June 18, 2025 • 28 mins
Lizzie Eastham and Sam Rickard present Studio 1 - Vision Australia Radio’s weekly look at life from a low vision and blind point of view.
On this week’s show
"Into the Mailbag”
Did you know we have an email address? Well naturally we mention it a few times during the show. This week, to celebrate Studio 1’s renewal for the next three years, Lizzie and Sam read a few of the emails sent in the last year or so and respond to some of the comments.
Studio 1 welcomes any input from our listeners. If you have any experience or thoughts about issues covered in this episode or believe there is something we should be talking about.
EMAIL: studio1@visionaustralia.org or leave comment on the station’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/VARadioNetwork
Thank you everyone who has written us in the last five years and here's to at least three more.
This program was made possible with support from the Community Broadcasting Foundation. Find out more at https://cbf.org.au/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
S1 (00:06):
This is studio one on Vision Australia Radio.
S2 (00:17):
Hello, I'm Sam.
S3 (00:18):
And I'm Lizzie.
S2 (00:19):
And this is Studio One, your weekly look at life
from a low vision and blind point of view. Here
on Vision Australia Radio.
S3 (00:25):
This week, did you know that we have an email address? Really?
S2 (00:28):
What is it? Um, well, yes, we say at the
top and the tale of each episode and. Well, you
know what? Sometimes people actually email us. Do you believe that?
S3 (00:39):
Oh, no.
S2 (00:41):
Oh. So heaven forbid. Yes. So to celebrate Studio One's
renewal for another three years. Yes. Cue the applause. We
dive into the mailbag and give you some of our
listeners insights, as it were.
S3 (00:56):
As we always say at this point, please do get
in touch with the show. Whether you have experience of
any of the issues covered on this week's episode of
Studio One, or if you think there's something we should
be talking about. You never know. Your story and insight
may help someone who's dealing with something similar.
S2 (01:11):
As I said, you can email us studio one at
Vision Australia. Org. That's studio number one at Vision Australia.
S3 (01:16):
Org or of course, you can drop us a note
on the station's Facebook page by going to facebook.com Slash
Radio network.
S2 (01:29):
Hello, Lizzie.
S3 (01:29):
Hello, Sam.
S2 (01:31):
You're sounding a lot better than last week. I believe
you were really down in the dumps.
S3 (01:36):
I did not have a good week. I had bronchitis
really bad. I think it's the most sick I've ever
been in my adult life. In fact, there's part of
me that still thinks, oh, I'll never be the same.
My lungs especially.
S2 (01:50):
And I was terrible. I got you to work on
your sick week, so. But I think the show turned
out okay.
S3 (01:56):
I mean, thank goodness I didn't talk very much. Thank
goodness it wasn't one of those weeks where I was
required to talk very much because my throat hurt and
I was. Yes, I sounded as if I was coming
down from the depths of who knows where.
S2 (02:12):
But it all works out. And we had some good
news last week.
S3 (02:16):
Yes we did. Oh, how exciting is that? That our
funding has been renewed for the next three years. So
guess what, people? You can't get rid of us that
easy unless you just turn off your radio. Um, we
wouldn't encourage you to do that.
S2 (02:30):
One of the big things that has helped us out
over the last five years or so that we've been
on the air is the input from our listeners. And yes,
it's nice that we've actually got listeners as well. So
thank you, everybody for listening. But also thank you for
those who've actually got back in touch with us and
made comments occasionally. That's led to other stories, but, well,
(02:51):
there were these emails here that didn't quite fit in.
And I thought, well, we might as well let these
people have their say but maintain the anonymity of the email.
S3 (03:04):
Yes. In fact, I think it's really nice the fact
that we promote our email address and now we're going
to read your emails. So we actually do pay attention
to this email box.
S2 (03:14):
Or try to at the very least. Yes. All right.
So where are we starting? Ah, yes. Ricky.
S3 (03:21):
Ricky, I am just getting the shakes all over again
just thinking about what could have gone wrong. But luckily
for me, it didn't.
S2 (03:30):
Well, you might have been able to find someone who
can help you out, and they might have been, um,
a little unhelpful. Yes. So the reason why I have
named this episode the Boy Scout Syndrome is I came
up with this a number of years ago, and that is.
So if you picture there's a Boy Scout wandering down
(03:52):
the road, he's after his badge in helping ladies across
the road, and he comes across an old lady and
helps her across the road, then wanders off thinking, I've
done that. I've given my my, um, badge for wonderful
doing this. Not really asking if the old lady wanted
to be helped across the road, or even wanted to
(04:15):
go across the road in the first place.
S4 (04:18):
Yeah, you know, even when you have got the dog
in your left hand. I've been grabbed and dragged onto
the train. I used to get really cranky and just say,
let me. You need to let me go. This is
what the dog's for and whatever. And I used to
yell at them. Well, I don't do that anymore. I
realize that's not the right thing to do. So someone
does go to grab me. I'll usually just pull my
(04:39):
hand away and say, no, it's okay. And just in future,
just ask me first.
S5 (04:44):
But yeah, when I think, uh, probably the biggest change
was when I did my guide dog training, they told
me that if someone offers you a seat on the
bus or the train, you should take it because you
want them to offer it and you should should thank them.
Be positive. Appreciative. Uh, because if they don't do it
next time for the the old person with diabetes and
(05:05):
neuropathy in their feet and visual impairment. Well, that's a problem.
S6 (05:10):
If they're always up close in my space, I have
to say, look, I'm okay. Please, I don't need your help.
I can manage, but sometimes, well, a lot of the
time when people help, they're they're great. I really do
appreciate their help, especially when it comes to road crossings,
which I hate with a passion. I hate crossing roads
if I can help it.
S2 (05:31):
Hi. In terms of the first part of last week's
program about helping, yes, this was the Boy Scout syndrome
that we was talking about. I'm not really a tactile person,
and obviously it's not meant to be malicious or hurtful,
but I'm not really a tactile person and I don't
really like being touched for no reason. Sometimes I'm sure
(05:54):
it's out of love or whatever. Sometimes people touch my
shoulders or slap as a greeting, but I'm not really
in favor of that either. But I don't mind being
helped across the street, for example, I'm really not comfortable
touching women. Ricky. All right, so where do we go
with this one?
S3 (06:12):
Well, you know what? I will say this. I had
an experience a couple of weeks ago. Thank you. Ricky,
by the way, for writing in because I am the
exact same. Unless I know you. Don't touch me. I
had an experience a couple of weeks ago which kind
of unsettled me, and it actually had me quite angry
for a couple of days. My support worker, Chris and
I had just been to the gym and we were
(06:34):
going to lunch, as we do, and we were sitting
in a cafe and this old guy, uh, old Italian
guy came up and started talking to Chris like, oh,
my niece is vision impaired. That's all he said. Then
he started stroking my back and stroking my hair and
playing with my plat and getting all sort of, like,
close and stuff. And I was just like, I don't
(06:56):
really like being touched. And I leaned away and, um,
he then continued to try and touch me. Uh, luckily
he walked away when he did because Chris was ready
to intervene. But it really got my goat up because
what right have you to touch me? If I was
a normal woman and I say normal in quotes, if
I had no disability and I was just your average
(07:18):
Joe woman sitting in a cafe, you wouldn't dare come
up to me and touch me. But because I'm disabled
or because I'm other than you think that it is
acceptable to come and do that. Like, it got me
really mad. Actually. I found it really hard to let
it go. And now that we've just rehashed it, I'm
getting mad all over.
S2 (07:37):
Again, getting it all stirred up. Yeah. All right, talking
of all stirred up, we have a another email, this
time all the way from Macedonia.
S3 (07:45):
Aha. Okay. I'm going to do my best to read this.
Hi I am a blind teacher from North Macedonia and
enjoy your show much, but was wondering if you could
make it easier for us to read the content of
podcasts on podcast apps. For example, when you put out
the episodes, you can first introduce the Introduced a topic
instead of saying the hosts are that way, we can
(08:09):
go faster, especially if we need to catch up on podcasts.
And that's from Adriana.
S2 (08:15):
Okay.
S3 (08:16):
Well, there's a reason we do that.
S2 (08:18):
It's not we've not really had any complaints about it,
but we're following a format that's actually quite tried and
tested over in the UK at least. So, um, some
podcasts do things slightly differently, but the vast majority will introduce, um,
who's hosting it and then go into it to give
you an idea of what we're talking about. I know
(08:39):
sometimes I can be a bit cryptic when I choose
the subjects, but that's the is the title of the
podcast because each week there is a different podcast title.
And what's your take on this one, Lizzie?
S3 (08:49):
Well, I think especially because I think, uh, Adriana, you
probably forget that this goes out to air. It's not
just in a podcast format. If it were, perhaps there
would be some way around it. But the fact is,
if we are going to be engaging with the community
and there are potentially new listeners. We want the listeners
(09:10):
to know who the hosts are so that we they
can engage with us so they know I'm Lizzie and
that's Sam, and we are both very different people with
very different perspectives, but we are coming together for the
purposes of this show. So it does go out to
air on a national radio network. It's not just a podcast.
So therefore there is kind of an extra element of
(09:31):
needing to introduce ourselves as hosts.
S2 (09:34):
Mhm.
S7 (09:39):
I was giving a seminar up in the Adelaide Hills,
so it was a very big fair and the taxi
refused to come when they found out that there was
a guide dog. And I mean I was the person
leading the session, I had to be there and it
took the involvement of a lot of people to actually
get me there on time by the skin of my teeth.
(10:00):
Of course, my stress levels were absolutely through the roof,
but every time there's a refusal, it's stressful. Anytime I
actually book a taxi, I'm stressed because I'm always concerned
as to whether or not it will turn up, especially
if I'm travelling interstate. And will I or will I
not make the plane? Make the flight?
S8 (10:18):
Did you know that? Let's pretend that you're an Uber driver,
that every time you get into because it's your personal car,
every time you get into your personal car and log
on to your Uber platform? Did you know that a
thing comes up stating that you have to allow God
fearing citizens dogs in your car?
S7 (10:37):
Well, no I didn't.
S8 (10:38):
Well, they do, but no one bloody reads it because
they just scroll and then hit the tick button, the
tick box, you know, to say, yes, I've read it.
And people have a go at me and say, well, Janice,
you should have ordered a pet friendly Uber. And it's like, well,
you've got to wait longer because not all Ubers say
yes to pets. And plus you've got to pay extra money.
(11:03):
And thirdly, my guide dog is not a pet.
S2 (11:06):
We might actually break this one down into little chunks
because the gentleman in question. Thank you. Ross has sent
us a novella. Hello to you both. Hope 2025 is
a better year for us all. Blind VIP folks and
we don't need to keep revisiting these issues. First, I
(11:26):
am a white cane user. No guide dog. But let
me relate a few points. Way back in around 1992,
I was on the Client Consultative Committee of Guide Dogs,
New South Wales, where they were located in Kirribilli. North
Sydney due to consistent negative experiences such as the refusals
(11:47):
of taxis, Guide Dogs New South Wales convened a face
to face meeting with the New South Wales Taxi Council.
Taxis combine and a range of other stakeholders as clients.
We were assured that the relevant and appropriate training was
provided and the taxi council rep advised us that they
did not think there was a problem anyway. It was
(12:09):
not system wide and only a tiny few individual drivers.
So you might note that this was a serious issue
some 30 years or more ago, and nothing was being
done to drivers, often other than the occasional fine. It
is appalling that consecutive governments have not dealt with this
(12:30):
in a more direct and meaningful manner for the last
33 years. Now, as a white cane user, I would
in my professional career use dozens and dozens of taxis
each year. I was a professional specialist vocational rehabilitation counsellor,
and I hope you weren't saying that frequently. For well
over 20 years and taxis were important. My experience was
(12:54):
that numerous drivers would take you on the scenic route
thinking that as a blind guy, I might not know
exactly why I was. This was well before the navigation
apps we have today. I would almost always challenge the driver,
which led to a number of difficult situations, several resulting
in personal physical threats. These were often rank pick ups
(13:16):
and had minimal capacity to know who they were anyway.
It was my word against theirs, so no point. I
had one driver drop me halfway along my journey, saying
he had decided to log off, and when I challenged him,
he jumped out of his taxi, shouting and screaming at
me in front of other drivers and passengers. Uh. He
(13:38):
actually got into trouble? Apparently, yes. Like many, I have
had rideshare drivers just stop and drop you off in
totally awkward locations. Nowhere near the address, just where their
map pin thinks you should be put. None of this
is new, nor is the service delivery just an issue
(13:58):
for guide dog handlers. It seems that just about everyone
can access taxi licenses and become rideshare operators if they wish.
Governments at the state level are clearly clueless and appear
to accept the reassurances of taxi and rideshare groups. So,
as my first salutation says, Happy New Year and let's
hope someone in government grows a pair and something substantial
(14:21):
to fix the problem. Kinda smiles to you both. Wow,
that was a nice long one.
S3 (14:26):
Well done Sam.
S2 (14:27):
All right, so this was obviously in response to, um,
our taxi episode from earlier on in the year. Now
there's a lot to unpack there. And we did actually
concentrate more on the issues with guide Dog users, but
we're very keen to look back into that situation because
it isn't just guide dog users that are affected. And
(14:48):
I think anyone who is listening to that would have
had similar issues. Um, certainly we've occasionally been looking out
the window and going, where are you taking us? And
the driver has misheard the suburb. So all of a
sudden there's been this screeching U-turn and we've had to
go in a completely different direction. There was, uh, one
(15:11):
driver who, uh, we'd said, this is when we were living, um,
up in a suburb called Oaklands Park, and he heard
it as Oakden.
S3 (15:19):
Oh, no.
S2 (15:20):
So, dear listener, that is a completely different direction to
what we were intending on going. And we.
S3 (15:24):
Were out of.
S2 (15:25):
Town. We were halfway there when we realized that we
were actually going to the wrong place. So this is
quite a common thing, and apparently it's all our fault.
S3 (15:35):
Yes. Well, again, I'm I'm super keen to get back
into the meat and bones of this topic because. Yeah,
I mean, you're right, it's not just guide dog users
that get this. Um, I, as a white cane user,
have had issues with cabs before and Ubers. And one
of the things that Ross mentioned that I find interesting
is the low barrier of entry to becoming an Uber driver.
(16:00):
I dated an Uber driver for three months. Worst experience
of my life. But we won't go there. Um, and yeah,
the way that he was able to to get in
to being an Uber driver and, you know, the the
standards are low. There's no vetting process. There's no, you know,
meeting the drivers and making sure that they are people, people,
(16:21):
you know, so to speak. So yeah, there's quite a
lot of work that needs to be done. But I
think this is just an issue that we're going to
keep battling for a while because unfortunately we are just
a small cross section of the population.
S2 (16:34):
But it's also up to us to be as loud
and vocal about this as possible. Yep, yep. We have
a request both in with Uber and with, uh, one
through cabs to, um, have a talk with them and
so far have heard nothing. Olivia from one three cabs
apparently is rather keen to talk about this and get
some feedback on how things are going. So yes, if
anyone from one three cabs is listening, please do get
(16:57):
in touch because, uh, yes, we definitely want to chat
and see how things are going.
S3 (17:01):
Yeah. And if you're a driver, especially if you're a
driver and you've, you know, confronted other drivers about this
or you've had your own experiences, like let us know
because we want to hear from you too. We want
to hear from everyone. Yeah. All right. Um, I'll find
the next email, shall I? Hi. I was born with
no sight at all, and my late parents always got
clothes and socks that match. So that's not the issue
(17:24):
of color, but the issue is with texture. Things feel
the same, and it seems that I end up always
wearing the same items except for jackets or coats, and
it is a matter of separating items that are freshly
laundered and ironed from those I want to wear next
and are clean. I was not sure what to do,
so eventually I decided to leave a belt in a
(17:46):
pair of formal trousers I was wearing while they're in
the cupboard and before they go into the laundry. Then
I decided to put objects into all of my trouser
and shirt pockets, so I know which one of those
I'll wear next. If I wear a hanging shirt more
than once, I will fasten the top button and then
feel for the hanger and the shirt with t shirts
(18:07):
and folded items. I put objects underneath, including with underwear.
Although I wasn't sure what to do with socks. How
to separate the clean pairs of socks from those just washed.
All my socks are paired in balls. So eventually I
decided to put all my pairs of socks in a
(18:28):
big hat I got during my last visit to Perth
in 2020, just before Covid, and each time one comes
out of the wash, it's put on the shelf where
the socks are kept and the ones in the hat
are those that I'll wear next, and I cover it
with a smaller hat, though sometimes I still have to
remind the sighted person who does my laundry that clean
(18:51):
folded items have to be separated, those on top are
freshly laundered, and those below the object are worn next. Sometimes, inevitably,
some items fall out My tracksuit pants are different, so
I don't have issues with those. Ricky again.
S2 (19:11):
A friend of mine, Bob Matthews over in England, used
to do the same thing with his socks. Have them
in a nice nice balls. Now what was interesting though,
he's a guide dog, apparently had nicked some and that
was his personal toy when he was not doing anything else.
So anyway, I sort of saw this Labrador pushing this
(19:33):
thing around the floor with his nose and having a
great old time, and then picked it up and said, um, Bob,
you're missing these. And he said, oh my God, I
haven't seen these socks in about a year.
S3 (19:44):
Okay, so before I got with Stephen, I used to
have all the same socks. So I had like about
20 pairs of the same nondescript black socks. And therefore,
it didn't really matter as long as I had all
20 pairs or however many pairs I washed. I was
good and I was super obsessive about putting things in
(20:07):
the basket as soon as I wore them. I don't
really have that sort of problem, because every shirt that
I have has a different texture and I sort of
hang them up. I've got systems for everything. Well, this
is another thing that we're going to go over again,
by the way, Ricky. So thank you. I really want
to do a show about this because I'm collating some
(20:27):
more people's, uh, tips and tricks. But yeah, there's definitely
different ways to organize your clothes. That sounds a bit
too complicated for my simple brain, but, um. Yeah, everything
that I have has a different textures, and I know
what I'm wearing because. Yeah, just that. And when I
buy something, I always get the support worker to describe
(20:49):
it to me and what other things it would go with.
S2 (20:52):
I actually do the belt trick, I've got to admit. Um,
so if I'm wearing something the following day, then yes,
the belt is already in there and it stays on
the coat hanger. So yes, I wouldn't say great minds
think alike, because mine is less great than it used
to be, let's put it that way.
S3 (21:08):
I just put if I'm wearing the same clothes that
I wore like that I'm gonna wear the next day.
I fold them up and I put them on the couch,
because that way I can come out in the morning,
turn on the heater, go and sit, have my cup
of coffee, and the clothes are like, right there on
the single armchair, ready to be put on again. And
all I have to do is just get fresh undies
and socks, which I usually do the night before anyway.
(21:30):
I'm a night before kind of gal. I like to
have everything prepared. I'm like super. People would call me OCD,
but as a totally blind person who now lives with
another person, I need to be.
S2 (21:44):
Mhm. Well, um, my years of fashion faux pas touchwood
are over simply because I don't have anything exciting to
wear anymore.
S3 (21:53):
No. And you got to Heidi. I'm sure she won't
let you leave the house looking like a complete idiot.
S2 (21:58):
No, no, not anymore anyway. Unless. Unless I've done something
to annoy her. Anyway, we have one more email left,
and this one's an interesting one, because our very own
Maddie has asked us for some advice here, which, uh, well, okay,
it's a different twist on things, but all right. It's
about hobbies. So. Hi, Sam and Lizzy. I'm working as
a peer support worker for See Differently. That is the
(22:19):
Royal Society for the Blind in South Australia.
S3 (22:21):
It is Maddie.
S2 (22:22):
And multiple topics come up in my calls with my clients.
The topic of hobbies came up and how my client
could still enjoy hobbies like gaming and board games. Now
they are losing their sight and he was interested to
know of other hobbies enjoyed by blind and visually impaired
people that don't require much or any vision. I was
(22:45):
wondering if you guys might have some ideas or know
of any resources. I thought it could also be a
potential show topic. Looking forward to hearing from you. Well, Maddie,
you've heard from us.
S3 (22:57):
Um, I'll send her a message to.
S2 (22:59):
Yes, definitely. I did a quick scan of the internet
of the interweb. You know, this this world Wide Web thing. Uh, yes.
I'm old. I say things like that. There were several
Facebook groups for blind gamers, believe it or not. I
did not know this existed, but, um, it's a good
place to start. Is, uh, is there uh, as for
(23:19):
board games, there are numerous Braille versions of board games.
S3 (23:24):
Yes. Um, in fact, last night, Stephen and I busted
out the old snakes and Ladders. Mhm. That was so
much fun. Um, Maddie, there are also lots of games.
Audio games. I mean, they span a lot of different genres,
but they are games which primarily work through earphones. You
(23:46):
would wear earphones for them and it's 3D sound. There's
quite a lot of them out there that don't require
any vision. Um, Papa Sangre, Audio Defense, Blind Warrior, just
to name a few. There's also games which has all your,
you know, your card games in 1000 miles and all
different other sorts of, um, like card games but digital.
(24:08):
And then of course, you can still play things like
Dungeons and Dragons and things like that, because you don't
really need vision to know what you're doing. Again, I
think we should do a show about this. Definitely. There's
quite a lot out there. I will send you an email,
Matty and I will send you some resources and some links.
S2 (24:28):
There used to be a thing called text games, which, yes,
in the 1990s were used to. They used to have
a couple that would come with, um, braille tablets and
things like that as well. So just for people to
have a go at and of course, they disappeared from mainstream, um,
gaming after. Well, we had other flashier, um, titles, but
(24:54):
I still think that they're actually pretty, pretty entertaining. They work.
You can't necessarily do a lot of interacting active gaming
with other people, but you can at least I don't know. Um,
tell a story. It's like, kind of like a choose
your own adventure book that I seem to remember.
S3 (25:09):
Yes. And there's some really good developers that do those
apps as well. Choice of games being a big one.
They've got a lot of text based games and you know,
the story is preset, but you choose your own adventure,
you choose your own person. And they've got so many different.
I used to spend hours with choice of games. There's
so many different games and things out there. So you
(25:32):
know what, Maddie? There are definitely a lot of options
for your clients. And yeah, we can we can definitely
send you some links to some resources. And, um, I'd
be happy to chat with you about that.
S2 (25:43):
It depends also on how much somebody can see if
they're losing their sight then, um, yes. Some of the
games that I like to muck around with might actually
encourage more sight loss in some ways, but I personally like, um,
strategy games like civilization and, uh, the city building games
and things like that, which are, yes, very visual, but
(26:03):
also don't necessarily rely on a lot of hand-to-eye coordination.
I used to love playing doom, for example, the original
1990s version, which was just a straight up shooter. Nothing cerebral,
nothing interesting. You just point and click and, um, you've
got zombies and stuff like that.
S3 (26:20):
And there's definitely audio games like that out there too.
S2 (26:23):
But the new version of doom, I cannot get the
hang of that in the slightest. It's way too quick,
it's way too visual, and I'm always getting killed. But anyway,
that is that for our mailbag. If you think that
this is a successful episode, then let us know if
you got tired of the sound of our voices. Well,
also let us know because we're we're here for another
(26:43):
three years.
S3 (26:44):
And the last thing we'd want to do is annoy
you before that three years is up. We've still got
three years. It's a long time.
S9 (26:51):
Three more years. Yay!
S2 (26:52):
Woo! All right, so that is a wrap for this week.
A big thank you to Ricky. To Ross, to Adriana.
Adriana and Maddie.
S3 (27:02):
And of course, a big thanks to you for listening.
That includes our listeners on the Reading Radio Network. As usual,
you can download a podcast of this program plus some
extra content on Apple, Spotify, Google, or our favorite podcast platforms.
S2 (27:19):
Next week for Deaf Blind Awareness Week, we look at
the world from a deaf blind point of view.
S3 (27:24):
But between now and then, please do get in touch
with the show. Whether you have experience of any of
the issues covered on this week's episode of Studio One,
or if you think there's something we should be talking about.
You never know. Your story and insight may help someone
who's dealing with something similar.
S2 (27:39):
You can email us Studio One at org. That's studio
number one at Vision Australia. Org.
S3 (27:44):
Or you can drop us a note on all the
good social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram by searching
for VA Radio Network. We want to hear from you.
S9 (27:54):
This program was made possible.
S2 (27:55):
With the support from the Community Broadcasting Foundation.
S3 (27:58):
Find out more at.
This is studio one on Vision Australia Radio.
S2 (00:17):
Hello, I'm Sam.
S3 (00:18):
And I'm Lizzie.
S2 (00:19):
And this is Studio One, your weekly look at life
from a low vision and blind point of view. Here
on Vision Australia Radio.
S3 (00:25):
This week, did you know that we have an email address? Really?
S2 (00:28):
What is it? Um, well, yes, we say at the
top and the tale of each episode and. Well, you
know what? Sometimes people actually email us. Do you believe that?
S3 (00:39):
Oh, no.
S2 (00:41):
Oh. So heaven forbid. Yes. So to celebrate Studio One's
renewal for another three years. Yes. Cue the applause. We
dive into the mailbag and give you some of our
listeners insights, as it were.
S3 (00:56):
As we always say at this point, please do get
in touch with the show. Whether you have experience of
any of the issues covered on this week's episode of
Studio One, or if you think there's something we should
be talking about. You never know. Your story and insight
may help someone who's dealing with something similar.
S2 (01:11):
As I said, you can email us studio one at
Vision Australia. Org. That's studio number one at Vision Australia.
S3 (01:16):
Org or of course, you can drop us a note
on the station's Facebook page by going to facebook.com Slash
Radio network.
S2 (01:29):
Hello, Lizzie.
S3 (01:29):
Hello, Sam.
S2 (01:31):
You're sounding a lot better than last week. I believe
you were really down in the dumps.
S3 (01:36):
I did not have a good week. I had bronchitis
really bad. I think it's the most sick I've ever
been in my adult life. In fact, there's part of
me that still thinks, oh, I'll never be the same.
My lungs especially.
S2 (01:50):
And I was terrible. I got you to work on
your sick week, so. But I think the show turned
out okay.
S3 (01:56):
I mean, thank goodness I didn't talk very much. Thank
goodness it wasn't one of those weeks where I was
required to talk very much because my throat hurt and
I was. Yes, I sounded as if I was coming
down from the depths of who knows where.
S2 (02:12):
But it all works out. And we had some good
news last week.
S3 (02:16):
Yes we did. Oh, how exciting is that? That our
funding has been renewed for the next three years. So
guess what, people? You can't get rid of us that
easy unless you just turn off your radio. Um, we
wouldn't encourage you to do that.
S2 (02:30):
One of the big things that has helped us out
over the last five years or so that we've been
on the air is the input from our listeners. And yes,
it's nice that we've actually got listeners as well. So
thank you, everybody for listening. But also thank you for
those who've actually got back in touch with us and
made comments occasionally. That's led to other stories, but, well,
(02:51):
there were these emails here that didn't quite fit in.
And I thought, well, we might as well let these
people have their say but maintain the anonymity of the email.
S3 (03:04):
Yes. In fact, I think it's really nice the fact
that we promote our email address and now we're going
to read your emails. So we actually do pay attention
to this email box.
S2 (03:14):
Or try to at the very least. Yes. All right.
So where are we starting? Ah, yes. Ricky.
S3 (03:21):
Ricky, I am just getting the shakes all over again
just thinking about what could have gone wrong. But luckily
for me, it didn't.
S2 (03:30):
Well, you might have been able to find someone who
can help you out, and they might have been, um,
a little unhelpful. Yes. So the reason why I have
named this episode the Boy Scout Syndrome is I came
up with this a number of years ago, and that is.
So if you picture there's a Boy Scout wandering down
(03:52):
the road, he's after his badge in helping ladies across
the road, and he comes across an old lady and
helps her across the road, then wanders off thinking, I've
done that. I've given my my, um, badge for wonderful
doing this. Not really asking if the old lady wanted
to be helped across the road, or even wanted to
(04:15):
go across the road in the first place.
S4 (04:18):
Yeah, you know, even when you have got the dog
in your left hand. I've been grabbed and dragged onto
the train. I used to get really cranky and just say,
let me. You need to let me go. This is
what the dog's for and whatever. And I used to
yell at them. Well, I don't do that anymore. I
realize that's not the right thing to do. So someone
does go to grab me. I'll usually just pull my
(04:39):
hand away and say, no, it's okay. And just in future,
just ask me first.
S5 (04:44):
But yeah, when I think, uh, probably the biggest change
was when I did my guide dog training, they told
me that if someone offers you a seat on the
bus or the train, you should take it because you
want them to offer it and you should should thank them.
Be positive. Appreciative. Uh, because if they don't do it
next time for the the old person with diabetes and
(05:05):
neuropathy in their feet and visual impairment. Well, that's a problem.
S6 (05:10):
If they're always up close in my space, I have
to say, look, I'm okay. Please, I don't need your help.
I can manage, but sometimes, well, a lot of the
time when people help, they're they're great. I really do
appreciate their help, especially when it comes to road crossings,
which I hate with a passion. I hate crossing roads
if I can help it.
S2 (05:31):
Hi. In terms of the first part of last week's
program about helping, yes, this was the Boy Scout syndrome
that we was talking about. I'm not really a tactile person,
and obviously it's not meant to be malicious or hurtful,
but I'm not really a tactile person and I don't
really like being touched for no reason. Sometimes I'm sure
(05:54):
it's out of love or whatever. Sometimes people touch my
shoulders or slap as a greeting, but I'm not really
in favor of that either. But I don't mind being
helped across the street, for example, I'm really not comfortable
touching women. Ricky. All right, so where do we go
with this one?
S3 (06:12):
Well, you know what? I will say this. I had
an experience a couple of weeks ago. Thank you. Ricky,
by the way, for writing in because I am the
exact same. Unless I know you. Don't touch me. I
had an experience a couple of weeks ago which kind
of unsettled me, and it actually had me quite angry
for a couple of days. My support worker, Chris and
I had just been to the gym and we were
(06:34):
going to lunch, as we do, and we were sitting
in a cafe and this old guy, uh, old Italian
guy came up and started talking to Chris like, oh,
my niece is vision impaired. That's all he said. Then
he started stroking my back and stroking my hair and
playing with my plat and getting all sort of, like,
close and stuff. And I was just like, I don't
(06:56):
really like being touched. And I leaned away and, um,
he then continued to try and touch me. Uh, luckily
he walked away when he did because Chris was ready
to intervene. But it really got my goat up because
what right have you to touch me? If I was
a normal woman and I say normal in quotes, if
I had no disability and I was just your average
(07:18):
Joe woman sitting in a cafe, you wouldn't dare come
up to me and touch me. But because I'm disabled
or because I'm other than you think that it is
acceptable to come and do that. Like, it got me
really mad. Actually. I found it really hard to let
it go. And now that we've just rehashed it, I'm
getting mad all over.
S2 (07:37):
Again, getting it all stirred up. Yeah. All right, talking
of all stirred up, we have a another email, this
time all the way from Macedonia.
S3 (07:45):
Aha. Okay. I'm going to do my best to read this.
Hi I am a blind teacher from North Macedonia and
enjoy your show much, but was wondering if you could
make it easier for us to read the content of
podcasts on podcast apps. For example, when you put out
the episodes, you can first introduce the Introduced a topic
instead of saying the hosts are that way, we can
(08:09):
go faster, especially if we need to catch up on podcasts.
And that's from Adriana.
S2 (08:15):
Okay.
S3 (08:16):
Well, there's a reason we do that.
S2 (08:18):
It's not we've not really had any complaints about it,
but we're following a format that's actually quite tried and
tested over in the UK at least. So, um, some
podcasts do things slightly differently, but the vast majority will introduce, um,
who's hosting it and then go into it to give
you an idea of what we're talking about. I know
(08:39):
sometimes I can be a bit cryptic when I choose
the subjects, but that's the is the title of the
podcast because each week there is a different podcast title.
And what's your take on this one, Lizzie?
S3 (08:49):
Well, I think especially because I think, uh, Adriana, you
probably forget that this goes out to air. It's not
just in a podcast format. If it were, perhaps there
would be some way around it. But the fact is,
if we are going to be engaging with the community
and there are potentially new listeners. We want the listeners
(09:10):
to know who the hosts are so that we they
can engage with us so they know I'm Lizzie and
that's Sam, and we are both very different people with
very different perspectives, but we are coming together for the
purposes of this show. So it does go out to
air on a national radio network. It's not just a podcast.
So therefore there is kind of an extra element of
(09:31):
needing to introduce ourselves as hosts.
S2 (09:34):
Mhm.
S7 (09:39):
I was giving a seminar up in the Adelaide Hills,
so it was a very big fair and the taxi
refused to come when they found out that there was
a guide dog. And I mean I was the person
leading the session, I had to be there and it
took the involvement of a lot of people to actually
get me there on time by the skin of my teeth.
(10:00):
Of course, my stress levels were absolutely through the roof,
but every time there's a refusal, it's stressful. Anytime I
actually book a taxi, I'm stressed because I'm always concerned
as to whether or not it will turn up, especially
if I'm travelling interstate. And will I or will I
not make the plane? Make the flight?
S8 (10:18):
Did you know that? Let's pretend that you're an Uber driver,
that every time you get into because it's your personal car,
every time you get into your personal car and log
on to your Uber platform? Did you know that a
thing comes up stating that you have to allow God
fearing citizens dogs in your car?
S7 (10:37):
Well, no I didn't.
S8 (10:38):
Well, they do, but no one bloody reads it because
they just scroll and then hit the tick button, the
tick box, you know, to say, yes, I've read it.
And people have a go at me and say, well, Janice,
you should have ordered a pet friendly Uber. And it's like, well,
you've got to wait longer because not all Ubers say
yes to pets. And plus you've got to pay extra money.
(11:03):
And thirdly, my guide dog is not a pet.
S2 (11:06):
We might actually break this one down into little chunks
because the gentleman in question. Thank you. Ross has sent
us a novella. Hello to you both. Hope 2025 is
a better year for us all. Blind VIP folks and
we don't need to keep revisiting these issues. First, I
(11:26):
am a white cane user. No guide dog. But let
me relate a few points. Way back in around 1992,
I was on the Client Consultative Committee of Guide Dogs,
New South Wales, where they were located in Kirribilli. North
Sydney due to consistent negative experiences such as the refusals
(11:47):
of taxis, Guide Dogs New South Wales convened a face
to face meeting with the New South Wales Taxi Council.
Taxis combine and a range of other stakeholders as clients.
We were assured that the relevant and appropriate training was
provided and the taxi council rep advised us that they
did not think there was a problem anyway. It was
(12:09):
not system wide and only a tiny few individual drivers.
So you might note that this was a serious issue
some 30 years or more ago, and nothing was being
done to drivers, often other than the occasional fine. It
is appalling that consecutive governments have not dealt with this
(12:30):
in a more direct and meaningful manner for the last
33 years. Now, as a white cane user, I would
in my professional career use dozens and dozens of taxis
each year. I was a professional specialist vocational rehabilitation counsellor,
and I hope you weren't saying that frequently. For well
over 20 years and taxis were important. My experience was
(12:54):
that numerous drivers would take you on the scenic route
thinking that as a blind guy, I might not know
exactly why I was. This was well before the navigation
apps we have today. I would almost always challenge the driver,
which led to a number of difficult situations, several resulting
in personal physical threats. These were often rank pick ups
(13:16):
and had minimal capacity to know who they were anyway.
It was my word against theirs, so no point. I
had one driver drop me halfway along my journey, saying
he had decided to log off, and when I challenged him,
he jumped out of his taxi, shouting and screaming at
me in front of other drivers and passengers. Uh. He
(13:38):
actually got into trouble? Apparently, yes. Like many, I have
had rideshare drivers just stop and drop you off in
totally awkward locations. Nowhere near the address, just where their
map pin thinks you should be put. None of this
is new, nor is the service delivery just an issue
(13:58):
for guide dog handlers. It seems that just about everyone
can access taxi licenses and become rideshare operators if they wish.
Governments at the state level are clearly clueless and appear
to accept the reassurances of taxi and rideshare groups. So,
as my first salutation says, Happy New Year and let's
hope someone in government grows a pair and something substantial
(14:21):
to fix the problem. Kinda smiles to you both. Wow,
that was a nice long one.
S3 (14:26):
Well done Sam.
S2 (14:27):
All right, so this was obviously in response to, um,
our taxi episode from earlier on in the year. Now
there's a lot to unpack there. And we did actually
concentrate more on the issues with guide Dog users, but
we're very keen to look back into that situation because
it isn't just guide dog users that are affected. And
(14:48):
I think anyone who is listening to that would have
had similar issues. Um, certainly we've occasionally been looking out
the window and going, where are you taking us? And
the driver has misheard the suburb. So all of a
sudden there's been this screeching U-turn and we've had to
go in a completely different direction. There was, uh, one
(15:11):
driver who, uh, we'd said, this is when we were living, um,
up in a suburb called Oaklands Park, and he heard
it as Oakden.
S3 (15:19):
Oh, no.
S2 (15:20):
So, dear listener, that is a completely different direction to
what we were intending on going. And we.
S3 (15:24):
Were out of.
S2 (15:25):
Town. We were halfway there when we realized that we
were actually going to the wrong place. So this is
quite a common thing, and apparently it's all our fault.
S3 (15:35):
Yes. Well, again, I'm I'm super keen to get back
into the meat and bones of this topic because. Yeah,
I mean, you're right, it's not just guide dog users
that get this. Um, I, as a white cane user,
have had issues with cabs before and Ubers. And one
of the things that Ross mentioned that I find interesting
is the low barrier of entry to becoming an Uber driver.
(16:00):
I dated an Uber driver for three months. Worst experience
of my life. But we won't go there. Um, and yeah,
the way that he was able to to get in
to being an Uber driver and, you know, the the
standards are low. There's no vetting process. There's no, you know,
meeting the drivers and making sure that they are people, people,
(16:21):
you know, so to speak. So yeah, there's quite a
lot of work that needs to be done. But I
think this is just an issue that we're going to
keep battling for a while because unfortunately we are just
a small cross section of the population.
S2 (16:34):
But it's also up to us to be as loud
and vocal about this as possible. Yep, yep. We have
a request both in with Uber and with, uh, one
through cabs to, um, have a talk with them and
so far have heard nothing. Olivia from one three cabs
apparently is rather keen to talk about this and get
some feedback on how things are going. So yes, if
anyone from one three cabs is listening, please do get
(16:57):
in touch because, uh, yes, we definitely want to chat
and see how things are going.
S3 (17:01):
Yeah. And if you're a driver, especially if you're a
driver and you've, you know, confronted other drivers about this
or you've had your own experiences, like let us know
because we want to hear from you too. We want
to hear from everyone. Yeah. All right. Um, I'll find
the next email, shall I? Hi. I was born with
no sight at all, and my late parents always got
clothes and socks that match. So that's not the issue
(17:24):
of color, but the issue is with texture. Things feel
the same, and it seems that I end up always
wearing the same items except for jackets or coats, and
it is a matter of separating items that are freshly
laundered and ironed from those I want to wear next
and are clean. I was not sure what to do,
so eventually I decided to leave a belt in a
(17:46):
pair of formal trousers I was wearing while they're in
the cupboard and before they go into the laundry. Then
I decided to put objects into all of my trouser
and shirt pockets, so I know which one of those
I'll wear next. If I wear a hanging shirt more
than once, I will fasten the top button and then
feel for the hanger and the shirt with t shirts
(18:07):
and folded items. I put objects underneath, including with underwear.
Although I wasn't sure what to do with socks. How
to separate the clean pairs of socks from those just washed.
All my socks are paired in balls. So eventually I
decided to put all my pairs of socks in a
(18:28):
big hat I got during my last visit to Perth
in 2020, just before Covid, and each time one comes
out of the wash, it's put on the shelf where
the socks are kept and the ones in the hat
are those that I'll wear next, and I cover it
with a smaller hat, though sometimes I still have to
remind the sighted person who does my laundry that clean
(18:51):
folded items have to be separated, those on top are
freshly laundered, and those below the object are worn next. Sometimes, inevitably,
some items fall out My tracksuit pants are different, so
I don't have issues with those. Ricky again.
S2 (19:11):
A friend of mine, Bob Matthews over in England, used
to do the same thing with his socks. Have them
in a nice nice balls. Now what was interesting though,
he's a guide dog, apparently had nicked some and that
was his personal toy when he was not doing anything else.
So anyway, I sort of saw this Labrador pushing this
(19:33):
thing around the floor with his nose and having a
great old time, and then picked it up and said, um, Bob,
you're missing these. And he said, oh my God, I
haven't seen these socks in about a year.
S3 (19:44):
Okay, so before I got with Stephen, I used to
have all the same socks. So I had like about
20 pairs of the same nondescript black socks. And therefore,
it didn't really matter as long as I had all
20 pairs or however many pairs I washed. I was
good and I was super obsessive about putting things in
(20:07):
the basket as soon as I wore them. I don't
really have that sort of problem, because every shirt that
I have has a different texture and I sort of
hang them up. I've got systems for everything. Well, this
is another thing that we're going to go over again,
by the way, Ricky. So thank you. I really want
to do a show about this because I'm collating some
(20:27):
more people's, uh, tips and tricks. But yeah, there's definitely
different ways to organize your clothes. That sounds a bit
too complicated for my simple brain, but, um. Yeah, everything
that I have has a different textures, and I know
what I'm wearing because. Yeah, just that. And when I
buy something, I always get the support worker to describe
(20:49):
it to me and what other things it would go with.
S2 (20:52):
I actually do the belt trick, I've got to admit. Um,
so if I'm wearing something the following day, then yes,
the belt is already in there and it stays on
the coat hanger. So yes, I wouldn't say great minds
think alike, because mine is less great than it used
to be, let's put it that way.
S3 (21:08):
I just put if I'm wearing the same clothes that
I wore like that I'm gonna wear the next day.
I fold them up and I put them on the couch,
because that way I can come out in the morning,
turn on the heater, go and sit, have my cup
of coffee, and the clothes are like, right there on
the single armchair, ready to be put on again. And
all I have to do is just get fresh undies
and socks, which I usually do the night before anyway.
(21:30):
I'm a night before kind of gal. I like to
have everything prepared. I'm like super. People would call me OCD,
but as a totally blind person who now lives with
another person, I need to be.
S2 (21:44):
Mhm. Well, um, my years of fashion faux pas touchwood
are over simply because I don't have anything exciting to
wear anymore.
S3 (21:53):
No. And you got to Heidi. I'm sure she won't
let you leave the house looking like a complete idiot.
S2 (21:58):
No, no, not anymore anyway. Unless. Unless I've done something
to annoy her. Anyway, we have one more email left,
and this one's an interesting one, because our very own
Maddie has asked us for some advice here, which, uh, well, okay,
it's a different twist on things, but all right. It's
about hobbies. So. Hi, Sam and Lizzy. I'm working as
a peer support worker for See Differently. That is the
(22:19):
Royal Society for the Blind in South Australia.
S3 (22:21):
It is Maddie.
S2 (22:22):
And multiple topics come up in my calls with my clients.
The topic of hobbies came up and how my client
could still enjoy hobbies like gaming and board games. Now
they are losing their sight and he was interested to
know of other hobbies enjoyed by blind and visually impaired
people that don't require much or any vision. I was
(22:45):
wondering if you guys might have some ideas or know
of any resources. I thought it could also be a
potential show topic. Looking forward to hearing from you. Well, Maddie,
you've heard from us.
S3 (22:57):
Um, I'll send her a message to.
S2 (22:59):
Yes, definitely. I did a quick scan of the internet
of the interweb. You know, this this world Wide Web thing. Uh, yes.
I'm old. I say things like that. There were several
Facebook groups for blind gamers, believe it or not. I
did not know this existed, but, um, it's a good
place to start. Is, uh, is there uh, as for
(23:19):
board games, there are numerous Braille versions of board games.
S3 (23:24):
Yes. Um, in fact, last night, Stephen and I busted
out the old snakes and Ladders. Mhm. That was so
much fun. Um, Maddie, there are also lots of games.
Audio games. I mean, they span a lot of different genres,
but they are games which primarily work through earphones. You
(23:46):
would wear earphones for them and it's 3D sound. There's
quite a lot of them out there that don't require
any vision. Um, Papa Sangre, Audio Defense, Blind Warrior, just
to name a few. There's also games which has all your,
you know, your card games in 1000 miles and all
different other sorts of, um, like card games but digital.
(24:08):
And then of course, you can still play things like
Dungeons and Dragons and things like that, because you don't
really need vision to know what you're doing. Again, I
think we should do a show about this. Definitely. There's
quite a lot out there. I will send you an email,
Matty and I will send you some resources and some links.
S2 (24:28):
There used to be a thing called text games, which, yes,
in the 1990s were used to. They used to have
a couple that would come with, um, braille tablets and
things like that as well. So just for people to
have a go at and of course, they disappeared from mainstream, um,
gaming after. Well, we had other flashier, um, titles, but
(24:54):
I still think that they're actually pretty, pretty entertaining. They work.
You can't necessarily do a lot of interacting active gaming
with other people, but you can at least I don't know. Um,
tell a story. It's like, kind of like a choose
your own adventure book that I seem to remember.
S3 (25:09):
Yes. And there's some really good developers that do those
apps as well. Choice of games being a big one.
They've got a lot of text based games and you know,
the story is preset, but you choose your own adventure,
you choose your own person. And they've got so many different.
I used to spend hours with choice of games. There's
so many different games and things out there. So you
(25:32):
know what, Maddie? There are definitely a lot of options
for your clients. And yeah, we can we can definitely
send you some links to some resources. And, um, I'd
be happy to chat with you about that.
S2 (25:43):
It depends also on how much somebody can see if
they're losing their sight then, um, yes. Some of the
games that I like to muck around with might actually
encourage more sight loss in some ways, but I personally like, um,
strategy games like civilization and, uh, the city building games
and things like that, which are, yes, very visual, but
(26:03):
also don't necessarily rely on a lot of hand-to-eye coordination.
I used to love playing doom, for example, the original
1990s version, which was just a straight up shooter. Nothing cerebral,
nothing interesting. You just point and click and, um, you've
got zombies and stuff like that.
S3 (26:20):
And there's definitely audio games like that out there too.
S2 (26:23):
But the new version of doom, I cannot get the
hang of that in the slightest. It's way too quick,
it's way too visual, and I'm always getting killed. But anyway,
that is that for our mailbag. If you think that
this is a successful episode, then let us know if
you got tired of the sound of our voices. Well,
also let us know because we're we're here for another
(26:43):
three years.
S3 (26:44):
And the last thing we'd want to do is annoy
you before that three years is up. We've still got
three years. It's a long time.
S9 (26:51):
Three more years. Yay!
S2 (26:52):
Woo! All right, so that is a wrap for this week.
A big thank you to Ricky. To Ross, to Adriana.
Adriana and Maddie.
S3 (27:02):
And of course, a big thanks to you for listening.
That includes our listeners on the Reading Radio Network. As usual,
you can download a podcast of this program plus some
extra content on Apple, Spotify, Google, or our favorite podcast platforms.
S2 (27:19):
Next week for Deaf Blind Awareness Week, we look at
the world from a deaf blind point of view.
S3 (27:24):
But between now and then, please do get in touch
with the show. Whether you have experience of any of
the issues covered on this week's episode of Studio One,
or if you think there's something we should be talking about.
You never know. Your story and insight may help someone
who's dealing with something similar.
S2 (27:39):
You can email us Studio One at org. That's studio
number one at Vision Australia. Org.
S3 (27:44):
Or you can drop us a note on all the
good social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram by searching
for VA Radio Network. We want to hear from you.
S9 (27:54):
This program was made possible.
S2 (27:55):
With the support from the Community Broadcasting Foundation.
S3 (27:58):
Find out more at.
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