July 9, 2025 • 34 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
"Work!”
What do you do for a living? This is often the start of a conversation; however, the workforce creates challenges for People with a Vision Impairment.
Lizzie and Sam talk to six Blind and Vision Impaired people about their empierces looking for work and navigating a workplace environment.
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 to: Anthony, Emma, Lily; Shaun; Maddy and Alex
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.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
S1 (00:15):
This is studio one on Vision Australia Radio.
S2 (00:25):
Hello, I'm Sam.
S3 (00:26):
And I'm Lizzie.
S2 (00:27):
And this is Studio One, your weekly look at life
from a low vision and blind point of view. Here
on Vision Australia Radio this week.
S3 (00:33):
What do you do for a living?
S2 (00:35):
As little as possible myself. We ask a few friends
about the challenges they face finding work, keeping it, and
navigating the workplace.
S3 (00:43):
As we always said 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 (00:58):
Please contact us via Email Studio one at Vision Australia. Org.
That's studio number one at Vision Australia.
S3 (01:04):
Org or of course, you can leave us a note
on the station's Facebook page at facebook.com. Radio network.
S2 (01:15):
So. Hello, Lizzie.
S3 (01:16):
Hello, Sam. And how are we on this glorious, glorious afternoon?
S2 (01:20):
Well, I'm probably, um, quiet and lackadaisical compared to you.
You're full of beans at the moment.
S3 (01:26):
Yes, I am. I'm full of coffee beans. Surprise, surprise.
S2 (01:30):
Well, there we go. You've been out and about with, um,
your social networking and, uh, creating havoc and all that
sort of stuff, I'm guessing.
S3 (01:37):
Yeah, something like that. Well, we'll we'll keep it at that. Yep.
S2 (01:40):
All right, so you've collected a series of answers for
us this week about people's experience in the workplace, as
it were, not just finding work, but sometimes how they
go when they've got work. And what I found remarkable
about this is the last time we tackled this subject,
it was quite negative.
S3 (02:00):
Yes, I agree with you. I was just thinking, because
you pointed this out to me off air, and I
was just thinking back to the last episodes that we've done,
because we've done multiple on this topic, because it's such
a crucial issue for people in our community. Finding employment.
Keeping it. Navigating the workplace, all that good stuff that
one usually has to deal with.
S2 (02:21):
Well, it's the most important thing that if you're starting
a conversation with somebody you know is, so what do
you do for a living?
S3 (02:27):
Yeah. And like you said, the last time we had
this conversation, we had a lot of people in the
community say, well, I've never been able to get a job.
I've only been able to do volunteer work. I've been discriminated.
But they've couched it in other terms, like people have
been all too willing to talk about the negative side
of employment. Uh, as someone living with a vision impairment.
But I think just as you do that, it is
(02:50):
so refreshing to hear positivity coming out of the community
around employment.
S2 (02:56):
And don't get us wrong, dear listener, it's not all happy, happy,
happy joy, joy, joy. We do have a few people
that have talked about some of the issues they've also
had here, but, well, they all talk about work that
they are doing right now as opposed to what they
can't do. That is, uh, something that I think is really,
really interesting. And I think we'll, I think give some
(03:18):
of our listeners out there some hope for the future
at least.
S3 (03:21):
Yep. Hope is definitely very important. So who are we
starting with today, Sam?
S2 (03:27):
We will start with Anthony because as normal for he
seems to have a lot to say on quite a
number of different subjects.
S3 (03:33):
Good. Oh.
S4 (03:37):
Well, there are a number of jobs over the years.
I think my first job was working in the basket shop,
making baskets at the Royal Society for the blind back
in the early 80s. From there I did a bit
of reception work for the TAFE college at Regency Park.
And then from there I worked in a production line
making push bikes for leisure bicycles. I think it was
(04:01):
then I got a job managing the gym at the
Royal Society for the blind, in charge of the Health
and Recreation centre. From there are. Went into my own
business making baskets after that. Got a job working for
the Passenger Transport Board, running Disability Discrimination Act courses to
the staff there. And I left that went into my
(04:23):
own business as a motivational speaker and trainer. And then
now in my final career, possibly working for Centrelink, processing
disability support pensions at the moment so that a fairly
extensive career jobs. Also I've been a mess somewhere in
between there along the lines and a musician as well,
(04:45):
working pubs and busking.
S3 (04:46):
Out of all the jobs that you've had, which one
would you say have been the most positive in terms
of getting the modifications that you require and getting help
that you need?
S4 (04:56):
I think the most positive environment I've worked in is
my current job working for Centrelink, which is a federal
government job, and it still surprises me today how not
only do they talk about equal opportunities, they practice it
and they have a really diverse range of people that
work there from different cultures, different people with disabilities, and
(05:18):
they've really gone out their way, um, to make things
accessible for me in regards to using jaws on the
computer there. And the first person in my department said
to use jaws. So I'm a bit of an experiment
and they've been unbelievably helpful. I just can't believe that
anything that goes wrong, they get it fixed. Mind you,
it doesn't always get fixed straight away, but they do
(05:39):
address the problem and it has a multiple effect. It
helps me do my job, then it addresses it issues
right through the whole Centrelink business. Any adaptions I want,
they will get them for me as long as they're
not unreasonable of course. And just the philosophy of the organisation,
they use their acronym simple, helpful, respectful and transparent and
(06:01):
they seem to practice what they preach. It's really surprises me,
and I actually feel safe going to work, because I
don't have to suffer any discrimination there because of the
training the people are giving and the acceptance of people
from a diverse background. So it's unbelievably refreshing and it's
a microcosm of how society should act, in my opinion.
(06:23):
And it's good to see it being practiced in real
terms by the government leading the way in this case.
S3 (06:29):
Are there any jobs that you've had where you have
faced an unbelievable amount of discrimination?
S4 (06:36):
Not really, because I could tend to hold my own.
I've had discrimination in getting my qualifications to do a job.
When I was getting my qualifications to manage the gym
for the Royal Society for the blind. I was doing
my course through TAFE and they were going to hold
back my first aid certificate. They didn't want to give
it to me because I was blind and starting to
(06:57):
see certain things, which I found quite ironic. And um,
but eventually, under protest, I managed to get and that
overcome and, um, went right through the chain and the
having a disability doing your first aid courses not seen
as a disadvantage. And then the other one I had
was did a qualification in um, animal massage or dog massage.
(07:21):
And the whole time I had to fight my way
just to get into the course, I had to fly
to Melbourne to do some practical stuff where the course
was based. They wanted me to bring a carer and
when I did bring one, they were very resistant there
because I didn't have a care and weren't going to
let me finish the course. Uh managed to argue my
way through that. They were very reluctant to give me
(07:45):
accessible print or accessible information that I could read. And
the whole issue was a a battle with a very
negative in instructor who ran the course. And it was
a really a battle all the way through and put
a hell of a lot of stress on me. And, um,
(08:06):
but I managed to complete the course, but had to
fight all the way, and that's. That was very annoying.
S3 (08:12):
It's interesting you say that because, um, I've actually spoken
to a lot of people who don't necessarily face discrimination
in their jobs, but as you said, getting the qualifications.
People don't know how to teach people with disabilities. I mean,
where do you think that sort of stems from, or
why do you think there's such resistance there?
S4 (08:32):
I think it's pure ignorance. And the fact they can't
think sort of laterally or, and lack of ability to
identify what the real issues are. Is it a mobility issue?
Is it a technology issue. Is it, you know, a
print to speech issue? Sometimes they think it's a safety issue,
that for some reason, a lot of people think blind
(08:54):
people can't manage stairs. They're going to trip over all
the time, all these sort of stereotypes and myths based
on ignorance as the, um, really what it comes down to.
And that comes down to the individual's Background or education on, well,
just common sense things really.
S3 (09:10):
Or lived experience, I suppose. Oh, I just want to
go back to something he said about his current job
at Centrelink and the government leading the way, because you
and I again, off air, were having another really interesting
conversation and somebody within the blind community said to me
once that 90% of people in the work place or
(09:32):
employment space agree that inclusion needs to be, well, more inclusive,
it needs to be brought in, but most of them
pass the buck in terms of responsibility. So I'm really
glad to hear that our federal and state government are
leading the way and actually setting an example for other employers.
And yeah, I mean, I've talked to Anthony about this
(09:54):
job extensively, and it makes him so happy and it
makes him feel empowered to know that he can go
to work and feel safe.
S2 (10:02):
What a difference a change in government makes. That's all
I can say because for quite a while departments like
Centrelink and Human Services were out of bounds. From being
one of the most prolific employers of disabled people, all
of a sudden they were the some of the most discriminative.
(10:22):
So it's nice to see that things are going back
the way they were. And I mean, my first job
when I left school was actually in the in the
Commonwealth Public Service as well. It was with the Department
of Immigration. And yes, they were very positive about alright.
We don't we're not sure whether you can do this,
but we're going to let you try. And what they
found was that, yes, I could do a lot of
(10:43):
stuff that they weren't expecting me to do. So yeah,
it is nice to hear that, that things have gone
back the way they were. You know, we've done this
big circle from the early 90s back to today now.
S3 (10:55):
Yeah. And you know what? I think the important thing
is that people are going to see the government setting
an example. And hopefully we'll follow. There is no excuse
now for other companies to be discriminatory, because if our
government is leading the way in employing people with disabilities
and giving them a chance to live fulfilling and productive lives,
(11:17):
then no company, I think no other company has an excuse.
S2 (11:21):
Well, cross our fingers and hope because, um, unfortunately, after
the during and after the pandemic, the rate of unemployment
in the disability community actually went up.
S3 (11:30):
Yeah, I believe it.
S2 (11:31):
All these abilities to work from home, which has probably
made it so much easier for us to actually hold
down a job. And yet that has all of those
opportunities were taken up by able bodied people. So yes,
let's hope things are on the up and let's hope
things are changing.
S3 (11:46):
Or we can do so. I think we're talking to
Emma next and uh.
S2 (11:51):
Yep. And well, she's always a mixed bag with what
she has to say.
S5 (11:58):
I reckon overall employment is incredibly annoying and difficult to
find as a person who's blind and vision impaired. So
many obstacles get in the way. After I finished my diploma,
I actually volunteered at a couple of places, like a
(12:18):
couple of once off events, and I also volunteered at
a brain and spinal place, plus a place where they
treat cancer patients and support their carers. I got involved
with Vision Australia when actually looking for a job and
they helped me. So I actually posted in a Facebook
(12:44):
group network that I was looking for a job and
someone suggested this place to me, and so I sent
them my resume and then contacted Vision Australia for their support,
and they helped me through it. They accompanied me to
the job interview, made sure I had a laptop that
(13:04):
I could use at work and yeah, checked in with
me for quite a while. So what was your diploma.
S3 (13:12):
That.
S5 (13:12):
You you.
S3 (13:13):
You said you had a diploma.
S5 (13:14):
I did a diploma in remedial massage.
S3 (13:21):
It's common for blind or low vision people to do massage.
I've noticed there are so many masseurs around, and I
think I can understand why we. We do use our
hands a lot.
S2 (13:31):
Anything else there that stood out to you with as
far as what Emma had to say?
S3 (13:34):
Well, since we work for Vision Australia, you know, and
this is Vision Australia Radio, I think it's worth pointing
out that she used Vision Australia to help her to
get and maintain a job, which is brilliant. I know
that there are a lot of programs around the country
that help us to gain employment, but Vision Australia definitely
to me is a leading example of an organisation who
(13:57):
goes above and beyond to help their clients, to Gain
employment and to live more fulfilling lives. So go VA woo!
A bit of self-promotion there.
S2 (14:07):
Well, yes. And also I've noticed actually Western Australia is
a bit different in some ways it the employers are
a little bit more open. Um, I'll give you an example.
I actually applied to be in the Western Australian Public
Service when I was over there. The first job they
threw me was um, with the police and it this
(14:30):
would have been a wonderful job if I'd been able
to get it, but unfortunately, I needed a driver's license.
And this is one of the few times where, yes,
you need a driver's license. So it was in the
evidence room. So there's this big warehouse full of all
sorts of things. It could be body bags. It could be, um,
all you just name it. Evidence of any sort. This
(14:52):
was the central evidence room. And where I knew I'd
pretty much got this, um, job if I'd. If I'd
been able to do it, at least, was they said, well,
sometimes things are a little bit gory. And I said, well,
I can't tell the difference between black and red. So, um,
you know, a sight of blood probably shouldn't really affect
me at all. And it was like, bang! There was
(15:12):
this moment and they worked for the next two weeks
trying to find ways of shoehorning me into this job.
S3 (15:19):
Wow.
S2 (15:19):
And as it was after I left Perth, I actually
got a call from Fremantle Police Station asking if I
could come in for an interview. So the police had
obviously seen me and gone, we want this guy. So yeah,
as I said something, something slightly different, they're a bit
more positive over there as far as disability, that's all
I can say.
S3 (15:38):
Well, I must say that's not a job that I
could ever do. Me and Gore. No no no no. So, um,
kudos to you.
S2 (15:47):
Okay. Who's next?
S3 (15:48):
I believe we are hearing from Lilly.
S2 (15:51):
Lilly.
S6 (15:54):
It's been a little bit of a mixed experience for
me because my vision has declined, um, over the years.
So obviously when I had much more vision and I
was still able to drive. Um, and I was still
able to pretty much independently, um, navigate the world. My
(16:14):
employment opportunities were were greater because I didn't have to disclose, uh,
the vision impairment because it was I was still, uh,
we're talking probably 20 years ago. I'm going back now.
So I worked, um, you know, fairly, uh, independently, um,
and had no problem with gaining employment. Um, I became
a teacher. I got through university pretty well. It became
(16:38):
a teacher. I taught in the system, in a remote community,
without any issue or any having to deal with, uh,
you know, not being able to, um, do that role
as a teacher with a vision impairment. So as my
vision started to go and I was looking for new
employment opportunities, it became more, more difficult once I had
(16:58):
to start disclosing my vision impairment. I chose to go into, um,
working for, um, the not for profit in the disability space, um,
for Vision Australia. So I was very blessed. Of course,
as you know, Lizzy, to be fully supported in that organisation, um,
as someone with a vision impairment, um, an employee with
a vision impairment. So I didn't have so much issue, um,
(17:23):
in that regard. But whenever I was looking outside of
the disability space for work, that's probably where I hit
a few obstacles. Um, having to explain to people, I suppose,
what I could and couldn't see and what sort of
assistive technology I needed to do the role and how,
you know, really, with the right assistive technology, I can
(17:46):
perform the roles, um, just like any other employee. So
I think the biggest obstacle is trying to get people
to understand that, you know, someone with a vision impairment
or low vision blindness can do a role just as
well as someone who's sighted with the right technology and
the right assistance and support. And once that's in place,
(18:06):
there is a really just then I think the other
thing I found was just educating those people who had
never worked with anyone with vision impairment before to understand
how to relate to that person, um, or how to
relate to me, and how to have a dog in
the workplace and all that sort of thing. So I
guess the biggest obstacle for me is just getting people
to understand and give them some education around what it
(18:29):
would be like to have having an employee who had
a vision impairment and it wasn't such a big deal.
S3 (18:38):
Interesting. There's something there that I think is worth noting,
and that is the people who go to job interviews
with with the support of organizations like Vision Australia, I
think they're more successful because, you know, there are people
at these organizations, whether it be see differently, whether it
(18:59):
be guide dogs, whether it be Vision Australia who are
trained in consulting with and talking to employees about the
needs of that particular person. And so I think, I mean, tip,
hot tip, I think of the week is that if
you're going to go into a job interview, try and
get the support of a big organisation behind you because
(19:21):
I think you'd be more successful also.
S2 (19:23):
Um, I think it's a nice box ticking exercise, especially
for government. If they see somebody from an organisation and
they and if they have their problems, if they have
their queries or concerns or something like that, there's a
business card, there's a phone number. Oh, you know, um,
are you sure so-and-so will be able to, um, you know,
(19:46):
I don't know, box lemons properly. I've got some concerns
about that. Well, you've got someone who can say, well,
they've done okay so far or, you know, um, this
is where you can go and find out more. That
kind of thing. So yes, in some ways, having an
expert in inverted commas on your site is extremely handy.
S3 (20:03):
Well, also I think yeah, like you said, there's accountability
as well because the organization like what Emma said, you know,
came and checked in on her and made sure that
things were going well and that relations between employer and
employee were going smoothly. So I think that's important. And
accountabilities for employers. But like you said, also knowing the
(20:25):
employees can turn to Vision Australia or to guide dogs
or whatever and just ask questions if need be, that
would bring a sense of comfort, I suppose. Whereas if
you go in there and cold canvas yourself and you
disclose and you haven't got that backing, it might be
a bit daunting to employers.
S2 (20:41):
Well, the other thing as well is so someone like
myself doesn't look obviously disabled, it's I mean, as I've
frequently said, if you're the parent of someone with a
vision impairment, yes, you'll be able to spot it straight
away if you are a special education teacher. Guess what?
You'll probably be able to spot that I'm visually impaired,
but the normal person out there in the workplace or
(21:04):
whatever could not tell whatsoever. So that gives me an
extra benefit there. I don't have to disclose. And also, well,
sometimes having someone with you from a from an organization,
you've got to make sure that they're actually good at
what they do. Um, I've seen experiences where, um, someone
(21:26):
from I'm not going to name the organization came along
to negotiate, um, with an employer because the employee was
losing their sight. And it was a complete shemozzle. So, yeah.
Pick your person there. Um, not everybody is fantastic at
their job, and sometimes they may not necessarily be suited
(21:47):
to hold your hand as far as that goes as well.
S3 (21:50):
Well, it helps if you're already tied in with the
organization to begin with. Like if I ever lost this
job and I had to go for another job, I
think because I'm tied in with Vision Australia, because I've
been a client of theirs, whether it be through seeing
eye dogs or the library, I could rely on them
for that help. Whereas if I was to just go
to a new organisation and say, I've got a job
(22:10):
interview in two weeks, be my advocate. I mean, they
don't know anything about me. They don't know my background,
they don't know my story. So it'd be quite hard
for them to negotiate or advocate on my path. So
I think it's really important to find out who your
network are, assess whether they're going to be able to
help you before you go in, you know, and apply
(22:30):
for a job or even just go in for that
interview process because, yeah, support really does help.
S2 (22:36):
And yes, if you're going through a support agency, they
will be able to help you with equipment straight away
as well, which, um, also increases your employability. So I've
got a collection of large monitors, for example, that I've, um,
received from see differently over the years. That's the former
Royal Society. Yeah. How was it? Yeah.
S3 (22:56):
Royal society for the blind.
S2 (22:58):
So, yes, they've, uh, proved very handy for that kind
of thing. It means that, uh, the people that I've
worked for haven't had to get a whopping rate monitor
for me. And, yeah, these are big. You can see, see,
see what's going on in them from the surface of
the moon.
S3 (23:13):
Whereas me, I need a brow note. So if there's any, like,
organisation out there that wants to give me a braillenote
touch or a focus 4D or something, I'm keen.
S2 (23:21):
All right. Yes. So you've heard Lizzie's demands out there.
If you, if you if you want to steal my, um,
assistant announcer from me, then, um, that's that's that's her
price is a Braille note.
S3 (23:32):
Yeah. That's all.
S2 (23:33):
Anyway, who we got next?
S3 (23:34):
I believe we have Sean. What?
S7 (23:40):
Gaining employment. I have to say, it is not easy.
Especially when you're trying to get into the open market,
as it were, like in the sighted world, because you
have to deal with misconceptions. And I want to say prejudice.
So yes, you do deal with prejudice because not everybody
is as ofay with the way we do things as, say,
(24:04):
like your local blind society's organizations and various agencies like that.
They are not quite sure how to tackle getting us
into a position where we can do things.
S3 (24:15):
Like, do you have any qualifications or jobs that you're
trained to do?
S7 (24:19):
I do actually, I have a certificate for an assessment,
workplace training. I have a certificate to in business office
admin and a certificate for in IT network management.
S3 (24:29):
And so you are well qualified to do a job.
S7 (24:32):
I am.
S3 (24:32):
In it.
S7 (24:33):
But having said that, I made my own job.
S8 (24:37):
And how's that going for you?
S7 (24:38):
Slightly, because I need to get the word out.
S8 (24:41):
Do you think that your vision impairment has impacted your
ability to do your job?
S7 (24:45):
No. Not really. Yeah. There's the occasional bit of time
where I need a pair of eyeballs to do things
that just cannot be done because speech access or braille
access is not something that can be gotten at the
point of doing a particular thing, like setting up the
Wi-Fi on someone's computer, or when a screen reader suddenly dies,
or a pair of eyes is always good, so be
(25:05):
my eyes, or my support worker is, uh, usually the
go to for that.
S3 (25:10):
Great. And so you were talking before about, um, having
trouble seeking employment. Do you have any examples of discrimination
that you faced?
S7 (25:19):
Not overtly. Um, because it was I was having a
discussion with some people on Team Talk a while ago
about this. Usually what happens is they couch it in
a way that they can't be done for discrimination. And
that's that's something that we face on the daily, especially
when we are door knocking, as it were, and looking
for work in the public sector. The government sector is
(25:43):
a little bit different, but they still exercise a little
bit of discrimination, but they're more inclined to be inclusive.
S2 (25:54):
Now what he was talking about. So I went for
a job. Yes, in the South Australian public service. This
was actually shortly after I'd just finished with, um, a
five year role supporting one of the big four banks.
So I had the qualifications to do it, but I
was going through the disability stream as far as getting
(26:15):
into the public service goes. Um, the feedback I got
from them was, um, yes, I interviewed extremely well. I
seem to be qualified and fairly qualified to do the job,
but I didn't have enough public service experience.
S3 (26:26):
But you worked from.
S2 (26:28):
Yeah.
S3 (26:30):
Make it make sense.
S2 (26:32):
So they will come up with anything they possibly can
to justify not having to broach difficult subjects. That's the
way I sort of see it. And this is this
was again, government have to be careful about what they do.
But in this case I think that they had somebody
already in line for the role, and they had to
(26:55):
find some way of couching things in the right way.
And I think it was all too difficult anyway.
S3 (27:01):
I believe next we are talking to Maddy.
S9 (27:07):
So I've found it pretty challenging so far, just because
I'm not sure like that employers would want to hire
someone with a vision impairment and be willing to make
any modifications that I might need in a workplace. I've
had a job as a youth support mentor that was
like a pilot program, which was good. And yeah, I'm
(27:30):
just currently looking for a job at the moment.
S2 (27:33):
So what's your philosophy? Do you, um, disclose when in
your application that you have a disability? Or do you
just wait until you rock up for the interview?
S9 (27:43):
Um, no, I just wait until the interview.
S3 (27:51):
Well. Since then, of course, Maddie has gained employment as
a peer support worker for seeing differently. And there are
vision loss telephone lines. So go Maddie. She has gained
employment and I believe she's doing a little bit of
support work as well. So since we've talked to her,
she has gained employment. But a lot of her points
(28:14):
still stand.
S2 (28:15):
Well yes, definitely. And yes, the thing of yes, if
you get noticed to have a disability, then of course
you disclose, but otherwise, um, don't. Well.
S3 (28:27):
We'll have to say that. I mean, unfortunately she does
have albinism, so it is quite.
S2 (28:33):
I don't think that the, um, the knowledge of people
out there necessarily would be able to associate albinism with
a disability necessarily is, um, I find that one of
the big hurdles that we have with relating to the
able bodied world is that of sheer ignorance, really. So
(28:56):
as far as someone with albinism is concerned, well, they're
just very pale and have, um, nice blonde hair.
S3 (29:02):
Yeah, I guess so.
S2 (29:04):
But, uh, no, I mean, uh, the other other thing
as well. It's no coincidence that, um, the vast proportion
of people with a disability are working for disability organizations
or the government because disability organizations know that they can
actually be funded to supply equipment for their workers. So, yes,
(29:24):
they can get funding from the government, as it were,
for something as expensive as jaws on the on a
computer or something like that, or. Yes, um, to adapt
the office so that someone with a disability can work
for it. Likewise with the government. There's there's resources out there.
They have whole sections of, of of a department where
(29:46):
they can consult and say, hey, we've we're we're thinking
of employing somebody with a disability. What do we need
to do? I don't think the, uh, general workplace out
there as far as private enterprise is as, um, progressive
as far as that goes.
S3 (30:01):
Yeah. And I think it goes back to our point
on most people in agreeing that inclusion needs to be
a thing, but they're more willing to pass the buck
because maybe they don't feel that they have the support
to support their employee. You know, I don't think all
of it necessarily comes from malicious intent either. I think
(30:22):
a lot of it does come from fear. Uh, fear
of not being able to provide for that employee. Fear
of not being able to relate or not being able
to support them properly. Of course, fear that they won't
be able to do their job properly and they'll have
to let them go. But it doesn't always have to
be out of malicious intent. It could just purely be
(30:42):
that they don't know better. So how do you do better?
S2 (30:47):
Well, Also, in every workplace you've got someone who does
not pull their weight properly. And what that means is
that gives somebody else the joy of doing their job
as well. And the fear would, of course, be that, um,
and we're hopefully going to be covering this in later
episodes is that having a disability is just another excuse
not to work hard now.
S3 (31:07):
Yeah.
S2 (31:08):
My experience is, well, my own personal experience is I've
worked very hard when I'm when I've got work, I
try to I try to impress people. But, um, it's
just the nature of ignorance. Is that you, catastrophize? You
assume the worst because you don't know any better.
S3 (31:25):
Yes, I think you're correct. And if you're not exposed
to people with disability on a regular basis, or if
you don't have any lived experience, it's hard to know.
And it's hard to separate the myths and the misconceptions
from the truth, and it's hard to know better.
S2 (31:42):
Well, before we go, we have one final person to
talk to And that is Alex. And again, so we'll
let her speak for herself.
S10 (31:53):
Since the vision impairment, I'm actually working as a social
worker and a support coordinator for the NDIS. I've found
a really good employer who's been incredibly supportive over the
fact that certain things just are going to take me
longer because I need to navigate with the screen reader.
S2 (32:10):
Thank you Alex. That is a wrap for this week.
A big thank you to Anthony, Emma, Lily, Sean, Maddie
and Alex. Have I missed anybody else out there?
S3 (32:19):
No, I don't think so. And of course, a big
thanks to you for listening. And that includes our listeners
on the Reading Radio Network. You can find a podcast
of this program, plus some extra content on Apple, Spotify,
Google or your favorite podcast platform.
S2 (32:35):
You can now also find us on Power Media next week.
What are you going to do when you grow up?
S3 (32:42):
You mean you actually grew up at some point?
S2 (32:44):
Um, no. Well, the jury's out there. Mm.
S3 (32:47):
Does the expectations either positive or negative of family, friends,
or our support network in general affect what we do
with our lives?
S2 (32:55):
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 somebody
who is dealing with something similar.
S3 (33:09):
You can contact us via email at Studio One at
Vision Australia. That's studio number one at Vision Australia. Or
of course, you can find us on Facebook and Instagram
by searching for VA Radio Network. We want to hear
from you.
S2 (33:27):
Studio one was produced in the Adelaide studios of Vision
Australia Radio and was made possible with support from the
Community Broadcasting Foundation.
S3 (33:35):
Find out more at.
This is studio one on Vision Australia Radio.
S2 (00:25):
Hello, I'm Sam.
S3 (00:26):
And I'm Lizzie.
S2 (00:27):
And this is Studio One, your weekly look at life
from a low vision and blind point of view. Here
on Vision Australia Radio this week.
S3 (00:33):
What do you do for a living?
S2 (00:35):
As little as possible myself. We ask a few friends
about the challenges they face finding work, keeping it, and
navigating the workplace.
S3 (00:43):
As we always said 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 (00:58):
Please contact us via Email Studio one at Vision Australia. Org.
That's studio number one at Vision Australia.
S3 (01:04):
Org or of course, you can leave us a note
on the station's Facebook page at facebook.com. Radio network.
S2 (01:15):
So. Hello, Lizzie.
S3 (01:16):
Hello, Sam. And how are we on this glorious, glorious afternoon?
S2 (01:20):
Well, I'm probably, um, quiet and lackadaisical compared to you.
You're full of beans at the moment.
S3 (01:26):
Yes, I am. I'm full of coffee beans. Surprise, surprise.
S2 (01:30):
Well, there we go. You've been out and about with, um,
your social networking and, uh, creating havoc and all that
sort of stuff, I'm guessing.
S3 (01:37):
Yeah, something like that. Well, we'll we'll keep it at that. Yep.
S2 (01:40):
All right, so you've collected a series of answers for
us this week about people's experience in the workplace, as
it were, not just finding work, but sometimes how they
go when they've got work. And what I found remarkable
about this is the last time we tackled this subject,
it was quite negative.
S3 (02:00):
Yes, I agree with you. I was just thinking, because
you pointed this out to me off air, and I
was just thinking back to the last episodes that we've done,
because we've done multiple on this topic, because it's such
a crucial issue for people in our community. Finding employment.
Keeping it. Navigating the workplace, all that good stuff that
one usually has to deal with.
S2 (02:21):
Well, it's the most important thing that if you're starting
a conversation with somebody you know is, so what do
you do for a living?
S3 (02:27):
Yeah. And like you said, the last time we had
this conversation, we had a lot of people in the
community say, well, I've never been able to get a job.
I've only been able to do volunteer work. I've been discriminated.
But they've couched it in other terms, like people have
been all too willing to talk about the negative side
of employment. Uh, as someone living with a vision impairment.
But I think just as you do that, it is
(02:50):
so refreshing to hear positivity coming out of the community
around employment.
S2 (02:56):
And don't get us wrong, dear listener, it's not all happy, happy,
happy joy, joy, joy. We do have a few people
that have talked about some of the issues they've also
had here, but, well, they all talk about work that
they are doing right now as opposed to what they
can't do. That is, uh, something that I think is really,
really interesting. And I think we'll, I think give some
(03:18):
of our listeners out there some hope for the future
at least.
S3 (03:21):
Yep. Hope is definitely very important. So who are we
starting with today, Sam?
S2 (03:27):
We will start with Anthony because as normal for he
seems to have a lot to say on quite a
number of different subjects.
S3 (03:33):
Good. Oh.
S4 (03:37):
Well, there are a number of jobs over the years.
I think my first job was working in the basket shop,
making baskets at the Royal Society for the blind back
in the early 80s. From there I did a bit
of reception work for the TAFE college at Regency Park.
And then from there I worked in a production line
making push bikes for leisure bicycles. I think it was
(04:01):
then I got a job managing the gym at the
Royal Society for the blind, in charge of the Health
and Recreation centre. From there are. Went into my own
business making baskets after that. Got a job working for
the Passenger Transport Board, running Disability Discrimination Act courses to
the staff there. And I left that went into my
(04:23):
own business as a motivational speaker and trainer. And then
now in my final career, possibly working for Centrelink, processing
disability support pensions at the moment so that a fairly
extensive career jobs. Also I've been a mess somewhere in
between there along the lines and a musician as well,
(04:45):
working pubs and busking.
S3 (04:46):
Out of all the jobs that you've had, which one
would you say have been the most positive in terms
of getting the modifications that you require and getting help
that you need?
S4 (04:56):
I think the most positive environment I've worked in is
my current job working for Centrelink, which is a federal
government job, and it still surprises me today how not
only do they talk about equal opportunities, they practice it
and they have a really diverse range of people that
work there from different cultures, different people with disabilities, and
(05:18):
they've really gone out their way, um, to make things
accessible for me in regards to using jaws on the
computer there. And the first person in my department said
to use jaws. So I'm a bit of an experiment
and they've been unbelievably helpful. I just can't believe that
anything that goes wrong, they get it fixed. Mind you,
it doesn't always get fixed straight away, but they do
(05:39):
address the problem and it has a multiple effect. It
helps me do my job, then it addresses it issues
right through the whole Centrelink business. Any adaptions I want,
they will get them for me as long as they're
not unreasonable of course. And just the philosophy of the organisation,
they use their acronym simple, helpful, respectful and transparent and
(06:01):
they seem to practice what they preach. It's really surprises me,
and I actually feel safe going to work, because I
don't have to suffer any discrimination there because of the
training the people are giving and the acceptance of people
from a diverse background. So it's unbelievably refreshing and it's
a microcosm of how society should act, in my opinion.
(06:23):
And it's good to see it being practiced in real
terms by the government leading the way in this case.
S3 (06:29):
Are there any jobs that you've had where you have
faced an unbelievable amount of discrimination?
S4 (06:36):
Not really, because I could tend to hold my own.
I've had discrimination in getting my qualifications to do a job.
When I was getting my qualifications to manage the gym
for the Royal Society for the blind. I was doing
my course through TAFE and they were going to hold
back my first aid certificate. They didn't want to give
it to me because I was blind and starting to
(06:57):
see certain things, which I found quite ironic. And um,
but eventually, under protest, I managed to get and that
overcome and, um, went right through the chain and the
having a disability doing your first aid courses not seen
as a disadvantage. And then the other one I had
was did a qualification in um, animal massage or dog massage.
(07:21):
And the whole time I had to fight my way
just to get into the course, I had to fly
to Melbourne to do some practical stuff where the course
was based. They wanted me to bring a carer and
when I did bring one, they were very resistant there
because I didn't have a care and weren't going to
let me finish the course. Uh managed to argue my
way through that. They were very reluctant to give me
(07:45):
accessible print or accessible information that I could read. And
the whole issue was a a battle with a very
negative in instructor who ran the course. And it was
a really a battle all the way through and put
a hell of a lot of stress on me. And, um,
(08:06):
but I managed to complete the course, but had to
fight all the way, and that's. That was very annoying.
S3 (08:12):
It's interesting you say that because, um, I've actually spoken
to a lot of people who don't necessarily face discrimination
in their jobs, but as you said, getting the qualifications.
People don't know how to teach people with disabilities. I mean,
where do you think that sort of stems from, or
why do you think there's such resistance there?
S4 (08:32):
I think it's pure ignorance. And the fact they can't
think sort of laterally or, and lack of ability to
identify what the real issues are. Is it a mobility issue?
Is it a technology issue. Is it, you know, a
print to speech issue? Sometimes they think it's a safety issue,
that for some reason, a lot of people think blind
(08:54):
people can't manage stairs. They're going to trip over all
the time, all these sort of stereotypes and myths based
on ignorance as the, um, really what it comes down to.
And that comes down to the individual's Background or education on, well,
just common sense things really.
S3 (09:10):
Or lived experience, I suppose. Oh, I just want to
go back to something he said about his current job
at Centrelink and the government leading the way, because you
and I again, off air, were having another really interesting
conversation and somebody within the blind community said to me
once that 90% of people in the work place or
(09:32):
employment space agree that inclusion needs to be, well, more inclusive,
it needs to be brought in, but most of them
pass the buck in terms of responsibility. So I'm really
glad to hear that our federal and state government are
leading the way and actually setting an example for other employers.
And yeah, I mean, I've talked to Anthony about this
(09:54):
job extensively, and it makes him so happy and it
makes him feel empowered to know that he can go
to work and feel safe.
S2 (10:02):
What a difference a change in government makes. That's all
I can say because for quite a while departments like
Centrelink and Human Services were out of bounds. From being
one of the most prolific employers of disabled people, all
of a sudden they were the some of the most discriminative.
(10:22):
So it's nice to see that things are going back
the way they were. And I mean, my first job
when I left school was actually in the in the
Commonwealth Public Service as well. It was with the Department
of Immigration. And yes, they were very positive about alright.
We don't we're not sure whether you can do this,
but we're going to let you try. And what they
found was that, yes, I could do a lot of
(10:43):
stuff that they weren't expecting me to do. So yeah,
it is nice to hear that, that things have gone
back the way they were. You know, we've done this
big circle from the early 90s back to today now.
S3 (10:55):
Yeah. And you know what? I think the important thing
is that people are going to see the government setting
an example. And hopefully we'll follow. There is no excuse
now for other companies to be discriminatory, because if our
government is leading the way in employing people with disabilities
and giving them a chance to live fulfilling and productive lives,
(11:17):
then no company, I think no other company has an excuse.
S2 (11:21):
Well, cross our fingers and hope because, um, unfortunately, after
the during and after the pandemic, the rate of unemployment
in the disability community actually went up.
S3 (11:30):
Yeah, I believe it.
S2 (11:31):
All these abilities to work from home, which has probably
made it so much easier for us to actually hold
down a job. And yet that has all of those
opportunities were taken up by able bodied people. So yes,
let's hope things are on the up and let's hope
things are changing.
S3 (11:46):
Or we can do so. I think we're talking to
Emma next and uh.
S2 (11:51):
Yep. And well, she's always a mixed bag with what
she has to say.
S5 (11:58):
I reckon overall employment is incredibly annoying and difficult to
find as a person who's blind and vision impaired. So
many obstacles get in the way. After I finished my diploma,
I actually volunteered at a couple of places, like a
(12:18):
couple of once off events, and I also volunteered at
a brain and spinal place, plus a place where they
treat cancer patients and support their carers. I got involved
with Vision Australia when actually looking for a job and
they helped me. So I actually posted in a Facebook
(12:44):
group network that I was looking for a job and
someone suggested this place to me, and so I sent
them my resume and then contacted Vision Australia for their support,
and they helped me through it. They accompanied me to
the job interview, made sure I had a laptop that
(13:04):
I could use at work and yeah, checked in with
me for quite a while. So what was your diploma.
S3 (13:12):
That.
S5 (13:12):
You you.
S3 (13:13):
You said you had a diploma.
S5 (13:14):
I did a diploma in remedial massage.
S3 (13:21):
It's common for blind or low vision people to do massage.
I've noticed there are so many masseurs around, and I
think I can understand why we. We do use our
hands a lot.
S2 (13:31):
Anything else there that stood out to you with as
far as what Emma had to say?
S3 (13:34):
Well, since we work for Vision Australia, you know, and
this is Vision Australia Radio, I think it's worth pointing
out that she used Vision Australia to help her to
get and maintain a job, which is brilliant. I know
that there are a lot of programs around the country
that help us to gain employment, but Vision Australia definitely
to me is a leading example of an organisation who
(13:57):
goes above and beyond to help their clients, to Gain
employment and to live more fulfilling lives. So go VA woo!
A bit of self-promotion there.
S2 (14:07):
Well, yes. And also I've noticed actually Western Australia is
a bit different in some ways it the employers are
a little bit more open. Um, I'll give you an example.
I actually applied to be in the Western Australian Public
Service when I was over there. The first job they
threw me was um, with the police and it this
(14:30):
would have been a wonderful job if I'd been able
to get it, but unfortunately, I needed a driver's license.
And this is one of the few times where, yes,
you need a driver's license. So it was in the
evidence room. So there's this big warehouse full of all
sorts of things. It could be body bags. It could be, um,
all you just name it. Evidence of any sort. This
(14:52):
was the central evidence room. And where I knew I'd
pretty much got this, um, job if I'd. If I'd
been able to do it, at least, was they said, well,
sometimes things are a little bit gory. And I said, well,
I can't tell the difference between black and red. So, um,
you know, a sight of blood probably shouldn't really affect
me at all. And it was like, bang! There was
(15:12):
this moment and they worked for the next two weeks
trying to find ways of shoehorning me into this job.
S3 (15:19):
Wow.
S2 (15:19):
And as it was after I left Perth, I actually
got a call from Fremantle Police Station asking if I
could come in for an interview. So the police had
obviously seen me and gone, we want this guy. So yeah,
as I said something, something slightly different, they're a bit
more positive over there as far as disability, that's all
I can say.
S3 (15:38):
Well, I must say that's not a job that I
could ever do. Me and Gore. No no no no. So, um,
kudos to you.
S2 (15:47):
Okay. Who's next?
S3 (15:48):
I believe we are hearing from Lilly.
S2 (15:51):
Lilly.
S6 (15:54):
It's been a little bit of a mixed experience for
me because my vision has declined, um, over the years.
So obviously when I had much more vision and I
was still able to drive. Um, and I was still
able to pretty much independently, um, navigate the world. My
(16:14):
employment opportunities were were greater because I didn't have to disclose, uh,
the vision impairment because it was I was still, uh,
we're talking probably 20 years ago. I'm going back now.
So I worked, um, you know, fairly, uh, independently, um,
and had no problem with gaining employment. Um, I became
a teacher. I got through university pretty well. It became
(16:38):
a teacher. I taught in the system, in a remote community,
without any issue or any having to deal with, uh,
you know, not being able to, um, do that role
as a teacher with a vision impairment. So as my
vision started to go and I was looking for new
employment opportunities, it became more, more difficult once I had
(16:58):
to start disclosing my vision impairment. I chose to go into, um,
working for, um, the not for profit in the disability space, um,
for Vision Australia. So I was very blessed. Of course,
as you know, Lizzy, to be fully supported in that organisation, um,
as someone with a vision impairment, um, an employee with
a vision impairment. So I didn't have so much issue, um,
(17:23):
in that regard. But whenever I was looking outside of
the disability space for work, that's probably where I hit
a few obstacles. Um, having to explain to people, I suppose,
what I could and couldn't see and what sort of
assistive technology I needed to do the role and how,
you know, really, with the right assistive technology, I can
(17:46):
perform the roles, um, just like any other employee. So
I think the biggest obstacle is trying to get people
to understand that, you know, someone with a vision impairment
or low vision blindness can do a role just as
well as someone who's sighted with the right technology and
the right assistance and support. And once that's in place,
(18:06):
there is a really just then I think the other
thing I found was just educating those people who had
never worked with anyone with vision impairment before to understand
how to relate to that person, um, or how to
relate to me, and how to have a dog in
the workplace and all that sort of thing. So I
guess the biggest obstacle for me is just getting people
to understand and give them some education around what it
(18:29):
would be like to have having an employee who had
a vision impairment and it wasn't such a big deal.
S3 (18:38):
Interesting. There's something there that I think is worth noting,
and that is the people who go to job interviews
with with the support of organizations like Vision Australia, I
think they're more successful because, you know, there are people
at these organizations, whether it be see differently, whether it
(18:59):
be guide dogs, whether it be Vision Australia who are
trained in consulting with and talking to employees about the
needs of that particular person. And so I think, I mean, tip,
hot tip, I think of the week is that if
you're going to go into a job interview, try and
get the support of a big organisation behind you because
(19:21):
I think you'd be more successful also.
S2 (19:23):
Um, I think it's a nice box ticking exercise, especially
for government. If they see somebody from an organisation and
they and if they have their problems, if they have
their queries or concerns or something like that, there's a
business card, there's a phone number. Oh, you know, um,
are you sure so-and-so will be able to, um, you know,
(19:46):
I don't know, box lemons properly. I've got some concerns
about that. Well, you've got someone who can say, well,
they've done okay so far or, you know, um, this
is where you can go and find out more. That
kind of thing. So yes, in some ways, having an
expert in inverted commas on your site is extremely handy.
S3 (20:03):
Well, also I think yeah, like you said, there's accountability
as well because the organization like what Emma said, you know,
came and checked in on her and made sure that
things were going well and that relations between employer and
employee were going smoothly. So I think that's important. And
accountabilities for employers. But like you said, also knowing the
(20:25):
employees can turn to Vision Australia or to guide dogs
or whatever and just ask questions if need be, that
would bring a sense of comfort, I suppose. Whereas if
you go in there and cold canvas yourself and you
disclose and you haven't got that backing, it might be
a bit daunting to employers.
S2 (20:41):
Well, the other thing as well is so someone like
myself doesn't look obviously disabled, it's I mean, as I've
frequently said, if you're the parent of someone with a
vision impairment, yes, you'll be able to spot it straight
away if you are a special education teacher. Guess what?
You'll probably be able to spot that I'm visually impaired,
but the normal person out there in the workplace or
(21:04):
whatever could not tell whatsoever. So that gives me an
extra benefit there. I don't have to disclose. And also, well,
sometimes having someone with you from a from an organization,
you've got to make sure that they're actually good at
what they do. Um, I've seen experiences where, um, someone
(21:26):
from I'm not going to name the organization came along
to negotiate, um, with an employer because the employee was
losing their sight. And it was a complete shemozzle. So, yeah.
Pick your person there. Um, not everybody is fantastic at
their job, and sometimes they may not necessarily be suited
(21:47):
to hold your hand as far as that goes as well.
S3 (21:50):
Well, it helps if you're already tied in with the
organization to begin with. Like if I ever lost this
job and I had to go for another job, I
think because I'm tied in with Vision Australia, because I've
been a client of theirs, whether it be through seeing
eye dogs or the library, I could rely on them
for that help. Whereas if I was to just go
to a new organisation and say, I've got a job
(22:10):
interview in two weeks, be my advocate. I mean, they
don't know anything about me. They don't know my background,
they don't know my story. So it'd be quite hard
for them to negotiate or advocate on my path. So
I think it's really important to find out who your
network are, assess whether they're going to be able to
help you before you go in, you know, and apply
(22:30):
for a job or even just go in for that
interview process because, yeah, support really does help.
S2 (22:36):
And yes, if you're going through a support agency, they
will be able to help you with equipment straight away
as well, which, um, also increases your employability. So I've
got a collection of large monitors, for example, that I've, um,
received from see differently over the years. That's the former
Royal Society. Yeah. How was it? Yeah.
S3 (22:56):
Royal society for the blind.
S2 (22:58):
So, yes, they've, uh, proved very handy for that kind
of thing. It means that, uh, the people that I've
worked for haven't had to get a whopping rate monitor
for me. And, yeah, these are big. You can see, see,
see what's going on in them from the surface of
the moon.
S3 (23:13):
Whereas me, I need a brow note. So if there's any, like,
organisation out there that wants to give me a braillenote
touch or a focus 4D or something, I'm keen.
S2 (23:21):
All right. Yes. So you've heard Lizzie's demands out there.
If you, if you if you want to steal my, um,
assistant announcer from me, then, um, that's that's that's her
price is a Braille note.
S3 (23:32):
Yeah. That's all.
S2 (23:33):
Anyway, who we got next?
S3 (23:34):
I believe we have Sean. What?
S7 (23:40):
Gaining employment. I have to say, it is not easy.
Especially when you're trying to get into the open market,
as it were, like in the sighted world, because you
have to deal with misconceptions. And I want to say prejudice.
So yes, you do deal with prejudice because not everybody
is as ofay with the way we do things as, say,
(24:04):
like your local blind society's organizations and various agencies like that.
They are not quite sure how to tackle getting us
into a position where we can do things.
S3 (24:15):
Like, do you have any qualifications or jobs that you're
trained to do?
S7 (24:19):
I do actually, I have a certificate for an assessment,
workplace training. I have a certificate to in business office
admin and a certificate for in IT network management.
S3 (24:29):
And so you are well qualified to do a job.
S7 (24:32):
I am.
S3 (24:32):
In it.
S7 (24:33):
But having said that, I made my own job.
S8 (24:37):
And how's that going for you?
S7 (24:38):
Slightly, because I need to get the word out.
S8 (24:41):
Do you think that your vision impairment has impacted your
ability to do your job?
S7 (24:45):
No. Not really. Yeah. There's the occasional bit of time
where I need a pair of eyeballs to do things
that just cannot be done because speech access or braille
access is not something that can be gotten at the
point of doing a particular thing, like setting up the
Wi-Fi on someone's computer, or when a screen reader suddenly dies,
or a pair of eyes is always good, so be
(25:05):
my eyes, or my support worker is, uh, usually the
go to for that.
S3 (25:10):
Great. And so you were talking before about, um, having
trouble seeking employment. Do you have any examples of discrimination
that you faced?
S7 (25:19):
Not overtly. Um, because it was I was having a
discussion with some people on Team Talk a while ago
about this. Usually what happens is they couch it in
a way that they can't be done for discrimination. And
that's that's something that we face on the daily, especially
when we are door knocking, as it were, and looking
for work in the public sector. The government sector is
(25:43):
a little bit different, but they still exercise a little
bit of discrimination, but they're more inclined to be inclusive.
S2 (25:54):
Now what he was talking about. So I went for
a job. Yes, in the South Australian public service. This
was actually shortly after I'd just finished with, um, a
five year role supporting one of the big four banks.
So I had the qualifications to do it, but I
was going through the disability stream as far as getting
(26:15):
into the public service goes. Um, the feedback I got
from them was, um, yes, I interviewed extremely well. I
seem to be qualified and fairly qualified to do the job,
but I didn't have enough public service experience.
S3 (26:26):
But you worked from.
S2 (26:28):
Yeah.
S3 (26:30):
Make it make sense.
S2 (26:32):
So they will come up with anything they possibly can
to justify not having to broach difficult subjects. That's the
way I sort of see it. And this is this
was again, government have to be careful about what they do.
But in this case I think that they had somebody
already in line for the role, and they had to
(26:55):
find some way of couching things in the right way.
And I think it was all too difficult anyway.
S3 (27:01):
I believe next we are talking to Maddy.
S9 (27:07):
So I've found it pretty challenging so far, just because
I'm not sure like that employers would want to hire
someone with a vision impairment and be willing to make
any modifications that I might need in a workplace. I've
had a job as a youth support mentor that was
like a pilot program, which was good. And yeah, I'm
(27:30):
just currently looking for a job at the moment.
S2 (27:33):
So what's your philosophy? Do you, um, disclose when in
your application that you have a disability? Or do you
just wait until you rock up for the interview?
S9 (27:43):
Um, no, I just wait until the interview.
S3 (27:51):
Well. Since then, of course, Maddie has gained employment as
a peer support worker for seeing differently. And there are
vision loss telephone lines. So go Maddie. She has gained
employment and I believe she's doing a little bit of
support work as well. So since we've talked to her,
she has gained employment. But a lot of her points
(28:14):
still stand.
S2 (28:15):
Well yes, definitely. And yes, the thing of yes, if
you get noticed to have a disability, then of course
you disclose, but otherwise, um, don't. Well.
S3 (28:27):
We'll have to say that. I mean, unfortunately she does
have albinism, so it is quite.
S2 (28:33):
I don't think that the, um, the knowledge of people
out there necessarily would be able to associate albinism with
a disability necessarily is, um, I find that one of
the big hurdles that we have with relating to the
able bodied world is that of sheer ignorance, really. So
(28:56):
as far as someone with albinism is concerned, well, they're
just very pale and have, um, nice blonde hair.
S3 (29:02):
Yeah, I guess so.
S2 (29:04):
But, uh, no, I mean, uh, the other other thing
as well. It's no coincidence that, um, the vast proportion
of people with a disability are working for disability organizations
or the government because disability organizations know that they can
actually be funded to supply equipment for their workers. So, yes,
(29:24):
they can get funding from the government, as it were,
for something as expensive as jaws on the on a
computer or something like that, or. Yes, um, to adapt
the office so that someone with a disability can work
for it. Likewise with the government. There's there's resources out there.
They have whole sections of, of of a department where
(29:46):
they can consult and say, hey, we've we're we're thinking
of employing somebody with a disability. What do we need
to do? I don't think the, uh, general workplace out
there as far as private enterprise is as, um, progressive
as far as that goes.
S3 (30:01):
Yeah. And I think it goes back to our point
on most people in agreeing that inclusion needs to be
a thing, but they're more willing to pass the buck
because maybe they don't feel that they have the support
to support their employee. You know, I don't think all
of it necessarily comes from malicious intent either. I think
(30:22):
a lot of it does come from fear. Uh, fear
of not being able to provide for that employee. Fear
of not being able to relate or not being able
to support them properly. Of course, fear that they won't
be able to do their job properly and they'll have
to let them go. But it doesn't always have to
be out of malicious intent. It could just purely be
(30:42):
that they don't know better. So how do you do better?
S2 (30:47):
Well, Also, in every workplace you've got someone who does
not pull their weight properly. And what that means is
that gives somebody else the joy of doing their job
as well. And the fear would, of course, be that, um,
and we're hopefully going to be covering this in later
episodes is that having a disability is just another excuse
not to work hard now.
S3 (31:07):
Yeah.
S2 (31:08):
My experience is, well, my own personal experience is I've
worked very hard when I'm when I've got work, I
try to I try to impress people. But, um, it's
just the nature of ignorance. Is that you, catastrophize? You
assume the worst because you don't know any better.
S3 (31:25):
Yes, I think you're correct. And if you're not exposed
to people with disability on a regular basis, or if
you don't have any lived experience, it's hard to know.
And it's hard to separate the myths and the misconceptions
from the truth, and it's hard to know better.
S2 (31:42):
Well, before we go, we have one final person to
talk to And that is Alex. And again, so we'll
let her speak for herself.
S10 (31:53):
Since the vision impairment, I'm actually working as a social
worker and a support coordinator for the NDIS. I've found
a really good employer who's been incredibly supportive over the
fact that certain things just are going to take me
longer because I need to navigate with the screen reader.
S2 (32:10):
Thank you Alex. That is a wrap for this week.
A big thank you to Anthony, Emma, Lily, Sean, Maddie
and Alex. Have I missed anybody else out there?
S3 (32:19):
No, I don't think so. And of course, a big
thanks to you for listening. And that includes our listeners
on the Reading Radio Network. You can find a podcast
of this program, plus some extra content on Apple, Spotify,
Google or your favorite podcast platform.
S2 (32:35):
You can now also find us on Power Media next week.
What are you going to do when you grow up?
S3 (32:42):
You mean you actually grew up at some point?
S2 (32:44):
Um, no. Well, the jury's out there. Mm.
S3 (32:47):
Does the expectations either positive or negative of family, friends,
or our support network in general affect what we do
with our lives?
S2 (32:55):
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 somebody
who is dealing with something similar.
S3 (33:09):
You can contact us via email at Studio One at
Vision Australia. That's studio number one at Vision Australia. Or
of course, you can find us on Facebook and Instagram
by searching for VA Radio Network. We want to hear
from you.
S2 (33:27):
Studio one was produced in the Adelaide studios of Vision
Australia Radio and was made possible with support from the
Community Broadcasting Foundation.
S3 (33:35):
Find out more at.
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