they get
out to the into the hands of the people who
really need them. So if you're able to spread them
far and wide, it's going to really help some of
those people out there who are struggling or a bit

(41:38):
scared to build some of that confidence and financial independence
that they need.

S1 (41:43):
1:00 on Wednesday the fifth. Any idea how long I
might run for? I guess people maybe can kind of
squeeze it into their lunch hour if they want.

S6 (41:50):
Absolutely. Yeah, I'd say 30 to 45 minutes, depending on
how long I wax lyrical for. But no, it won't.
It won't go all day. I promise you that. We
all know that we're going to get back to our work,
but hopefully, depending on what industry you're in, this can
either inform your work or also, you know, help you
manage your, um, your finances too.

S1 (42:11):
Well, knowledge is power, isn't it? You know, if we're
kind of bit more aware of, uh, not kind of
our rights, but also, as I say, be more financially literate.
That's kind of got to be a good thing as well, almost,
for our own kind of peace of mind and just
to to feel like we're safe in the knowledge of
having this under our belt.

S6 (42:28):
Yeah, absolutely. I'm actually a qualified librarian, Peter. So literacy
is sort of my, um, my jam. Um, but, uh,
after work in the public library, uh, for many years,
I've seen things like digital literacy and financial literacy really
hold a lot of people back. And I think that,

(42:49):
like you said, knowledge is power. And sometimes it just
takes that one tool that can really open things up
for somebody and go, actually, you know what? I'm feeling
like I can do this. And as soon as you've
got that, I can do this attitude. Now everything sort
of flows from there.

S1 (43:07):
Yeah. And I guess small bites, you know, you don't
have to eat this all at once. You can kind
of eat and digest over a number of days or weeks.

S6 (43:14):
Yeah, absolutely. And that's why we've created quite a suite
of things. But you can pick and choose, you know,
like you can dip in and find something that is
what you need today. Maybe you specifically need to understand
a financial term today. Or maybe you're struggling with what
is a disability related support. You know, you can just

(43:36):
dip straight in and find out what you want and
then maybe find some other things along the way. But
I think we live in that time of information overload,
and it can be difficult to sometimes find reputable, useful information.
So yeah, hopefully this will go to sort of solving
some of those problems for some people.

S1 (43:58):
Well, I think after certainly very highly regarded say we
can bank on the fact that it's reputable. And we're
glad to talk to you. Congratulations to all on the initiative. Yeah.

S6 (44:06):
Thank you so much, Peter. And thank you for your time.
I look forward to talking to you again.

S1 (44:10):
That's Amber Freeman there from FDA with some really great resources. Well,
they're out there now. And you can also go to
that webinar coming up on March the 5th. If you
want more details, go to our show notes and they'll
all be there for you. And with the internet, you
can actually tune in to any radio station in the world.

S7 (44:27):
They're the ones that I like because at least I
know where they are and I can hear them. They
sort of said, oh, go to the back of the line.
And I'm sort of thinking, well, where's the back of
the line? And once that's done, that's about it. It's
just that quick and easy. It's an interesting one.

S1 (44:43):
I know that voice. You know that voice. Everyone knows
that voice. It's co-founder and co-producer for Focal Point Sylvania. Bill,
good to catch up again.

S7 (44:53):
It's good to catch up with you, too, Peter.

S1 (44:55):
Let's get a bit of an election update. Uh, are
you still sticking with April the 12th? Yes, I.

S7 (45:01):
Am. Um, someone did say perhaps April 5th, but that
might be a bit too early now. So April the
12th is probably the last will will get. And I
think that that's when, um, uh, when he'll want to go.
I don't think they'll come back for a budget. I
think all signs are looking for an election coming up soon.

S1 (45:22):
It's interesting, isn't it, because the week after is Easter.
I think the week after is Will. The Saturday is
the day after Anzac Day. So then we're getting into May.
And of course it has to be held before or
on or before May the 17th. So if it's not
April the 12th, it'll definitely be in May.

S7 (45:38):
Yeah, yeah, I think that's probably right. But I just
got this funny feeling that, um, Albanese will want to
go now. Um, because the situation is that wherever he looks,
he seems to sort of, like, end up in a
spot of bother for whatever reason. Um, and there are
a number of a number of them. I could sit
here all day and rattle off a few of them,

(45:59):
but we haven't got the time. but you know that.
You know he's going to. He's getting in sort of
sticky situations. So there you go. It's interesting.

S1 (46:08):
Isn't it, because the polls keep showing that the liberals
just are sneaking ahead a little bit more, a little
bit more, at least the LNP or the coalition call
it what you want. It seems like they just are
sort of edging away. And you touched on this back
in October that you thought he had to go early.
Otherwise the, the sort of swing or the momentum might

(46:29):
be against him.

S7 (46:30):
Yeah. Yeah. The it's interesting you should say that because the,
the seven needle that they come up with them sort
of is in the white. So it's sort of between
the liberals and the labor. So we could end up
with a still end up with a hung parliament. But uh,
I just think that, um, Peter Dutton's going to actually, uh,

(46:55):
become prime minister perhaps sooner than we expect. And I
think that's quite on the cards because there were a
number of things that he has come up with. Namely,
he's going to sort of follow on with the Labour
Party in making Medicare available for everyone. So that's going
to be a good promise. And I know that, um,

(47:18):
the Labour Party have used part of Peter Dutton's, uh,
previous speech to counteract that. But the problem was the
ABC picked up on it and suddenly realised that it
had been edited together to make it look as though
Peter Dutton was against the Medicare scheme. So that's something

(47:38):
that Labour wants to really look, um, look carefully at
and not try and do silly things like that.

S1 (47:44):
I was fascinated with that event on Sunday when the, uh,
Anthony Albanese announced the Medicare policy, if you like. I'm
still not convinced that either party can get 90% of
people having bulk billed by 2030, but leave that to
one side. It's interesting that the liberals quickly said, yeah,
we'll match that because I think there is this feeling

(48:05):
that labor feels that they could catch the liberals out
or the coalition out on Medicare. It's been tried before that,
the old Medicare thing, and it looks like the liberals,
the coalition was really ready for anything. Should that be
thrown out? Yeah, I.

S7 (48:19):
Thought that was strange too, because I think that they
knew that last time when they went to an election
with that they had the mediscare. So and I think
that that was, um, something that I think that Peter
Dutton would have liked to and wanted to avoid at
all costs. So, yeah, we'll see where that goes.

S1 (48:39):
It's interesting that Medicare Mediscare call it what you wish,
because everyone seems to have come up with their own figures,
don't they? I mean, they're now saying that there are
less people being billed now than there was before labor
came into government. Labor say, well, we've put more money
into it like it. You'd like to get a a
definitive fact checker, but I guess it depends on whose

(49:01):
figures you want to take from when to when and
how you want to work it all out.

S7 (49:05):
Well, I yeah, and the other thing that worried me
about this too was that, uh, was he sort of
saying that everybody can go for a, you know, it's
going to be available for everyone? My problem is, okay,
now that you've got it available for everyone, you can
imagine all the people down your street all going to
the doctors. And here's your here is, um, uh, your

(49:26):
little self with, um, underlying health conditions and, uh, on
a pension and what have you can't get into the doctors.

S1 (49:34):
Well, of course it's 2025.

S7 (49:36):
I've got a watch for its 2025.

S1 (49:38):
It probably takes seven, eight, nine years for doctors to
come through the system. So they're going to have to
find more doctors from outside Australia between now and the
20 30th, if that's to meet that that target. Yeah.

S7 (49:51):
So I think you're going to be right. And that's
going to be a hard one to come come up
against because I think, you know, wherever they look, whatever
country they look at, they're probably having the same problem.
So you've got to train your doctors and wherever you
get them from, they're all facing the same problem. So
where do you go.

S1 (50:09):
To look at the university numbers? I mean, there's probably
more kids, if I can put it that or a
sort of post high school people that probably want to
go into things like it and that sort of area
rather than medicine back in the old days, if you like.
That was the kind of plum job, isn't it, to
get accepted into medical school?

S7 (50:27):
It certainly is. Yeah. Well, it's, um, um, I just
wish them all well and and their, um, scheme to
actually get into the medical profession, I think, you know, um,
I don't think it's, um, relatively easy, but, uh, I
wish them luck. Anyway, see how it goes.

S1 (50:45):
Phil, you've been following politics a long time. If I
said two words to you, what will you respond, Clive Palmer?

S7 (50:51):
Oh, forget about him. Yeah. No, forget about him. I
think I don't see him ever getting back into politics.
He's trying another scheme now. He's. He's come up with this, uh,
Trump thing. I don't think that he's going to go
very far with that. He might get one member in,

(51:13):
but I don't think that that's going to, uh, go
very far because I think people are a wake up
to him.

S1 (51:19):
Rather curious name, wasn't it? Trumpets of Patriot? I'm not
quite sure what. Yeah, what they even means.

S7 (51:25):
No, I'm not sure either. So anyway, we'll we'll leave
that one alone, I think, because, um, like I say,
I don't think that's going to go very far.

S1 (51:33):
I think the only people that would be happy would
be the, uh, media companies, the television and radio stations,
I think would be pretty happy. The commercial ones.

S7 (51:40):
Uh, yeah. Because I probably, although I understand that political
parties can only spend so much on, uh, political campaigns.
So whether he's a, whether he can, um, uh, get
away with spending a bit more. I don't know.

S1 (51:55):
All right. We'll stand by for more of that. The
West Australian election is due March 8th. So, what do
you think? Maybe a bit of a swing to the liberals,
but labor retains government.

S7 (52:04):
Yes, I think that's inevitable because it was a huge
swing to labor last time. I mean, it was almost
turning the state red. So I think you'll find that, um, uh,
there will be a bit more blue in, in, um,
in this election, but I just don't think that they're, um,
going to be able to, um, knock labor off. That's

(52:26):
got to take a long time before that happens now, because, uh,
I mean, Labor's just got the bigger upper hand. There'll
be a.

S1 (52:33):
Lot of people looking at the entrails, as it were,
to see what sort of swings there were in which
seats they to see if they can kind of, uh,
adjust the, the particular numbers to suit a federal election. Yes.

S7 (52:44):
I think that's going to be the situation, but, uh, yeah,
I think that it can basically say that, uh, Labor's
going to get in on that one because, um, although
a smaller majority than they had before. But I just
don't think that they're going to, um, going to lose
that election.

S1 (53:02):
Actually, just while we talk about that, Phil, I did
an interview on Saturday with the Electoral commissioner in Western Australia.
If you're listening in Western Australia and you're blind or
have low vision, you can vote by telephone and to
register a ring one three (680) 013-6800 if you'd like to
register to vote, I think you can do that from
or from now, so go to it if you're so inclined.

(53:23):
I feel, um, lots of information out of the United
States over the last few days with the executive orders
of doing away with diversity, equity and inclusion.

S7 (53:32):
Yeah, I think that's a dangerous one that because if
other countries and if Australia, um, adopts that, um, that
policy that's going to undo what a lot of people have, um,
been doing, particularly the disability world, who've been pushing for
equal opportunity to take jobs that otherwise would never have

(53:56):
been available to them beforehand. So I think that's going
to be, um, I think that's the, uh, not one
I particularly like, because I think that's unfair to people who,
with different backgrounds are not going to be able to, uh,
take on jobs that they can do just as well
as any other person. And of course, we know that

(54:18):
BCA have been working on this for over 50 years,
and they're celebrating a birthday, um, this year, 50 years ago, since, um,
they became the National Federation for the blind.

S1 (54:30):
That's a good point. I'm sure we'll talk more about
it as the year goes on. I think they've got
a point. In fact, I know they've got a big
convention planned to kind of celebrate that. I feel we've.

S7 (54:39):
Got happening in June. I believe we're caught up.

S1 (54:41):
Yep. We're caught. They used to be in June, didn't they?
In the old days, I think. And then they kind
of moved around a bit and put them online.

S7 (54:47):
So now it's back in June I believe. So keep
an eye on your, um, uh, your emails and your
email lists for all the details on that.

S1 (54:55):
And we'll catch you on New Horizons as well. Phil. Um,
like last year, you got a new iPhone 16. How's
it going? Any new discoveries?

S7 (55:03):
No. I've been sort of doing a couple of new
things that sort of came up. That was interesting. There
used to be a little bubble that used to crop
up when, um, we used carry, uh, now when you
sort of say carry, what's the what's the time or what?
What's the current temperature in London or something like that.

(55:24):
The phone puts on, uh, some pretty colors around the edges.
It looks rather groovy. So any young dude who, um,
has the iPhone 16, they're going to like that. So
that's a new one for, um, the iPhone 16. Other
than that, I've been sort of, um, using it pretty much.

(55:45):
I haven't discovered anything new, Um, at the moment, but
who knows? They'll probably be some more updates and they'll, um,
also have the opportunity to, um, put in some more, um,
AI stuff.

S1 (55:58):
Yes. I think there's a, an update released last week
that I think kind of enhances some of the artificial intelligence.
So the Apple intelligence that the iPhone 16 has got.
So maybe people might want to think about updating to that.
You talked about Siri and we know why you called
it Siri, not its actual name. It's a great point

(56:19):
you make there because I guess it kind of just
raises awareness about the fact that it's there, and maybe
the fact that people are blind or low vision or
anyone for that matter, might want to use it. So
it's kind of a great way to raise awareness about, um,
some of the assistive technology that's out there in a
mainstream world. Yeah.

S7 (56:36):
I sometimes ask what what the temperature is in London, um,
at the at present time, and it usually tells me, uh,
what it is. Um, so, um. Uh, yeah. And it's
good because I can ask, uh, all sorts of other things.
Not that I still have to try and get my
head around being able to do it. Sometimes I might

(56:57):
ask a question and it won't answer me, so I'm
not sure that I'm asking it the right way. So yeah,
it just takes a bit of getting used to.

S1 (57:05):
Yeah, it's a good point. Sometimes it is how you
ask rather than what you ask that gets the response
that you, you're after.

S7 (57:11):
Yeah. And I think eventually I'll get the hang of
that and we'll come up with the answers for you.

S1 (57:17):
So they're pretty much the things that you found so far.

S7 (57:20):
So far. Yes, yes. There are any more. I'll certainly, um,
let you know what the what the situation is.

S1 (57:27):
Now, I know you graduated from a fairly old style
iPhone from, you know, quite a few generations ago. Has
it been worth the update?

S7 (57:34):
Uh, yes, it has, um, particularly with, uh, facial ID, uh,
that's been a quite handy, actually, because, um, if I
go to places I don't have to put in the
Pin code.

S1 (57:46):
Yeah.

S7 (57:47):
Uh, sometimes I do. And if I'm not too worried
about it, if I do it at home. But if
I'm away, I like to try and do it that
way so that, uh, I nobody hears my, um. Of course, uh,
my pin cone pin. What? Pin code?

S1 (58:03):
Is there a is there a knack for getting it
to recognize your face? Do you reckon? I mean, it's
kind of a depends a bit about, uh.

S7 (58:09):
Yeah, it is. It's got to be, um, a bit
hard to explain to, uh, a blind person, but for
a sighted person, it's about the distance. You would, uh,
you put your phone as to when you're reading a book. Right?
Away from you. So that's basically where you are. You
do it so that I have never read a book

(58:31):
the way normal people do. I've always had it up
close to my face. So you can't do that. You've
got to take the phone away from you, uh, so that, uh,
you get the whole face in and it's a bit
roughly the distance to what you would use if you
were reading a book. All right.

S1 (58:46):
Phil, we're out of time now. Next time we speak, it'll. Well, actually,
next time we speak, it'll be well after the 25th
of March, which is when the budget is slated to
be delivered. So either we will have known that there's
going to be a budget, or we would have known
that there's been a budget, or we might be very
much in election mode if your original thoughts are correct. Yeah.

S7 (59:06):
Well we'll see. We'll see just what happens, I think,
in the next couple of days. And I've got a
feeling somebody said that it might be this Sunday that
we know when the election is. So I think that's
that's what's going to happen. So just keep your ear
to the ground and keep your ear on the radio
and TV and what have you, and see where we go.

S1 (59:25):
I was just thinking before we came to air, Phil,
that what we say right now could be completely different
by the time we get off air. Anyway, the way
things move.

S7 (59:34):
Uh, yes. Yes, politics can move in very, very, uh,
at a fast rate. So yes, take that into consideration. Whatever.
Whatever we say.

S1 (59:43):
All right, Phil, thanks for that, Pete. That's if you
want to be there. Co-Founder and co-presenter for Focal Point.
Phil joins us for the last week of each month.
And if there's something you'd like Phil to tackle, maybe
something about the iPhone 16. Get in touch and we'll
put Phil to work. I want to describe show of
the week. It's coming up this Saturday evening. 835 SBS's

(01:00:06):
main channel Queen Camilla the Wicked Stepmother. This is an
in-depth documentary rated PG, which looks at the transformation of
Queen Camilla's life to now be very much accepted by
the public. This tracks her life, particularly over the last
three decades. That's Queen Camilla, the wicked stepmother. Rated PG

(01:00:29):
with audio description this Saturday evening. 835 SBS's Main channel.
A couple of birthdays before we go. Steve, how are
having a birthday That champion blind cricketer dies of your grinder. Steve.
Hope things are going well for you. And happy birthday
to you. To Karen Knight. What a wonderful advocate to

(01:00:50):
Karen has been for many, many years. Long may you continue.
Karen Knight A very big happy birthday to you. That's
it for the program. Sam. Richard, thanks so much for
your help. Pam Green, thanks so much for yours. Reminding
you that Focal Point is available on your favorite podcast platform.
If you liked the program, tell a friend. Always room

(01:01:10):
for more listeners. On behalf of Philip VanderMeer and a
big shout out to Wendy McDougall listening in. This is
Peter Greco saying, be kind to yourselves. Take care and
look out for others all being well. Focal point back
at the same time next week on Vision Australia Radio.
This is focal point.

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

Crime Junkie

Ridiculous History

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}26 Feb 2025

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}On Purpose with Jay Shetty

Crime Junkie

Ridiculous History

All Episodes

26 Feb 2025

On Purpose with Jay Shetty