July 28, 2025 • 28 mins
In this episode, we speak with Maddison Malins, a Year 12 student and Vision Australia Radio volunteer.
Blind since age 11, Maddie is studying media and building skills in radio and podcasting.
She talks about her path so far; including her involvement in the show "Happy Pants," her passion for music, and plans for life after school. A thoughtful profile of a young storyteller making her mark.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
S1 (00:19):
Hi I'm Abby.
S2 (00:20):
I'm Simon, and welcome to. In Plain Sight, a program
where we highlight people who are making a positive impact
within their community and the disability sector.
S1 (00:30):
Shining a light on those who might otherwise be hidden
in plain sight.
S2 (00:34):
And we share these stories on a weekly basis. Review
here on Vision Australia Radio. Hello. Thanks for joining us,
and I'm really pleased to see my friend and colleague
Abby Green across the table from me. Hello, Abby. Welcome back.
S1 (00:55):
Thanks, Simon. It's it's been a while.
S2 (00:57):
It has. Now, when you first took a break from
the programme, you went on a lovely holiday to Tasmania.
Tell us about that.
S1 (01:06):
It was very cold. Very, very cold.
S2 (01:09):
Tasmania in June would be cold.
S1 (01:11):
It was. I went for my brother in law's wedding. Um.
And yeah, it was a lovely ceremony at this very
old Anglican church and the bride looked beautiful. The bridesmaids
dresses were beautiful. Lots of good food. Um, I had
a great time.
S2 (01:29):
And were you able to do any sightseeing while you
were over there on your tourism stuff?
S1 (01:34):
I didn't do a whole lot because I went last
year for the first time and did the sightseeing. But
I did see Mona, which is the. Yeah, it's the museum.
S2 (01:47):
The museum of Old and new Art.
S1 (01:50):
Yeah. You got it. So if anyone is visiting Hobart, uh,
I would definitely recommend going there because I've never been
one for art galleries. But that was something different for sure.
S2 (02:02):
And that would have been dark minor.
S1 (02:05):
Uh, during Dark mofo. You mean.
S2 (02:06):
Mofo?
S1 (02:07):
Yeah. Yes. So I didn't go to any Dark Mofo events.
They were quite pricey, but they did. Or I did
go to one that was a maze of mirrors. That
was at the museum, which was very cool. Um, a
bit disorientating. Um, but yeah, if anyone is in Hobart,
go to that museum because it was so cool. They
had fire pits outside and all these food places, and.
S2 (02:30):
Isn't it on a little island in the middle of
the river?
S1 (02:34):
Yeah. Sort of. Yeah. I mean, you can drive there
off the freeway or you can go across on a boat.
S2 (02:39):
Oh that's excellent. Yeah. Really want to, uh, go and
explore that? It sounds everything I know about that museum
and and the curators of it, it's it's bigger and
bolder than anything else in Australia.
S1 (02:54):
It's it's. Yeah. I've never been to anything like it, honestly.
It's not just, you know, paintings on a wall. There's
there's all sorts of creations on there that you just
kind of have to see for yourself some a bit
out there, some a bit problematic but. Yeah.
S2 (03:10):
But it's challenging. That's part of the point. It's not
all safe and soft art. It's challenging art.
S1 (03:17):
Yeah, yeah.
S2 (03:18):
Especially the dark mofo part of it from what I understand.
S1 (03:21):
Yeah, that was very interesting. It was just red lights everywhere. Yeah.
At night.
S2 (03:26):
Yeah. Yeah.
S1 (03:27):
Um, but yeah, I had a great time. Uh, it
was fabulous. Just went out to lots of lunches and
dinners and. Yeah.
S2 (03:35):
And it's good that you, um, are able to join
us today, and you'll be in for one more show,
and then you have to go and concentrate your time
on making your journalism career come to life.
S1 (03:47):
Yeah. So that's my very sad news for, um, for
everyone that next, next show will be my last show. Um,
so I'm very sad. It's it's bittersweet. It's bittersweet. I think, um,
I'm going into my last semester of my journalism degree,
so it's just a bit hard juggling everything. And I
(04:09):
need to focus on. Yeah, on my last semester of
studies and I've really I've really enjoyed doing the podcast.
So I'm very sad to to not be on the
show every week, talking to Simon and to all you
guys and, and meeting all these awesome people that we
meet each week. But I'll always be listening and I'm
sure I'll come visit again time to time.
S2 (04:30):
Yeah, I want to take this chance on air to
thank you, Abby, for your hard work and for being
the savior of this program that could not have got
off the ground without you coming in to be my
producer and co-host, and you've done such a great job
bringing your bright and brilliant self to the studio every
day and adding your contributions that have made this show
(04:52):
such a wonderful thing over the period that you've been
with us. So thank you very much, Abby.
S1 (04:57):
That's a really kind words, Simon. Thank you.
S2 (05:00):
I mean, and, you know, and it is a joy
to bring these wonderful guests to you every week, and
we had a lovely chat just a while ago. That
will be our feature interview this week with young Madison Maylands,
and she is a Braille user. And which brings us
to an interesting topic for this week, which is Abby.
S1 (05:21):
So Braille House is hosting its 104th year of the
Dickenson Memorial Literacy Competition, which is Australia's only Braille writing competition.
And this year's theme is discovery, a fitting call to
uncover stories, reflections and voices that deserve to be heard.
With cash prizes up to $350 per category, it's celebrating
(05:43):
accessible storytelling and entries close on Friday, the 19th of September.
S2 (05:49):
And I highly recommend, if you are fluent, Braille reader
or Braille user. And that is whether you read Braille
from a fancy computer or you actually get the Braille
printed out onto paper, have a go at entering this
wonderful competition, we will give the details of how to
enter and how to participate on our podcast description. If
(06:10):
you want to search that out, that's with Braille House.
And it also fitting in that, as I said, our
guest reads Braille and she is a participant here at
Vision Australia Radio. And she uses the Braille to read
out her scripts on air for the program that she's
involved in, which we'll hear about very shortly.
S1 (06:28):
Yeah. So Maddie is currently in year 12, and she's
doing a cert three course in screen and media, including
radio broadcasting and podcasting. And she's been volunteering at Vision
Australia Radio for just over a year now. So we
look forward to hearing from her and hope you enjoy
this interview.
S2 (06:53):
Hello, Madison.
S3 (06:54):
Hi, Simon, how are you? Thanks for having me.
S2 (06:57):
Good to see you today and thanks for coming into
the studio. It's great that you could join us and
take the time away from your busy studies and everything
to tell us a little bit about yourself and your
interest in radio broadcasting.
S3 (07:11):
Yeah, I'm really glad to be here.
S2 (07:12):
Tell us exactly what it is you're studying at the
vet level.
S3 (07:16):
Uh, so I'm currently doing some studying at the Leederville TAFE.
I'm doing a cert three in the Screen and Media
radio broadcasting and podcasting course.
S2 (07:26):
That's really great. How often do you attend that? Those classes.
S3 (07:30):
Um, it's just a course that's a part of my schooling.
So I do it once a week on a Thursday.
S1 (07:35):
That's really exciting. I wish they offered that to me
when I was in high school.
S2 (07:40):
So that's just part of your high school course. And
you're currently in year 12?
S3 (07:45):
Yeah. Year 12.
S2 (07:46):
Oh, wow. So you must be looking forward to finishing
up at the end of this year.
S3 (07:51):
Yeah, I've only got about nine weeks or so left,
and then I'm finished.
S2 (07:56):
What sparked your interest in that particular line of work, Maddie.
S3 (08:00):
Um, well, last year, when I was in year 11,
for a certain period of time, we had a work
placement kind of area. And so I wanted to do
some work experience, and we did some investigating. And then
we heard about Vision Australia Radio. So we like communicated
with Gemma and then yeah, I got into a work
(08:22):
placement and it was a really, really fun experience. I
did all different things like writing scripts, and I started
learning some skills, and it kind of just really got
me interested in the industry. And then I became a
proper volunteer at the station.
S2 (08:36):
That's excellent. We'll get into what you do here at
Vision Australia Radio in the studios of Perth a bit
later on. But first, I guess we should get into
some basic little bit of personal background with you, Maddie,
if that's okay. Yeah. So you are basically nearly totally
blind or you are totally blind, is that right?
S3 (08:54):
Yeah. Practically totally blind.
S2 (08:56):
Yeah. And how long have you been blind? If you
don't mind me asking?
S3 (09:00):
Yeah. All good. I've been blind for over seven years now.
S2 (09:03):
And you told me that that was brought on by
a stroke. Is that right?
S3 (09:07):
Yeah. In 2018, I got diagnosed with leukemia. And during
one of my first procedures, I had a stroke. And
then when I woke up, I was blind.
S2 (09:17):
So remind me again. How old were you then?
S3 (09:19):
I was only ten.
S2 (09:20):
Gosh, that is a really traumatic thing to go through.
S3 (09:25):
Yeah.
S1 (09:27):
At ten. Yeah.
S2 (09:28):
And I guess you are. How old are you now?
S3 (09:31):
17. I'm turning 18 in a few months.
S2 (09:34):
Wow. To some people, that's only a short period of time.
And I know young people, they learn and adapt really quickly.
But I'm sort of wondering, are you. Do you still
find yourself adapting to being blind?
S3 (09:49):
Yeah, definitely. Certain areas and experiences that I go through
definitely make me try and have to learn new skills,
adapt to new people. So it's always a learning curve.
There's definitely never probably a time where it's going to
be all done and all the learning is finished. It's
kind of just how it is.
S2 (10:09):
No, we have an ongoing theme within this program, especially
considering that we are on Vision Australia Radio, and a
big portion of our audience and potential audience are people
who are blind or have low vision. And I often
want to know how people travel through the journey of
losing their eyesight, so that other people listening can get
(10:33):
an idea of what what it was like for you
and what it might be like for them. In their case,
what would you say to someone in a similar position
like you're only 17 going on 18 now, and you
were and you were a little kid at ten years
old when it happened to you.
S3 (10:47):
But, um, something would probably be just taking it one
day at a time. Definitely stressing and being anxious about
all of the events ahead can definitely make that initial
getting through. All of the different changes even more stressful
than what it is. So definitely just taking it slow,
being one day at a time, it does make things
(11:08):
a little bit easier. So that's definitely something that would
be really helpful for most.
S2 (11:14):
That's really great advice. So reach out to the, uh,
the blindness community. We're quite a welcoming bunch and we're
always looking to help and support one another. Do you
have any support connections within the blindness community yourself? Maddie?
S3 (11:27):
Um, I have a couple of other blind friends that
I talk to. They're around my age, so I. Yeah,
I talk to them here and there. We've got quite
a few similar interests. Both go to school. So, yeah,
we're pretty good friends. And it's always nice to talk
to somebody like me.
S2 (11:42):
Mhm. How did you connect with them initially.
S3 (11:45):
Um I connected with them through my visiting teachers who
work with me at school because they were, they're visiting
teachers and they thought that we would just kind of
be really good to talk with each other. So we
got connected up and then yeah, just kind of our
relationship started growing and yeah, we're pretty good friends.
S2 (12:02):
That's excellent. So for those who don't know, how does
it work for someone who is blind in a regular school? Um,
and you get to visiting teachers. What does that arrangement.
S3 (12:11):
Um, so the visiting teachers, they come from a business
called Sensory Vision, and they come out to the school, and, um,
when I first became blind, they came out to me
in the hospital and when I was at home. So
they're quite good to, like, come in to see you
in person. And they teach all their vision impaired students
how to read and write in Braille. Using assistive technology, um,
(12:35):
how to navigate school environments, accessing resources. So yeah, all
the important stuff that we need.
S2 (12:42):
And talking about Braille. Are you a fluent Braille reader
and user?
S3 (12:46):
Yeah. When I lost my vision, I practically started learning
braille straight away. When I was in hospital, that's when
I actually started learning Braille, so it definitely helped to
keep me going. Like definitely something to keep me entertained
in the hospital days. So it was a really, really
cool thing to learn. And I'm really thankful that I
learnt it because it gets me through school and many
(13:08):
other different parts of my life, including my radio work,
so it's definitely a really helpful tool.
S1 (13:13):
How long did it take you to become fluent in Braille?
S3 (13:17):
Um, probably about a year or so. Definitely can be
a lot harder for others. I've heard. Definitely. Once you're
a bit older, it can be a bit harder. So
probably because I was only ten definitely made it a
bit easier. And yeah, picked it up pretty quick.
S2 (13:33):
And Maddie, what were the nerdy people in the audience?
What Braille device do you use?
S3 (13:38):
My main braille device is a Braille set six. I've
used quite a few other different devices. I'm quite interested
in assistive technology, so yeah, I'm quite techie.
S1 (13:53):
You're currently listening to In Plain Sight on Vision Australia
Radio with Simon Chong and Abby Green. This week we
are speaking to Maddy Malins, a current year 12 student
doing a certificate three in screen and media, radio broadcasting
and podcasting and who has been a Vision Australia radio
(14:14):
volunteer for just over a year.
S2 (14:19):
The main thing I'd like to talk to you about
is this interest in radio and broadcasting, and you mentioned
that you came to Vision Australia Radio to do work experience,
and now you're doing some volunteering here. Tell us about
what you're doing here at Vision Australia Radio.
S3 (14:36):
So when I was doing my work experience, I started
doing some writing for the Happy Pants team who do
stuff for children. And that was a really interesting experience
because it was pretty fun. I was like finding different
fun facts, writing some little short segments that would interest
kids about different TV shows and books. And, um, yeah,
(14:58):
when I started my training at the station, I was
asked what kind of team I'd want to work with.
And yeah, the memories of working for the kids that
was like, really like into me. So yeah, I chose
to work with Happy Pants and they're a really amazing team.
It's really good to work with them.
S2 (15:17):
So for those who don't know, Madison, can you tell
us what the program Happy Pants is and what it's
all about?
S3 (15:23):
Happy pants is based for children, usually between ages about
four and ten kind of thing. Um, we do lots
of different things writing fun facts for kids to learn
some important things. I've written some stories for them that
have been pretty good. I've also started. I've started learning
how to write scripts thanks to one of the ladies
(15:44):
that I work with. And, um, yeah, I'm also just
one of the main voices on the team, so.
S2 (15:50):
What's your character's name?
S3 (15:52):
Um, well, my thing is just Maddie, but then I
have played some different characters for scripts that have been written, like, I've, um.
What have I played? I've played an underwater creature. So.
Like a sea animal. Uh, I've played. Yeah, I've actually
played a few different animals. It's been quite fun. So. Yeah,
definitely lots of different. Yeah. Child characters. Definitely very fun.
S2 (16:15):
And I'll put you on the spot here. Madison, for
the sake of the station, do you know when the
program is on the radio?
S3 (16:23):
Um, yeah. So it's aired on Saturdays and Sundays in
the morning, and you can also listen to it as
a podcast.
S2 (16:30):
And I would highly recommend seeking this out, probably in
your own leisure on the podcast. It's called Happy Pants
by Vision Australia Radio and it is fantastic. It's really
well put together. It's lots of fun. It's won some awards.
It's it's fun and it's educational and it's really well presented.
(16:51):
And it really sparks that imagination. So you're going to
continue with them for a while?
S3 (16:57):
Yeah, definitely. And, um, once I leave school at the
end of the year, I'll definitely start working with them
a lot more.
S2 (17:04):
We'd like to play a very short segment of that
program for you now.
S4 (17:08):
One. Two, three. It's happy pants.
S5 (17:13):
Good day, and welcome to Happy Pants, a show especially
for kids and especially for you. My name is Geraldine.
S3 (17:21):
And my name is Maddie. And together we're your happy
pants team for today.
S5 (17:26):
Are you wearing your happy pants today? We are today.
My happy pants are a deep, cool blue color called indigo.
It's a sort of halfway color between blue and purple.
S3 (17:39):
I know that indigo is the second last color in
the rainbow. Red. Orange. Yellow. Green. Blue. Then comes indigo,
and violet is the last color. I can't actually see
the colors, of course, but I believe violet is a
sort of purple color. I also know that indigo is
(18:01):
a plant that makes a dark blue dye, and that
my jeans are dyed with indigo. That's why they are
called blue jeans. The plant belongs to the same family
as peas and beans, but I don't think it would
be a good idea to snack on it.
S5 (18:19):
Have you checked your happy pants pockets yet? Maddie.
S3 (18:23):
Oh, yes. I couldn't wait. I checked the pockets before
I put on my happy pants. Guess what? Empty.
S5 (18:31):
Well, that was that was a while ago. Have another look.
S3 (18:36):
Good heavens. There is something in here. How did that
get there?
S5 (18:41):
What is it?
S3 (18:42):
A big bundle of what feels like feathers. Lots of
different feathers.
S5 (18:48):
Anything else?
S3 (18:50):
Ooh, something creepy crawly. It's grubs. Your turn. I bet
you get cockroaches or something.
S2 (19:02):
What other hobbies do you partake in?
S3 (19:04):
I also do music. I've been playing the drums for
a few years, and I'm also teaching myself keyboard. And
at school, I'm in a band.
S2 (19:13):
Okay. What kind of stuff do you do in the
band at school?
S3 (19:16):
Um, I'm mainly just the drummer. I've done a bit
of backup vocals, but what type of.
S2 (19:19):
Music.
S3 (19:21):
Are we? Mainly do pop music. A little bit of
punk here and there, a bit of acoustic, so it's
quite a mix. But um, yeah, I'm mainly try to
keep things upbeat because that's always more fun to play
on the drums.
S2 (19:33):
Definitely. What took your interest about drumming?
S3 (19:36):
Um, I always had an interest in music even before
I lost my vision. And, um, during my year eight
year at school, we did like a music class, and
we got to kind of choose an instrument that we
wanted to learn some skills. And I had a look
at guitar, had a look at piano, and none of
(19:56):
that really interested me at that point. So I got
on the drum kit. I played a little beat that
someone taught me, and it kind of just took off
from there, and I always found it really interesting and fun.
S2 (20:09):
So you have your own kit at home?
S3 (20:10):
Yeah, I do. I got my own little purple sparkly
drum kit at home.
S2 (20:14):
Lovely.
S1 (20:15):
That's amazing.
S2 (20:16):
I'd love to see a photo of that. And you
must have very understanding of household members.
S3 (20:21):
Yeah, thankfully my parents, they're they're very understanding. Luckily, I
don't I don't do it every day, so they don't
have to deal with my loud noise every single day
for long periods of time.
S2 (20:33):
And another nerdy question is it a proper physical kit
or is it as electronic kit. What kind of drum
kit have you got?
S3 (20:38):
I used to have an electronic drum kit, but I
found it quite hard to play because the drums weren't
very big. They were all just like the little electronic pads,
and I kind of found that hard to navigate around
and know what I'm hitting. So I've got an acoustic
one now and it's definitely a lot easier to navigate.
(20:59):
Know what I'm hitting? Yeah. Yeah, right. I definitely prefer
acoustic over electric.
S2 (21:04):
With your studies. The media and radio and broadcasting. What
do you think your opportunities will be once you finish
your course?
S3 (21:12):
It might give me some opportunities. Yeah. Um, definitely. Also,
because I've got my experience here at the station that
will definitely give me some credit and back me up
with some different experiences. But I'm also hoping to do
another course up from that, a diploma. So I'll hopefully
be doing that once I leave school, so that will
(21:33):
definitely be a good qualification to have behind me as well.
S1 (21:37):
Can I ask what your ultimate goal is? Where do
you want to be in the future? What's your ultimate dream?
S3 (21:42):
Probably to be a popular radio host. Work on a
station kind of thing. Get to interact with other people
who are interested in the industry. Interview musicians. Mhm. Yeah.
Maybe create my own podcast.
S1 (21:58):
That's really cool.
S3 (21:59):
Yeah. Also with like the music side probably continuing with
being in a band, creating my own music. So yeah,
that kind of stuff.
S2 (22:08):
Well, some fabulous community radio stations out there that are
music based and it's always a good place to start.
S3 (22:16):
Yeah, definitely.
S2 (22:18):
Talking about music, do you have a favorite band at
the moment or a group or a singer?
S3 (22:22):
I'm definitely someone who's into boy bands.
S2 (22:25):
Okay.
S3 (22:26):
Yeah, I'm definitely one of those people love One Direction,
five seconds of Summer. But then, I mean, I also
love like the other single artists as well. I don't
mind throwback artists. So Fleetwood Mac's an amazing artist. They're
a really good band.
S1 (22:40):
What about Alex Warren?
S3 (22:41):
Oh, yeah. Pretty good. Yeah, I'm not huge on country
and that kind of stuff, but pretty good artist.
S1 (22:48):
He's one of my favorites, so.
S2 (22:51):
Okay. Made me feel really old then. I have no
idea who that is.
S1 (22:54):
And I feel old hearing about One Direction and five
seconds of summer.
S2 (22:58):
Definitely.
S1 (22:58):
Like, I'm only 24, but I'm like, wow, that feels
so long ago.
S3 (23:03):
I know.
S2 (23:04):
Give us a bit of an idea of when you're
working on Happy Pants. What's involved in your routine? What
do you personally have to do to get your part
up and running and on the day?
S3 (23:16):
Because I usually just do reading. Currently I have one
of the main people from the team. They send me
through a script a couple of days before just so
I can start rehearsing it, practicing it, having to learn
some different, or learning how to pronounce some different words because, um,
one of the things that we have are like big
word alerts. So learning how to pronounce those and yeah,
(23:39):
just kind of getting that flow going. So then it's
a bit more smooth when it comes to the recording day. Um,
and then yeah, when I as I said before, I've
written a couple of stories for the team. I've written
a Christmas and an Easter story.
S2 (23:53):
Yeah. Nice.
S3 (23:54):
So, um, yeah, for that, it was definitely my first story.
Definitely took a lot longer than the first, because I'd
never really written something like that before. Definitely required a
lot of research, getting feedback from the team, but, um, yeah,
they both turned out pretty well. I was definitely quite
conscious of them, but people really enjoyed them. So, um, yeah, definitely.
(24:17):
With the team, it's just a matter of being prepared,
rehearsing what we want to say. We always do like
a run through beforehand. So. Yeah.
S2 (24:26):
So do you read your script through the Braille device
that you've got.
S3 (24:32):
Yeah I do.
S2 (24:33):
Okay. And how do you find that reading out loud?
Are you fluent with it yet?
S3 (24:37):
I'm definitely getting better at it. I find once I've
read it lots and lots of times, it definitely comes
out a lot more smooth because then I start to
sort of memorize it after a while. Yeah, definitely. Reading
it in braille helps me to get it out a
bit more clear. I don't have to kind of worry
too much about what I'm going to say, because it's
(24:57):
right in front of me. So it's definitely a really
handy tool.
S2 (25:01):
It definitely is. And I would be an advocate for
people who are blind to keep up the Braille skills,
because it is a really helpful way of reading, and
it's different to listening to audiobooks and so on, isn't it?
S3 (25:16):
Yeah, and I know recently more people learning Braille, they
don't really want to learn it as much. They don't
think it's as important because of all the tech stuff
going on. And like the tech is really, really good,
but Braille is just a really helpful tool and tech
doesn't offer that. So yeah.
S2 (25:34):
Well, my thoughts about Braille is that it is reading,
and it does stimulate the same function of your brain
as a sighted person would do. Was reading written text?
S3 (25:47):
Yeah, exactly.
S2 (25:48):
Which is different to when you're listening to text because
that triggers a different stimulation in a different part of
your brain.
S3 (25:55):
Yeah, I definitely find if I'm either reading it with
my fingers or listening to something, I definitely process it
and remember the info a lot differently.
S2 (26:06):
Yeah, that was my point.
S3 (26:07):
Yeah, I definitely find I personally remember information a lot
better when I'm actually reading it in Braille than listening
to something.
S2 (26:14):
Mhm. And just imagine that when you're listening to this
at home, when you're trying to remember something or you've
got to take notes, you write it down.
S3 (26:23):
Yeah. Exactly.
S2 (26:25):
Mm. Anyway, Madison, it's been lovely to chat to you.
We're kind of running out of time. Is there anything
you'd really like the audience people to know?
S3 (26:32):
Well, probably a main thing for everyone would just be
getting more interested in Vision Australia. It's an amazing station.
You don't just have to be vision impaired to want
to listen to it. All the different segments are amazing. Um,
and definitely just people out there really need to be
a bit more aware of the community around them, because
I know some people definitely not as aware of us
(26:54):
disabled people, and just knowing that we're like everybody else,
should always have our own struggles. So definitely just getting
a lot more involved and aware of the community around them.
And yeah, getting interested in the station, I'd say.
S2 (27:08):
That's excellent. Maddy. And the other point I'd like to make, too,
is what I've really taken from meeting you and talking
to you today, is that an idea was sparked within
you that you wanted to be a radio presenter, and
you followed that up, and now you've got a great
passion in it. And as well as these great skills
and well done to you and well done to the
(27:29):
people around you for supporting you and encouraging you to
do that.
S3 (27:32):
Thank you.
S2 (27:33):
What? We might leave our conversation there. Madison. It's been
a fabulous to meet you, and I really do encourage
people to check out the program Happy Pants on Vision
Australia Radio. And thank you for joining us.
S3 (27:45):
Yeah, thanks for having me. It's been really nice. I've
enjoyed it.
S1 (27:53):
That concludes In Plain Sight for this week. Join us,
Abby Greene and Simon Chong at the same time next
week on Vision Australia Radio VA radio digital and online
at VA. You can also listen on demand by searching
for In Plain Sight wherever you get your podcasts, or
ask your smart device to play in Plain Sight by
(28:15):
Vision Australia Radio. Thanks for listening.
Hi I'm Abby.
S2 (00:20):
I'm Simon, and welcome to. In Plain Sight, a program
where we highlight people who are making a positive impact
within their community and the disability sector.
S1 (00:30):
Shining a light on those who might otherwise be hidden
in plain sight.
S2 (00:34):
And we share these stories on a weekly basis. Review
here on Vision Australia Radio. Hello. Thanks for joining us,
and I'm really pleased to see my friend and colleague
Abby Green across the table from me. Hello, Abby. Welcome back.
S1 (00:55):
Thanks, Simon. It's it's been a while.
S2 (00:57):
It has. Now, when you first took a break from
the programme, you went on a lovely holiday to Tasmania.
Tell us about that.
S1 (01:06):
It was very cold. Very, very cold.
S2 (01:09):
Tasmania in June would be cold.
S1 (01:11):
It was. I went for my brother in law's wedding. Um.
And yeah, it was a lovely ceremony at this very
old Anglican church and the bride looked beautiful. The bridesmaids
dresses were beautiful. Lots of good food. Um, I had
a great time.
S2 (01:29):
And were you able to do any sightseeing while you
were over there on your tourism stuff?
S1 (01:34):
I didn't do a whole lot because I went last
year for the first time and did the sightseeing. But
I did see Mona, which is the. Yeah, it's the museum.
S2 (01:47):
The museum of Old and new Art.
S1 (01:50):
Yeah. You got it. So if anyone is visiting Hobart, uh,
I would definitely recommend going there because I've never been
one for art galleries. But that was something different for sure.
S2 (02:02):
And that would have been dark minor.
S1 (02:05):
Uh, during Dark mofo. You mean.
S2 (02:06):
Mofo?
S1 (02:07):
Yeah. Yes. So I didn't go to any Dark Mofo events.
They were quite pricey, but they did. Or I did
go to one that was a maze of mirrors. That
was at the museum, which was very cool. Um, a
bit disorientating. Um, but yeah, if anyone is in Hobart,
go to that museum because it was so cool. They
had fire pits outside and all these food places, and.
S2 (02:30):
Isn't it on a little island in the middle of
the river?
S1 (02:34):
Yeah. Sort of. Yeah. I mean, you can drive there
off the freeway or you can go across on a boat.
S2 (02:39):
Oh that's excellent. Yeah. Really want to, uh, go and
explore that? It sounds everything I know about that museum
and and the curators of it, it's it's bigger and
bolder than anything else in Australia.
S1 (02:54):
It's it's. Yeah. I've never been to anything like it, honestly.
It's not just, you know, paintings on a wall. There's
there's all sorts of creations on there that you just
kind of have to see for yourself some a bit
out there, some a bit problematic but. Yeah.
S2 (03:10):
But it's challenging. That's part of the point. It's not
all safe and soft art. It's challenging art.
S1 (03:17):
Yeah, yeah.
S2 (03:18):
Especially the dark mofo part of it from what I understand.
S1 (03:21):
Yeah, that was very interesting. It was just red lights everywhere. Yeah.
At night.
S2 (03:26):
Yeah. Yeah.
S1 (03:27):
Um, but yeah, I had a great time. Uh, it
was fabulous. Just went out to lots of lunches and
dinners and. Yeah.
S2 (03:35):
And it's good that you, um, are able to join
us today, and you'll be in for one more show,
and then you have to go and concentrate your time
on making your journalism career come to life.
S1 (03:47):
Yeah. So that's my very sad news for, um, for
everyone that next, next show will be my last show. Um,
so I'm very sad. It's it's bittersweet. It's bittersweet. I think, um,
I'm going into my last semester of my journalism degree,
so it's just a bit hard juggling everything. And I
(04:09):
need to focus on. Yeah, on my last semester of
studies and I've really I've really enjoyed doing the podcast.
So I'm very sad to to not be on the
show every week, talking to Simon and to all you
guys and, and meeting all these awesome people that we
meet each week. But I'll always be listening and I'm
sure I'll come visit again time to time.
S2 (04:30):
Yeah, I want to take this chance on air to
thank you, Abby, for your hard work and for being
the savior of this program that could not have got
off the ground without you coming in to be my
producer and co-host, and you've done such a great job
bringing your bright and brilliant self to the studio every
day and adding your contributions that have made this show
(04:52):
such a wonderful thing over the period that you've been
with us. So thank you very much, Abby.
S1 (04:57):
That's a really kind words, Simon. Thank you.
S2 (05:00):
I mean, and, you know, and it is a joy
to bring these wonderful guests to you every week, and
we had a lovely chat just a while ago. That
will be our feature interview this week with young Madison Maylands,
and she is a Braille user. And which brings us
to an interesting topic for this week, which is Abby.
S1 (05:21):
So Braille House is hosting its 104th year of the
Dickenson Memorial Literacy Competition, which is Australia's only Braille writing competition.
And this year's theme is discovery, a fitting call to
uncover stories, reflections and voices that deserve to be heard.
With cash prizes up to $350 per category, it's celebrating
(05:43):
accessible storytelling and entries close on Friday, the 19th of September.
S2 (05:49):
And I highly recommend, if you are fluent, Braille reader
or Braille user. And that is whether you read Braille
from a fancy computer or you actually get the Braille
printed out onto paper, have a go at entering this
wonderful competition, we will give the details of how to
enter and how to participate on our podcast description. If
(06:10):
you want to search that out, that's with Braille House.
And it also fitting in that, as I said, our
guest reads Braille and she is a participant here at
Vision Australia Radio. And she uses the Braille to read
out her scripts on air for the program that she's
involved in, which we'll hear about very shortly.
S1 (06:28):
Yeah. So Maddie is currently in year 12, and she's
doing a cert three course in screen and media, including
radio broadcasting and podcasting. And she's been volunteering at Vision
Australia Radio for just over a year now. So we
look forward to hearing from her and hope you enjoy
this interview.
S2 (06:53):
Hello, Madison.
S3 (06:54):
Hi, Simon, how are you? Thanks for having me.
S2 (06:57):
Good to see you today and thanks for coming into
the studio. It's great that you could join us and
take the time away from your busy studies and everything
to tell us a little bit about yourself and your
interest in radio broadcasting.
S3 (07:11):
Yeah, I'm really glad to be here.
S2 (07:12):
Tell us exactly what it is you're studying at the
vet level.
S3 (07:16):
Uh, so I'm currently doing some studying at the Leederville TAFE.
I'm doing a cert three in the Screen and Media
radio broadcasting and podcasting course.
S2 (07:26):
That's really great. How often do you attend that? Those classes.
S3 (07:30):
Um, it's just a course that's a part of my schooling.
So I do it once a week on a Thursday.
S1 (07:35):
That's really exciting. I wish they offered that to me
when I was in high school.
S2 (07:40):
So that's just part of your high school course. And
you're currently in year 12?
S3 (07:45):
Yeah. Year 12.
S2 (07:46):
Oh, wow. So you must be looking forward to finishing
up at the end of this year.
S3 (07:51):
Yeah, I've only got about nine weeks or so left,
and then I'm finished.
S2 (07:56):
What sparked your interest in that particular line of work, Maddie.
S3 (08:00):
Um, well, last year, when I was in year 11,
for a certain period of time, we had a work
placement kind of area. And so I wanted to do
some work experience, and we did some investigating. And then
we heard about Vision Australia Radio. So we like communicated
with Gemma and then yeah, I got into a work
(08:22):
placement and it was a really, really fun experience. I
did all different things like writing scripts, and I started
learning some skills, and it kind of just really got
me interested in the industry. And then I became a
proper volunteer at the station.
S2 (08:36):
That's excellent. We'll get into what you do here at
Vision Australia Radio in the studios of Perth a bit
later on. But first, I guess we should get into
some basic little bit of personal background with you, Maddie,
if that's okay. Yeah. So you are basically nearly totally
blind or you are totally blind, is that right?
S3 (08:54):
Yeah. Practically totally blind.
S2 (08:56):
Yeah. And how long have you been blind? If you
don't mind me asking?
S3 (09:00):
Yeah. All good. I've been blind for over seven years now.
S2 (09:03):
And you told me that that was brought on by
a stroke. Is that right?
S3 (09:07):
Yeah. In 2018, I got diagnosed with leukemia. And during
one of my first procedures, I had a stroke. And
then when I woke up, I was blind.
S2 (09:17):
So remind me again. How old were you then?
S3 (09:19):
I was only ten.
S2 (09:20):
Gosh, that is a really traumatic thing to go through.
S3 (09:25):
Yeah.
S1 (09:27):
At ten. Yeah.
S2 (09:28):
And I guess you are. How old are you now?
S3 (09:31):
17. I'm turning 18 in a few months.
S2 (09:34):
Wow. To some people, that's only a short period of time.
And I know young people, they learn and adapt really quickly.
But I'm sort of wondering, are you. Do you still
find yourself adapting to being blind?
S3 (09:49):
Yeah, definitely. Certain areas and experiences that I go through
definitely make me try and have to learn new skills,
adapt to new people. So it's always a learning curve.
There's definitely never probably a time where it's going to
be all done and all the learning is finished. It's
kind of just how it is.
S2 (10:09):
No, we have an ongoing theme within this program, especially
considering that we are on Vision Australia Radio, and a
big portion of our audience and potential audience are people
who are blind or have low vision. And I often
want to know how people travel through the journey of
losing their eyesight, so that other people listening can get
(10:33):
an idea of what what it was like for you
and what it might be like for them. In their case,
what would you say to someone in a similar position
like you're only 17 going on 18 now, and you
were and you were a little kid at ten years
old when it happened to you.
S3 (10:47):
But, um, something would probably be just taking it one
day at a time. Definitely stressing and being anxious about
all of the events ahead can definitely make that initial
getting through. All of the different changes even more stressful
than what it is. So definitely just taking it slow,
being one day at a time, it does make things
(11:08):
a little bit easier. So that's definitely something that would
be really helpful for most.
S2 (11:14):
That's really great advice. So reach out to the, uh,
the blindness community. We're quite a welcoming bunch and we're
always looking to help and support one another. Do you
have any support connections within the blindness community yourself? Maddie?
S3 (11:27):
Um, I have a couple of other blind friends that
I talk to. They're around my age, so I. Yeah,
I talk to them here and there. We've got quite
a few similar interests. Both go to school. So, yeah,
we're pretty good friends. And it's always nice to talk
to somebody like me.
S2 (11:42):
Mhm. How did you connect with them initially.
S3 (11:45):
Um I connected with them through my visiting teachers who
work with me at school because they were, they're visiting
teachers and they thought that we would just kind of
be really good to talk with each other. So we
got connected up and then yeah, just kind of our
relationship started growing and yeah, we're pretty good friends.
S2 (12:02):
That's excellent. So for those who don't know, how does
it work for someone who is blind in a regular school? Um,
and you get to visiting teachers. What does that arrangement.
S3 (12:11):
Um, so the visiting teachers, they come from a business
called Sensory Vision, and they come out to the school, and, um,
when I first became blind, they came out to me
in the hospital and when I was at home. So
they're quite good to, like, come in to see you
in person. And they teach all their vision impaired students
how to read and write in Braille. Using assistive technology, um,
(12:35):
how to navigate school environments, accessing resources. So yeah, all
the important stuff that we need.
S2 (12:42):
And talking about Braille. Are you a fluent Braille reader
and user?
S3 (12:46):
Yeah. When I lost my vision, I practically started learning
braille straight away. When I was in hospital, that's when
I actually started learning Braille, so it definitely helped to
keep me going. Like definitely something to keep me entertained
in the hospital days. So it was a really, really
cool thing to learn. And I'm really thankful that I
learnt it because it gets me through school and many
(13:08):
other different parts of my life, including my radio work,
so it's definitely a really helpful tool.
S1 (13:13):
How long did it take you to become fluent in Braille?
S3 (13:17):
Um, probably about a year or so. Definitely can be
a lot harder for others. I've heard. Definitely. Once you're
a bit older, it can be a bit harder. So
probably because I was only ten definitely made it a
bit easier. And yeah, picked it up pretty quick.
S2 (13:33):
And Maddie, what were the nerdy people in the audience?
What Braille device do you use?
S3 (13:38):
My main braille device is a Braille set six. I've
used quite a few other different devices. I'm quite interested
in assistive technology, so yeah, I'm quite techie.
S1 (13:53):
You're currently listening to In Plain Sight on Vision Australia
Radio with Simon Chong and Abby Green. This week we
are speaking to Maddy Malins, a current year 12 student
doing a certificate three in screen and media, radio broadcasting
and podcasting and who has been a Vision Australia radio
(14:14):
volunteer for just over a year.
S2 (14:19):
The main thing I'd like to talk to you about
is this interest in radio and broadcasting, and you mentioned
that you came to Vision Australia Radio to do work experience,
and now you're doing some volunteering here. Tell us about
what you're doing here at Vision Australia Radio.
S3 (14:36):
So when I was doing my work experience, I started
doing some writing for the Happy Pants team who do
stuff for children. And that was a really interesting experience
because it was pretty fun. I was like finding different
fun facts, writing some little short segments that would interest
kids about different TV shows and books. And, um, yeah,
(14:58):
when I started my training at the station, I was
asked what kind of team I'd want to work with.
And yeah, the memories of working for the kids that
was like, really like into me. So yeah, I chose
to work with Happy Pants and they're a really amazing team.
It's really good to work with them.
S2 (15:17):
So for those who don't know, Madison, can you tell
us what the program Happy Pants is and what it's
all about?
S3 (15:23):
Happy pants is based for children, usually between ages about
four and ten kind of thing. Um, we do lots
of different things writing fun facts for kids to learn
some important things. I've written some stories for them that
have been pretty good. I've also started. I've started learning
how to write scripts thanks to one of the ladies
(15:44):
that I work with. And, um, yeah, I'm also just
one of the main voices on the team, so.
S2 (15:50):
What's your character's name?
S3 (15:52):
Um, well, my thing is just Maddie, but then I
have played some different characters for scripts that have been written, like, I've, um.
What have I played? I've played an underwater creature. So.
Like a sea animal. Uh, I've played. Yeah, I've actually
played a few different animals. It's been quite fun. So. Yeah,
definitely lots of different. Yeah. Child characters. Definitely very fun.
S2 (16:15):
And I'll put you on the spot here. Madison, for
the sake of the station, do you know when the
program is on the radio?
S3 (16:23):
Um, yeah. So it's aired on Saturdays and Sundays in
the morning, and you can also listen to it as
a podcast.
S2 (16:30):
And I would highly recommend seeking this out, probably in
your own leisure on the podcast. It's called Happy Pants
by Vision Australia Radio and it is fantastic. It's really
well put together. It's lots of fun. It's won some awards.
It's it's fun and it's educational and it's really well presented.
(16:51):
And it really sparks that imagination. So you're going to
continue with them for a while?
S3 (16:57):
Yeah, definitely. And, um, once I leave school at the
end of the year, I'll definitely start working with them
a lot more.
S2 (17:04):
We'd like to play a very short segment of that
program for you now.
S4 (17:08):
One. Two, three. It's happy pants.
S5 (17:13):
Good day, and welcome to Happy Pants, a show especially
for kids and especially for you. My name is Geraldine.
S3 (17:21):
And my name is Maddie. And together we're your happy
pants team for today.
S5 (17:26):
Are you wearing your happy pants today? We are today.
My happy pants are a deep, cool blue color called indigo.
It's a sort of halfway color between blue and purple.
S3 (17:39):
I know that indigo is the second last color in
the rainbow. Red. Orange. Yellow. Green. Blue. Then comes indigo,
and violet is the last color. I can't actually see
the colors, of course, but I believe violet is a
sort of purple color. I also know that indigo is
(18:01):
a plant that makes a dark blue dye, and that
my jeans are dyed with indigo. That's why they are
called blue jeans. The plant belongs to the same family
as peas and beans, but I don't think it would
be a good idea to snack on it.
S5 (18:19):
Have you checked your happy pants pockets yet? Maddie.
S3 (18:23):
Oh, yes. I couldn't wait. I checked the pockets before
I put on my happy pants. Guess what? Empty.
S5 (18:31):
Well, that was that was a while ago. Have another look.
S3 (18:36):
Good heavens. There is something in here. How did that
get there?
S5 (18:41):
What is it?
S3 (18:42):
A big bundle of what feels like feathers. Lots of
different feathers.
S5 (18:48):
Anything else?
S3 (18:50):
Ooh, something creepy crawly. It's grubs. Your turn. I bet
you get cockroaches or something.
S2 (19:02):
What other hobbies do you partake in?
S3 (19:04):
I also do music. I've been playing the drums for
a few years, and I'm also teaching myself keyboard. And
at school, I'm in a band.
S2 (19:13):
Okay. What kind of stuff do you do in the
band at school?
S3 (19:16):
Um, I'm mainly just the drummer. I've done a bit
of backup vocals, but what type of.
S2 (19:19):
Music.
S3 (19:21):
Are we? Mainly do pop music. A little bit of
punk here and there, a bit of acoustic, so it's
quite a mix. But um, yeah, I'm mainly try to
keep things upbeat because that's always more fun to play
on the drums.
S2 (19:33):
Definitely. What took your interest about drumming?
S3 (19:36):
Um, I always had an interest in music even before
I lost my vision. And, um, during my year eight
year at school, we did like a music class, and
we got to kind of choose an instrument that we
wanted to learn some skills. And I had a look
at guitar, had a look at piano, and none of
(19:56):
that really interested me at that point. So I got
on the drum kit. I played a little beat that
someone taught me, and it kind of just took off
from there, and I always found it really interesting and fun.
S2 (20:09):
So you have your own kit at home?
S3 (20:10):
Yeah, I do. I got my own little purple sparkly
drum kit at home.
S2 (20:14):
Lovely.
S1 (20:15):
That's amazing.
S2 (20:16):
I'd love to see a photo of that. And you
must have very understanding of household members.
S3 (20:21):
Yeah, thankfully my parents, they're they're very understanding. Luckily, I
don't I don't do it every day, so they don't
have to deal with my loud noise every single day
for long periods of time.
S2 (20:33):
And another nerdy question is it a proper physical kit
or is it as electronic kit. What kind of drum
kit have you got?
S3 (20:38):
I used to have an electronic drum kit, but I
found it quite hard to play because the drums weren't
very big. They were all just like the little electronic pads,
and I kind of found that hard to navigate around
and know what I'm hitting. So I've got an acoustic
one now and it's definitely a lot easier to navigate.
(20:59):
Know what I'm hitting? Yeah. Yeah, right. I definitely prefer
acoustic over electric.
S2 (21:04):
With your studies. The media and radio and broadcasting. What
do you think your opportunities will be once you finish
your course?
S3 (21:12):
It might give me some opportunities. Yeah. Um, definitely. Also,
because I've got my experience here at the station that
will definitely give me some credit and back me up
with some different experiences. But I'm also hoping to do
another course up from that, a diploma. So I'll hopefully
be doing that once I leave school, so that will
(21:33):
definitely be a good qualification to have behind me as well.
S1 (21:37):
Can I ask what your ultimate goal is? Where do
you want to be in the future? What's your ultimate dream?
S3 (21:42):
Probably to be a popular radio host. Work on a
station kind of thing. Get to interact with other people
who are interested in the industry. Interview musicians. Mhm. Yeah.
Maybe create my own podcast.
S1 (21:58):
That's really cool.
S3 (21:59):
Yeah. Also with like the music side probably continuing with
being in a band, creating my own music. So yeah,
that kind of stuff.
S2 (22:08):
Well, some fabulous community radio stations out there that are
music based and it's always a good place to start.
S3 (22:16):
Yeah, definitely.
S2 (22:18):
Talking about music, do you have a favorite band at
the moment or a group or a singer?
S3 (22:22):
I'm definitely someone who's into boy bands.
S2 (22:25):
Okay.
S3 (22:26):
Yeah, I'm definitely one of those people love One Direction,
five seconds of Summer. But then, I mean, I also
love like the other single artists as well. I don't
mind throwback artists. So Fleetwood Mac's an amazing artist. They're
a really good band.
S1 (22:40):
What about Alex Warren?
S3 (22:41):
Oh, yeah. Pretty good. Yeah, I'm not huge on country
and that kind of stuff, but pretty good artist.
S1 (22:48):
He's one of my favorites, so.
S2 (22:51):
Okay. Made me feel really old then. I have no
idea who that is.
S1 (22:54):
And I feel old hearing about One Direction and five
seconds of summer.
S2 (22:58):
Definitely.
S1 (22:58):
Like, I'm only 24, but I'm like, wow, that feels
so long ago.
S3 (23:03):
I know.
S2 (23:04):
Give us a bit of an idea of when you're
working on Happy Pants. What's involved in your routine? What
do you personally have to do to get your part
up and running and on the day?
S3 (23:16):
Because I usually just do reading. Currently I have one
of the main people from the team. They send me
through a script a couple of days before just so
I can start rehearsing it, practicing it, having to learn
some different, or learning how to pronounce some different words because, um,
one of the things that we have are like big
word alerts. So learning how to pronounce those and yeah,
(23:39):
just kind of getting that flow going. So then it's
a bit more smooth when it comes to the recording day. Um,
and then yeah, when I as I said before, I've
written a couple of stories for the team. I've written
a Christmas and an Easter story.
S2 (23:53):
Yeah. Nice.
S3 (23:54):
So, um, yeah, for that, it was definitely my first story.
Definitely took a lot longer than the first, because I'd
never really written something like that before. Definitely required a
lot of research, getting feedback from the team, but, um, yeah,
they both turned out pretty well. I was definitely quite
conscious of them, but people really enjoyed them. So, um, yeah, definitely.
(24:17):
With the team, it's just a matter of being prepared,
rehearsing what we want to say. We always do like
a run through beforehand. So. Yeah.
S2 (24:26):
So do you read your script through the Braille device
that you've got.
S3 (24:32):
Yeah I do.
S2 (24:33):
Okay. And how do you find that reading out loud?
Are you fluent with it yet?
S3 (24:37):
I'm definitely getting better at it. I find once I've
read it lots and lots of times, it definitely comes
out a lot more smooth because then I start to
sort of memorize it after a while. Yeah, definitely. Reading
it in braille helps me to get it out a
bit more clear. I don't have to kind of worry
too much about what I'm going to say, because it's
(24:57):
right in front of me. So it's definitely a really
handy tool.
S2 (25:01):
It definitely is. And I would be an advocate for
people who are blind to keep up the Braille skills,
because it is a really helpful way of reading, and
it's different to listening to audiobooks and so on, isn't it?
S3 (25:16):
Yeah, and I know recently more people learning Braille, they
don't really want to learn it as much. They don't
think it's as important because of all the tech stuff
going on. And like the tech is really, really good,
but Braille is just a really helpful tool and tech
doesn't offer that. So yeah.
S2 (25:34):
Well, my thoughts about Braille is that it is reading,
and it does stimulate the same function of your brain
as a sighted person would do. Was reading written text?
S3 (25:47):
Yeah, exactly.
S2 (25:48):
Which is different to when you're listening to text because
that triggers a different stimulation in a different part of
your brain.
S3 (25:55):
Yeah, I definitely find if I'm either reading it with
my fingers or listening to something, I definitely process it
and remember the info a lot differently.
S2 (26:06):
Yeah, that was my point.
S3 (26:07):
Yeah, I definitely find I personally remember information a lot
better when I'm actually reading it in Braille than listening
to something.
S2 (26:14):
Mhm. And just imagine that when you're listening to this
at home, when you're trying to remember something or you've
got to take notes, you write it down.
S3 (26:23):
Yeah. Exactly.
S2 (26:25):
Mm. Anyway, Madison, it's been lovely to chat to you.
We're kind of running out of time. Is there anything
you'd really like the audience people to know?
S3 (26:32):
Well, probably a main thing for everyone would just be
getting more interested in Vision Australia. It's an amazing station.
You don't just have to be vision impaired to want
to listen to it. All the different segments are amazing. Um,
and definitely just people out there really need to be
a bit more aware of the community around them, because
I know some people definitely not as aware of us
(26:54):
disabled people, and just knowing that we're like everybody else,
should always have our own struggles. So definitely just getting
a lot more involved and aware of the community around them.
And yeah, getting interested in the station, I'd say.
S2 (27:08):
That's excellent. Maddy. And the other point I'd like to make, too,
is what I've really taken from meeting you and talking
to you today, is that an idea was sparked within
you that you wanted to be a radio presenter, and
you followed that up, and now you've got a great
passion in it. And as well as these great skills
and well done to you and well done to the
(27:29):
people around you for supporting you and encouraging you to
do that.
S3 (27:32):
Thank you.
S2 (27:33):
What? We might leave our conversation there. Madison. It's been
a fabulous to meet you, and I really do encourage
people to check out the program Happy Pants on Vision
Australia Radio. And thank you for joining us.
S3 (27:45):
Yeah, thanks for having me. It's been really nice. I've
enjoyed it.
S1 (27:53):
That concludes In Plain Sight for this week. Join us,
Abby Greene and Simon Chong at the same time next
week on Vision Australia Radio VA radio digital and online
at VA. You can also listen on demand by searching
for In Plain Sight wherever you get your podcasts, or
ask your smart device to play in Plain Sight by
(28:15):
Vision Australia Radio. Thanks for listening.
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