Interview Highlight: Tess and Polly from 'Nothing's Off Limits'

This week’s Interview Highlight comes from “Focal Point” in which Peter Greco talks with Tess Herbert and Polly Goodwin about a new podcast series ‘Nothing's Off Limits’.

On this series, experts and people with lived experience sit down and discuss topics we love to avoid but absolutely need to talk about, subjects which can feel too awkward or embarrassing to talk about in a straightforward and open way. The things we feel are ‘off limits’.

More info:

'Nothings Off Limits'

If you have any questions that you would like us to explore in this series, please drop us a line on:

[e-mail]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Episode Transcript

S1 (00:01):
Welcome to this podcast made possible by Vision Australia Radio.
Your community radio station visit via Radio dot org for
more information on Vision Australia radio and our podcasts.

S2 (00:13):
Well, hopefully last week you caught up with the first
episode of Nothing's Off Limits. If you didn't, well, shame
on you, but you can't make up for it because
there's lots more episodes to come. To tell us more about,
we've got Polly Goodwin and Tess Herbert. Polly, how are you?

S3 (00:27):
I'm ready. Grandstand's Peter, how are you?

S2 (00:30):
Terrific as well, and it's so great to catch up
with you again.

S4 (00:33):
It's lovely to chat with you again, Peter. It's a real,
real pleasure.

S2 (00:36):
Well, Polly, we spoke to you when this was getting
off the ground a few months ago. Now, for those
that might have missed that or might be aware of that,
the background of nothing's off limits. Just a bit about that.

S3 (00:46):
That's right. Gosh, yes, it was a while back now,
wasn't it? So Nothing's Off Limits is a 10 part
series being broadcast on Virgin Australia Radio, but also available
as a podcast. And the idea is we wanted to
get expert people with lived experience together to talk about
some of the really challenging topics that we avoid or

(01:06):
don't know how to start the conversation around and talk
specifically through the lens of blindness and innovation. So we've
pulled together 10 episodes each on a different topic, and
we've had some amazing guests, haven't we test that have
come in and just been so generous with their experience
and their their wisdom that they've learned. So that's been
such a joy.

S2 (01:26):
Tess, tell us a bit about your involvement then.

S4 (01:28):
Well, Peter, I actually interviewed Polly for Nothing's Off Limits
on Talking Vision, which was quite wonderful late last year,
and that was the first I'd heard of it. But
then after that interview, we had such great chemistry as
one of the most fun interviews I ever did. Early
this year, Polly contacted me and asked me to be co-host,

(01:51):
and I said yes because I had heard a lot
about nothing's off limits by then, and I knew that
it really delved into some of those tricky topics that
maybe didn't get talked about for blindness and low vision perspective.
And as someone who's blind myself and I know who
would have loved those kind of resources when I was younger,
I just thought it was such a wonderful project. And

(02:11):
so I, yeah, that's how I became to get involved.
And it's just been the most wonderfully rewarding project to
be part of Polly.

S2 (02:18):
It's very well known, just that the podcast, the programme.

S3 (02:21):
It absolutely is. And as I say, hats off. Enormous
thanks to our guests because they've been so open and
so frank about some, some really difficult topics, actually. And
whether they're difficult because they're some we're talking about mental
health or whether they're difficult just because everyone's faces, you
go bright red at that point. I think that, yeah,

(02:41):
we've really kind of pushed the the title to the limit.
So I think that's particularly interesting discussions now.

S2 (02:48):
Last week's show were the first show Tess has gone
through where and if people have missed it, they can
get it from the podcast page. So wherever they get
at their podcasts and Australia radio, nothing's off limits as
part of that as well. Well, I can get it
to their podcast catch as well. Tell us a bit
about last week's show, then it does get a little
bit more. Well, shall we say, as sensitive as the

(03:10):
series goes on.

S4 (03:11):
It does feature you're quite right. So yes, the first
episode aired on Vision Australia Radio and can be downloaded
now as a podcast, and that was about nutrition and exercise.
So physical wellbeing, as we call it, physical health and wellbeing.
And we had a couple of fantastic guests with lived
experience of keeping fit and healthy and overcoming obstacles of

(03:36):
blindness and low vision to do that. And we had
a really interesting chat with Tyler in the US, who
has actually created his own series of audio fitness apps
where there's some great descriptions of workouts that people can
do to keep fit. So we really got a lot
of insights, and Jason, who is a bodybuilder, he talked

(03:56):
to us as well about how he keeps fit and healthy,
and they both had some great insights as to nutrition.
So it was a fantastic first episode, and we're really
hoping that people get a lot out of that because,
you know, I know as someone who's blind myself, it
can be very tricky figuring out how to, you know,
how to do a workout, how to stay fit and healthy.
So I'm hoping that will be really useful to our listeners.

S2 (04:18):
Jason, what is a great young man? He is a
real estate agent by day, if you like, but he
does a lot of things by night, if we might
put it that way. And he's also very, very keen
to get other people involved with things like the bodybuilding.
I know that's one of his passions and not just
because he likes to do it or he thinks it's
a good thing, but he likes others to get involved.
It's a really tremendous attitude for for a person to

(04:41):
have probably been. As I said, it does get a
little bit more, well, a bit more sensitive. And I
guess that's part of the raison d'etre of the program,
isn't it?

S3 (04:49):
That's right. We thought we'd break people in easily with
the more approachable topic. But yes, we do move on
to some. Some really, yes, some quite challenging topics. So some.
We're doing one on mental health, and obviously we're very
aware that that may bring up some issues for people,
but we hope. I mean, the 30 minutes just isn't
enough to cover any of these, really, but we're really

(05:09):
hoping that these are starts of the conversations. So giving
you some signposting, exploring some of the questions that I
think really need to be talked about. We are also
looking at sort of I'm laughing out of nerves here,
which just goes to show how they are off limits.
Some more fruity programs, shall we say. So we've got
one on dating, which was a lot of fun to do.

(05:30):
Some really great hits coming out of that. Some more
stories as well from our guests. And then we're doing
one as one on adult entertainment services and products, which
was so fascinating. And we learned a lot about, I guess,
some of the challenges around accessing some of those things.
But also, you know, some really helpful strategies about how

(05:51):
to find out what's out there, how to find out
what's right for you. And I think the last two
episodes I'm very excited about because they were both directly
suggested by the community and ones around the specific experiences
of being low vision. And we've broken out into a
panel format for that, which was a lot of fun
but just really insightful. And then the last episode is

(06:13):
around kind of identity and community and that really challenging
subject of disclosure as well. So we do a whistle
stop tour through all of the hard questions. But as
I say, we hope these are just the start of
conversations for you to go on and talk about with
friends and families and your friends.

S2 (06:29):
So that's on Wednesday evenings across the Vision Australia network.
So in Adelaide, it's on tonight after this particular program
or nine o'clock anyway, and then also in Melbourne and
Perth and also being repeated on the weekend tested the
mental health thing. I mean, that's really become much more,
shall we say, mainstream if there's such a title since
COVID has broken out, I mean, people seem much more

(06:51):
comfortable to talk about mental health these days.

S4 (06:53):
Yes, I think I think you're right, Peter. And also
with the introduction of telehealth, perhaps people have felt more
comfortable to access some different mental health services. We spoke
to two different guests, so one guest had lived experience
and was able to, but also had training as a
psychologist and was able to talk about mental health from

(07:16):
a disability from a perspective of somebody with a disability.
And then we also talked to a pediatric counsellor who'd
worked for many, many years with young people dealing with
issues of mental health and disability. So we really got
two different spectrums, which I think will really help, because
what a lot of people don't realise is that disability
and mental health can be quite interconnected, and sometimes there

(07:36):
are separate issues that people who have a disability might
face with their mental health in terms of grief, loss, acceptance, commitment,
you know, all those kind of things. So I think
it was really good to talk about all of that
in the third

S2 (07:50):
episode and possibly also tackle society as well.

S3 (07:53):
That's right. Yes, that's episode the next episode coming up
so straight after your program. And we've kind of taken
it from two angles ones about how you can be
safe in your home, and some have some really practical
skills to make sure that you're in control of your environment.
But then we also had a couple of guests come
in to help us explore how you can be confident
moving around in different environments. What are some of the

(08:15):
tips and tricks about making sure that you are in
control of the situation? And I thought that was, I
don't know about you, Tess, but I came away with
so many learnings from that episode. In particular, I think
about just some really good strategies about what you can do.

S4 (08:29):
Absolutely. I would agree with that. I think we had
some really great guests who came at it from different,
different directions, everything from orientation or ability to knowing your
rights and body language. That was a fantastic episode, and
I'm hoping that our listeners will really, really get a
lot out of that next Wednesday.

S2 (08:45):
Just full disclosure on my part. I was actually asked
to answer a few questions as part of this series,
and obviously a lot of people must have dropped out
and they must have run out of paper rings. So
I was code for for a couple of hours. But
you know, the people that were putting it together said, Yeah,
you can be serious or you can be funny or,
you know, if you want to hear your answers back
or it's going to reveal your answers or indeed, if

(09:06):
you don't want your answers to go to where you
can do that, as well as so no one's been pressured,
no has been put in a position where. But yeah,
I wish I hadn't said that or I feel uncomfortable
answering that and did it by, yeah, feeling like they
need to tell you there's nothing like that that's going
on as far as this goes. Is there?

S4 (09:22):
No, no. We're very aware that we are covering topics
that can be very personal for people, sometimes very triggering
when we start to talk about mental health and body image.
So whether we're doing the Vox Pops or the guests,
it's very important to us that people are aware that
we only talk about what they're comfortable to talk about.

(09:44):
And if they are not comfortable with what they have
said with what has been recorded, we can change it.
So it's very much about making sure that our guests
or the people participating in the box pops are comfortable
and well and truly in control of. Process and don't
have to worry about going back and saying things again
or taking bits out because, you know, I mean, especially

(10:05):
those workshops, it is. So I mean, I guess and
ever so important, hearing those stories from people with lived
experience of blindness and low vision as well as experts.
It's just wonderful and actually hearing the voices not just
not just reports, but actually hearing the voices in the
Vox Pops, I think is going to be at a
real richness to it. So it's very important that everyone

(10:27):
feels comfortable and that they are. The boundaries are very
much respected,

S3 (10:32):
yet test is absolutely right. And that's a great great question, Peter.
I think, you know, whilst it's called, nothing's off limits,
the only thing that were off limits were things which
people weren't comfortable talking about, and we were lucky to
be able to pre record everything so that all of
our guests can kind of go away and have a
think and we can re-edit around what they're comfortable with.

S2 (10:49):
This is a focal point here on Vision Australia writing
Westpac to public good, but in Test Urban about nothing's
off limits. The brand new program that's just started on
Vision Australia radio at nine o'clock Wednesday evenings on the
visually writing network, also repeated on weekends. Polly was there
one thing that stood out for you as far as
this goes? And then I'll ask the same question

S3 (11:09):
Oh, do I only get one? Oh, Peter, oh yes.

S2 (11:12):
Nothing is off limits. Only one thing's off. Why do
you choose?

S3 (11:16):
Oh my word. Okay? Erm, I think the thing that
struck me most was, I think in a mental health episode,
which was so many interesting stories and so much good
advice came out. But the thing that really struck me
was the advice that I had had to be proactive
about your mental health. So in the same way as
you know, you might go for a brisk walk or,

(11:36):
you know, mind eating healthily or whatever it be to
kind of take that proactive approach to your physical health.
The idea that there are steps you can take to
kind of bolster your mental health as well, not just
when you're in a period of crisis. And that was
a very powerful thing for me to test me.

S4 (11:51):
I would say that happened with the episode on dating.
So we spoke to three different guests who just had
so many wonderful, wonderful things to say about that. And
I felt like I really learned a lot about how
we can pick up on a lot of non-visual clues
to make sure that, you know, the person we're going

(12:12):
out on a date with is comfortable and how we
can give a lot of clues, you know, are just
so many great tips and strategies that they gave and
taking dating from all sorts of different directions. So not
everyone use the online apps, but a lot of the
advice was quite similar in terms of how important body
language is, how important it is to engage with confidence
and how you really can. You know, visual yes, visual

(12:35):
body language is can be important, but it's not the
be all and end all. And I think that was
a really, really powerful thing that I took from that,
that we really can use so many different things to
communicate when we're on a date.

S2 (12:46):
OK, so this 10 episodes, the first one's gone to air,
but it is available through the podcast app or through
Australia's website, and you can podcast that nothing is off
limits to what to look for. Holly, thank you so
much for speaking to us. Anything you'd like to sign
in closing, obviously, we are encouraging people to listen in,
and if they can't hear it live to air, then

(13:07):
they can certainly podcast. I think one of the great
things about this particular venture, if you like, is often
we hear all you know you can podcast this or
podcast that was, oh, I don't know, the podcast. I
don't like podcasts. The great thing about this particular show
is you can hear it the old fashioned way, like
on the radio. And even if you miss it, if
you'd like to hear it again and go to the website.

(13:27):
So I think that's a fantastic initiative.

S3 (13:29):
Yeah, that's absolutely right. And someone described podcast brilliantly to
me the other day as showing my age here. A
podcast is really no different from when you recorded something
off the radio and listened to it again later, which
is saving you the bottom of having to record it
in the first place. So yet you can head on
to our website. Also, I should add that with each episode,
we've pulled together a resources sheet that you can download,

(13:50):
so that sort of anything that was mentioned in the podcast,
all of those links and addresses will be in there
and some other things that we didn't have time to
put in as well. So do check it out on there.
Nothing's off limits page.

S2 (14:01):
Terrific. Tess, good to catch up with you again. I'm
sure this might be the last time we hear from you. And, well, congratulations.
I've heard the first step aside. I actually I missed
it on the radio. Well, actually, I was on the
way home from the radio station that particular night, so
I missed it. But I did download certainly those people
who download any of our stuff. It's quite straightforward to download,
so they should have any problems too. So thank you.

S4 (14:23):
Thank you, Peter, and I'm so glad you enjoyed it
and I hope everyone else does as well.

S2 (14:27):
I'm looking forward to some of the but they probably
say freaky stuff that's coming up later.

S3 (14:34):
Yes. Yes. We're not under promising there. No.

S2 (14:37):
OK, well, yeah. But if I deliver, we'll get you back. Mike,
you explain

S4 (14:43):
any lead feedback?

S2 (14:46):
Well, the thing is to just quickly, if people got
any responses to it, they can get in touch the
usual ways about it because I'm sure with anything when
it comes to broadcasting, you sort of love doing it,
but it's also nice. Get some feedback and constructive criticism
is welcome as well.

S3 (15:02):
Absolutely. We we were so welcome any feedback you have
if we get the opportunity to do a second series,
we want to improve it. We want to make it
reflect what our listeners want so you can drop us
an email that nothing's off limits at Vision Australia dot org.
No apostrophe. So sorry for the grammar nuts, but that's
there aren't apostrophes in email address. It's not something else

(15:23):
I learned in this project.

S2 (15:24):
Someone just sent me a text saying, Can you make
it more free to you next time? So I'm not
quite sure what they're about, but I really want to
leave it there. I like so much. Thanks so much,
Polly and Tess. Appreciate that.

S3 (15:35):
Thank you.

S2 (15:36):
Thank you, guys. So that's so nothing is off limits.
Wednesday evening at 9:00 p.m. on the East Australia radio network,
repeated Sunday in Melbourne and Perth and Saturday nights in
that light.

S1 (15:47):
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