October 2, 2025 • 27 mins
Lots of action on the show this week as we kick off with a Vision Australia library update from community engagement officer Maureen O'Reilly, who fills us in on some events coming up in the library over the next two months.
Then you'll hear from Kayla Everingham from our Vision Store in Queensland, she's heading along to the Community Inclusion Expo on Saturday October 11 in Brisbane with her team plus Vision Australia Radio's own Jason Gipps.
The fun doesn't stop there as B4 tennis player Sarah Pollard joins the show to tell us about an upcoming blind and low vision tennis come and try day in Geelong on Sunday October 12, and Liz joins us for the latest updates from Vision Australia's bi-weekly newsletter For Your Information, or FYI.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
S1 (00:21):
From Vision Australia. This is talking vision. And now here's
your host, Sam Colley.
S2 (00:31):
Hello, everyone. It's great to be here with you. And
for the next half hour, we talk matters of blindness
and low vision. Welcome to the program. We've got an
absolutely action packed, wall to wall episode of Talking Vision
for you today, featuring a library update, an update from
our vision store in Queensland, a chat with a blind
(00:55):
and low vision tennis player, and a wrap up of
this month's issue of Foyer information, otherwise known as FYI.
So without further ado, let's get straight into it. I
hope you enjoy this episode of Talking Vision. We kick
off the show this week with Maureen O'Reilly from the
(01:18):
Vision Australia library. I started off my chat with Maureen
by asking her if she's got some info up her
sleeve about the upcoming events from the library.
S3 (01:29):
I do indeed. We have a very busy October and November.
We're just barrelling on towards the end of the year,
making sure we get as many programs and events in
as we can.
S2 (01:40):
I understand there's an event coming up very shortly on
October the 8th. Maureen.
S3 (01:47):
There is indeed, and this one's from your neck of
the woods, actually. It is involving one of the volunteers
from Vision Australia Radio and it's Meet Your Vision Australia
library narrators. So this was a new program that we
introduced this year. We had Marilyn earlier in the year,
and in October we're going to be interviewing Richard Bly.
(02:09):
So it'll be heaps of fun. Based on the last
interview that we had, people get to meet this, uh,
voice that they spend all their evenings and weekends with,
listening to them narrate these gorgeous audiobooks, and then they
get to find out the story about the person behind
that voice. So it's sort of like an opportunity to
(02:30):
meet a best friend that you don't fully know. And
then once we've had our lovely chat with Richard, he's
actually going to treat us to a 20 minute live
reading of his favorite book. So normally he's told what
he has to narrate for the library, and on this
occasion he gets to choose his own. So he is
(02:53):
going to be reading Victory City by Salman Rushdie.
S2 (02:57):
Oh, what a treat. Now that's something to definitely look
forward to for sure. And, um, Maureen, understand there's a
children's webinar coming up a little while later on in October.
S3 (03:13):
There is indeed on the 22nd of October, we have
the Australian Children's Laureate, Sally rippin joining us. So many
of your listeners would remember that we partnered with Sally
last year in Book Week, and we did a wonderful
event with our younger, um, children with blindness and low vision.
(03:34):
This year is a very different event. So this is
actually based in Warrnambool down the coast of what would
that be? That would be.
S2 (03:44):
South west.
S3 (03:45):
Coast, south western. Thank you Victoria. And there is an
actual storytime with Sally. But after that there was also
a webinar which is a panel discussion on dyslexia. So
it's Sally is a laureate theme is all kids can
be readers. And this is a panel discussion which will
(04:06):
focus on the challenges and the triumphs experienced by children
and families living with dyslexia. So we'll be discussing the
support and the resources that are available through many organisations
across the country. And it's a wonderful opportunity for parents, carers, teachers,
really anyone that is interested in supporting people with dyslexia
(04:30):
to come along and learn more from both. Sally, who
is a parent of a child with dyslexia, from Sarah Bloedorn,
who's the manager of the Vision Australia library, and we
support a lot of children with dyslexia. And then we
have a third guest as well with lived experience. And
this discussion will be facilitated by Marianne Varg at the
(04:52):
Warrnambool Library. So anyone that's actually in the vicinity of
Warrnambool is more than welcome to turn up, but we
will be live streaming it online as well.
S2 (05:02):
Excellent. And the fun doesn't stop there, Maureen. There's also
some other events coming up later in the year in November.
A couple of great, really exciting things to look forward to.
S3 (05:17):
Well, we have our final writing program for the year.
I cannot believe the year is winding up already. It seems.
S2 (05:23):
Like scary. Oh my God.
S3 (05:25):
Well, it's.
S2 (05:25):
All.
S3 (05:26):
Christmas presents.
S2 (05:27):
And you have to. Yeah, exactly. Oh my God.
S3 (05:30):
So our final writing program is crime fiction writing. So
crime fiction is one of the most popular genres within
the Vision Australia library. So I'm working with the premise
that if people like to read crime fiction, maybe they'll
like to write it as well. So we have a
new facilitator who's joining us from Writers Victoria, and she's
(05:53):
going to run a four week program for us, which
is focused on how to write a successful crime fiction novel.
So that's going to be hugely fun. It will run
on the fifth and the 12th and the 19th of
November and then the 3rd of December. So it's an
online course. It's a free course for all our library members.
(06:15):
So I really encourage anyone that has been thinking about
enrolling in a writing course, thinking about putting pen to
paper or fingertips to keyboards to bite the bullet and go, yep,
this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to
get some skills and some knowledge and some motivation, and
that will give you something to do over the summer break.
S2 (06:35):
Wonderful, great four part program there. It's very exciting to
hear about, so look forward to hearing a bit more
about that one. Now finally, Maureen, there's a very special
guest that the library has been able to get in
touch with who's going to be presenting their own event.
S3 (06:56):
That is correct. We have our final in conversation for
the year. There's a lot of finals and this is
with Dave Steel, the blind poet. Now, many of our
listeners would know, Dave, if they're interested in poetry. He
is quite famous, I would say in the UK, but
also in the US and Australia. He's recently had a
(07:20):
special that ran on the BBC about him, so he
is quite phenomenal really. He has RP, so he was
diagnosed in 2014, and since his diagnosis, Dave has tirelessly
advocated for the rights of blind and low vision people
(07:40):
across the world. And his collaborative work that he's done
with global brands across the world has earned him so
much recognition and awards and notoriety, and really driving that
global conversation about blindness and disability. So what he's achieved
has just been phenomenal. But for his own, I suppose,
(08:02):
mental well-being and as a, I suppose, a therapeutic outlet
for himself. Dave turned to writing poetry. So he wasn't
a poet beforehand. He was actually a musician, and he
has written at least three anthologies, and they're very much
a well-being tool where he has been able to channel
(08:24):
his thoughts and his emotions, the rollercoaster that he's been
through over the last 11 years. So his three poetry
anthologies were number one bestsellers, both in Australia and the US.
And then more recently, his son has also been diagnosed
with RP and loosely based on his son's story, Dave
(08:46):
has written. Or he's commenced a series of books called
Austin's Amazing Adventures. So his first book, The Big Test,
follows a visually impaired boy named Austin navigating the challenges
of a mainstream school, and that's been hugely successful. And
then the sequel, The Unstoppable Duo, was just released in September.
(09:09):
So this is a whole series of books that Dave
is writing, which is very much about supporting his son
and also educating the world and younger members of mainstream
schools about being friends with and studying alongside and living
with people with a disability. So he really is just
(09:29):
an amazingly motivational person to listen to. And we're very,
very privileged to have secured him for our final in conversation.
S2 (09:38):
Well, that sounds wonderful. That and all those events there.
Lots to look forward to for people out there. And
if you'd like to find out a little bit more
about that or any of those other events or more broadly,
what the Vision Australia Library is up to and can
(09:58):
offer you or somebody you know. Maureen, what's the best
way for people to find out more and get in
touch with the Vision Australia library?
S3 (10:08):
Well, probably the best way initially is to go to
our website, which is Vision Australia. All of our events
are posted on the WhatsApp section there so that people
can see what's coming up, see what would interest them.
But we also have a lot of news items that
(10:29):
are up there. So there's a news item that's just
been uploaded which focuses on how to curate your bookshelf.
So how to make sure that the books that are
being sent to your bookshelf are actually ones that really
match your interests. There's also reading lists that are up there.
So we just put a new one up for Halloween.
So that's full of a whole lot of quite horrific
(10:51):
horror stories that would keep me awake at night. And
there's always news items that are being uploaded, whether there
are reading lists or whether it's links to our webinar
on reading tools or writing tools. So many things for people.
And if they want to know more about actually joining
the library or how to register for these events, they
(11:14):
can always phone us on one 354 56.
S2 (11:20):
That's 1300 654 656. Or if you'd like to email the library,
you can get in touch through library at Vienna, Austria.
That's library at Austria. I've been speaking today with Maureen O'Reilly,
(11:41):
community engagement coordinator from the Vision Australia Library. I'm Sam
Colley and you're listening to Talking Vision on Vision Australia Radio,
associated Stations of Disability Media Australia and the Community Radio Network.
(12:04):
I hope you enjoyed that conversation there with Maureen from
the library. If you missed any part of that chat
with Maureen or you'd love to hear it again. Talking
vision is available on the podcast app of your choice
or through the Vision Australia library. We'll continue now with
Kayla Everingham from the Vision Store in Queensland. I started
(12:28):
my conversation with Kayla by asking her about the upcoming
Community Inclusion Expo that Vision Australia will be attending.
S4 (12:38):
Yeah that's right. So on Saturday the 11th of October
from 2 to 5 p.m.. Vision Australia is going to
be taking part in the Community Inclusion Expo. That's prior
to the blind Australian of the Year Awards, which are
run by Link Vision. Which Vision Australia is sponsoring this year?
S2 (12:58):
Excellent. And um, what sort of involvement will Vision Australia
be having at the Community Inclusion Expo? What sort of
things can people expect if they head along and come
and visit the Vision Australia store?
S4 (13:14):
Yeah. So we are one of many stallholders. So the
free events designed to celebrate diversity, promote accessibility and showcase
many organisations making a difference in people's local communities. So
with Vision Australia we are going to be there representing
the store and a number of our services and get
(13:35):
the word out about blindness and low vision. Give the
opportunity for people to check out some of the products
we'll have on display, and also just answer any questions
that people might have about what we do, who we are,
and how we can help as well. If they have
a loved one or a family member or friend or themselves,
have low vision and haven't experienced anything that Vision Australia
(13:57):
has to offer yet.
S2 (13:58):
And Kayla, what sort of equipment and devices can people
expect to be able to check out through Vision Australia
and the Vision store?
S4 (14:09):
Yeah, so we'll have a range of products on display
at the event itself, and we'll be able to take
people who might not be familiar with the kinds of
products we can assist with and what kind of categories
they cover. So we've got things that make items bigger, brighter, bolder, braille,
tactile and talking. So we can give people a bit
(14:32):
of a small look into the very wide range of
equipment that's available to view in all of our vision
stores nationally.
S2 (14:39):
And Kayla, you'll be one of the people representing Vision
Australia on the day. But I understand there's going to
be quite a team of you there. So quite a
few different parts of the organization represented. What sort of
people can people come and have a chat to? What
parts of Vision Australia are we going to have represented
(15:00):
up there on the day?
S4 (15:01):
Yeah, so we will have myself and some of my
teammates in the vision store department. Their names are Ruby
and Eliza will also be having Jason representing the Vision
Australia radio team there to talk about services as well.
And we will cover for the Vision store team will
cover product questions, demonstrations and also talk about our services
(15:27):
as well.
S2 (15:28):
But some Jason Gibbs, a familiar voice for people out there,
you might have heard his voice on Talking Vision or
elsewhere on the Vision Australia radio network, so definitely come
have a chat with him and find out a little
bit more about Vision Australia Radio. But of course you
can talk to Kayla and Ruby and Eliza and the
team and find out just what the Vision store can
(15:51):
offer for yourself or somebody you know who is experiencing
blindness or low vision now. Following on from that expo,
as you've mentioned, Kayla, the Blind Australian of the year
awards are coming up. So tell us a little bit
about the awards for people who may not be aware.
S4 (16:11):
Yeah, so I'm very excited to go to these awards myself.
This will be the first year that I'm attending as
a spectator too, so I'm very interested and excited to
hear about all of the people who are nominated. But
from my understanding of previous visits, that Vision Australia team
members of mine have had, it's a really great event,
(16:32):
recognising the efforts of everyone who's nominated and of course
the winner. But everything that they have achieved in their
personal and professional lives and the ways that they excel
above all the rest in everything that they've kind of
chosen to do, curricular or extracurricular as well.
S2 (16:50):
Right. Okay. So you're heading along and who else has
got the fun opportunity, the privilege to head alongside with you?
Or is that the whole team or just, um, a
couple of you?
S4 (17:03):
Yeah. So all of us who people are able to
meet at the expo itself will also be sticking around
to go to the awards, and then we'll be joined
by some of our other colleagues from Peru who will
be of attendance as well.
S2 (17:18):
Kayla Everingham, their vision store support officer from the Vision
Australia office in Queensland. Next up we'll hear from B4
tennis player Sarah Pollard, who's here to chat to us
about an upcoming common Try day in Geelong. I started
(17:40):
off my conversation with Sarah by asking her to give
us an overview of blind and low vision tennis.
S1 (17:47):
So Blind and Low Vision tennis is a modified version
of tennis, and it exists in several formats. So depending
on your level of vision loss, it depends on how
much the game has been modified. So across the blind
spots categories from B1 to B4, different variations happen depending
on your level of vision loss. So for me I
play in the B4 category, which means that I get
(18:08):
one bounce with the tennis ball and the court I
play on is slightly smaller for some of the participants
that play B1, so those that are legally blind and similar,
they play with three bounces. I believe on a much
more modified court, with tactile markers on the floor to
allow people to orientate their ways around the court, and
then between B1 and B4, there's variations that reflect being
(18:30):
able to be successful in tennis and the number of
bounces that happen during the sport as well.
S2 (18:35):
I'm interested to hear a bit about yourself, Sarah. How
long have you been playing blind and Low vision tennis.
S1 (18:42):
I've been playing blind and low vision tennis since the
start of this year. So at the start of 2025,
so coming up to just under a year now.
S2 (18:49):
How did you find out about blind and Low vision tennis.
How did that sort of all come about?
S1 (18:55):
Um, truthfully, I, I can't remember is the honest answer
to that, but I think it might have been through
some marketing or some kind of advertisement through Blind and
Sports Recreation Victoria. I saw the flyer for the tennis. Um,
I don't live too far away from tennis world, and
I thought I'd head down and and give it a
try in Melbourne.
S2 (19:12):
Fantastic. And, um, today we're here to talk about a
come and try day taking place down in Geelong over
the next little while. So tell us a little bit about, um,
that one.
S1 (19:27):
So there's a come and try day for blind and
low vision tennis in Lara on the 12th of October. Um,
anyone is welcome. Um, both people with vision loss, their
support crew, um, children, adults, everyone, come on down. And
the aim is it doesn't matter if you've played sports
or not before. Um, it's very much. Come give it
a go. Come down. Try it out. Try something new.
(19:48):
All you need really is some comfy clothes and a
can do attitude. And maybe some water. And the rest,
some really useful quality coaches will come down and help
you out with.
S2 (19:57):
Let's get. Just to recap the, um, date and time
for people there and, um, where the event will be
taking place.
S1 (20:06):
So the, um, come and try event is at Lara
Tennis Club, um, which will be on Sunday the 12th
of October. It begins at 10 a.m. and it'll go
through to 12 p.m..
S2 (20:15):
Okay. Perfect. And in terms of how people can make
their way to the Lara Tennis Club on the day.
What's the best way for people to get there by
public transport or those sort of things.
S1 (20:31):
Perfect. So Lara Tennis Club is a short walk from
Lara train station. So for those that are connected on
a V line service, people should be able to access
it via train, and then a short walk or other
kind of driving options were available as well. And there's
parking at the event.
S2 (20:45):
I understand there's also quite a bit of a social
element to the tennis event. It's not just tennis. People
will be able to catch up and have a bit
of a barbecue afterwards. That sounds pretty cool.
S1 (20:59):
Yeah. So once you've worked hard playing tennis with us,
come down and give it a go. There will be
a barbecue lunch provided afterwards, so a nice chance to socialise,
meet other people, have a chat about the sport. There's
some outstanding volunteers and participants that are already involved in
the tennis program that are very welcoming and are more
than willing to chat to you and help you out,
get you excited about tennis, if that's what you enjoy.
S2 (21:19):
All right, and speaking of getting in touch with people
and having a chat and finding out a bit more
about blind and low vision tennis. Sarah, what's the best
way for people to register and get in touch with
the appropriate people.
S1 (21:37):
Perfect. So we have two options. Um, if you would
like to register your interest for the event, the best
place to do that is to book online on the website.
Try booking and it should land you on the page
where you can register for the event. Uh, failing that,
you can contact Rachel who is overseeing the event and
her mobile number is 0493 105 800.
S2 (22:05):
And that was Sarah Pollard there before tennis player attending
the upcoming Come and Try day at Lara Tennis Club
on the 12th of October. And last but by no
means least, Liz Dulcoease is back with a flyer information update.
(22:31):
I started off by chatting to Liz about World Sight
Day coming up on October 9th and the excitement building
up around the day. A big day in the blind
and low vision calendar.
S5 (22:44):
Yeah, Eddie is. You're right Sam, it's such an important day,
especially for our blind, low vision community. It's on Thursday,
October 9th, and it's a time where people around the
world come together to celebrate World Sight Day. The global
event will raise awareness about blindness and low vision, and
it just encourages communities to take action for better eye health.
The theme this year is to love your eyes, and
(23:06):
it's just a reminder to protect the value and prioritize
our sight, because healthy eyes just help us see a
brighter future.
S2 (23:13):
Absolutely do. And um, in some NDIS news, Liz, I
understand there's been a press conference recently from the minister.
S5 (23:23):
Yeah there has. Sam. So we know there's just so
much happening with the NDIS right now. And there's a
lot of information overload out there and NDIS Minister Jenny
McAllister says that we've come to an important moment and
it's time will help to define the future of the NDIS.
So within the client newsletter there's a link that you
(23:44):
can read where she talks about funding pressures and long
term reforms that are on the table and the decisions
made now that will have lasting impacts on participants, families
and their providers. So it's just it's a good one
to listen to.
S2 (23:58):
Um, a lot of very important information there. So yeah,
definitely check that one out for sure. And Liz, there's
some exciting news in the world of eye research in
regards to a camera that can do something very, very
important for people out there.
S5 (24:16):
Yeah. Through our collaboration with the centre for Eye Research Australia,
who we have all come to know as Sarah, we
have learnt that in one of their Australian studies, there
is an automated AI camera that can detect diabetic eye
diseases and have a 93% accuracy. And even more impressive,
it works outside of a specialist eye clinic.
S2 (24:39):
Whoa.
S5 (24:39):
It's just it's so cool.
S2 (24:41):
Yeah. That's incredible.
S5 (24:43):
Yeah, it's, you know, you can learn about AI for
the eyes. It's just so cool.
S2 (24:48):
Yeah. Certainly is. Absolutely.
S5 (24:50):
I mean, within the newsletter, I have a click of
the link and then discover how this amazing technology works
and what it can mean for the future of eye care.
S2 (24:58):
Absolutely. And Liz, I understand there's some karaweik info coming
up for people out there.
S5 (25:07):
Yeah, we at Vision Australia are very excited to be
joining a panel with Miss Plus and Carer Gateway for
a special Carers Week webinar. So totally online on Tuesday
the 14th of October. So it's a free session and
we'll feature carers, family members, supporters and people with lived
experiences sharing their stories and insights. So it will be
(25:29):
a panel discussion, and it will talk about services that
help to promote well-being and practical strategies for balancing responsibilities
with self-care. Spaces are pretty limited, so don't miss out
on this one. It will be such an interesting conversation
for sure.
S2 (25:43):
And finally, Liz, there's a White Cane Day walk coming
up on White Cane Day. Surprisingly.
S5 (25:51):
Yeah. Funny that.
S2 (25:52):
Yeah.
S5 (25:53):
So October's such a big month for the blind low
vision community because it's on October 15th is White Cane Day,
and this year Vision Australia are doing a White Cane
Day walk. It's a special event that shines a light
on independence, inclusion and the importance of accessibility for people
who are blind or have low vision so we can
all come together, walk together, show our support and be
(26:15):
part of the movement that's trying to make a difference.
S2 (26:18):
And that was the latest stories there from Liz Dalla Carus,
editor of For Your Information, otherwise known as FII. And
that's all the time we have for today. You've been
listening to Talking Vision. Talking vision is a Vision Australia
radio production. Thanks to all involved with putting the show
(26:40):
together every week. And remember, we love hearing from you.
So please get in touch anytime on our email at
Talking Vision Australia. That's talking vision all one word at
Vision Australia. But until next week it's Sam Coley saying
bye for now.
S6 (27:03):
You can contact Vision Australia by phoning us anytime during
business hours on one 308 4746. That's one 384 74
six or by visiting Vision Australia. That's Vision Australia.
From Vision Australia. This is talking vision. And now here's
your host, Sam Colley.
S2 (00:31):
Hello, everyone. It's great to be here with you. And
for the next half hour, we talk matters of blindness
and low vision. Welcome to the program. We've got an
absolutely action packed, wall to wall episode of Talking Vision
for you today, featuring a library update, an update from
our vision store in Queensland, a chat with a blind
(00:55):
and low vision tennis player, and a wrap up of
this month's issue of Foyer information, otherwise known as FYI.
So without further ado, let's get straight into it. I
hope you enjoy this episode of Talking Vision. We kick
off the show this week with Maureen O'Reilly from the
(01:18):
Vision Australia library. I started off my chat with Maureen
by asking her if she's got some info up her
sleeve about the upcoming events from the library.
S3 (01:29):
I do indeed. We have a very busy October and November.
We're just barrelling on towards the end of the year,
making sure we get as many programs and events in
as we can.
S2 (01:40):
I understand there's an event coming up very shortly on
October the 8th. Maureen.
S3 (01:47):
There is indeed, and this one's from your neck of
the woods, actually. It is involving one of the volunteers
from Vision Australia Radio and it's Meet Your Vision Australia
library narrators. So this was a new program that we
introduced this year. We had Marilyn earlier in the year,
and in October we're going to be interviewing Richard Bly.
(02:09):
So it'll be heaps of fun. Based on the last
interview that we had, people get to meet this, uh,
voice that they spend all their evenings and weekends with,
listening to them narrate these gorgeous audiobooks, and then they
get to find out the story about the person behind
that voice. So it's sort of like an opportunity to
(02:30):
meet a best friend that you don't fully know. And
then once we've had our lovely chat with Richard, he's
actually going to treat us to a 20 minute live
reading of his favorite book. So normally he's told what
he has to narrate for the library, and on this
occasion he gets to choose his own. So he is
(02:53):
going to be reading Victory City by Salman Rushdie.
S2 (02:57):
Oh, what a treat. Now that's something to definitely look
forward to for sure. And, um, Maureen, understand there's a
children's webinar coming up a little while later on in October.
S3 (03:13):
There is indeed on the 22nd of October, we have
the Australian Children's Laureate, Sally rippin joining us. So many
of your listeners would remember that we partnered with Sally
last year in Book Week, and we did a wonderful
event with our younger, um, children with blindness and low vision.
(03:34):
This year is a very different event. So this is
actually based in Warrnambool down the coast of what would
that be? That would be.
S2 (03:44):
South west.
S3 (03:45):
Coast, south western. Thank you Victoria. And there is an
actual storytime with Sally. But after that there was also
a webinar which is a panel discussion on dyslexia. So
it's Sally is a laureate theme is all kids can
be readers. And this is a panel discussion which will
(04:06):
focus on the challenges and the triumphs experienced by children
and families living with dyslexia. So we'll be discussing the
support and the resources that are available through many organisations
across the country. And it's a wonderful opportunity for parents, carers, teachers,
really anyone that is interested in supporting people with dyslexia
(04:30):
to come along and learn more from both. Sally, who
is a parent of a child with dyslexia, from Sarah Bloedorn,
who's the manager of the Vision Australia library, and we
support a lot of children with dyslexia. And then we
have a third guest as well with lived experience. And
this discussion will be facilitated by Marianne Varg at the
(04:52):
Warrnambool Library. So anyone that's actually in the vicinity of
Warrnambool is more than welcome to turn up, but we
will be live streaming it online as well.
S2 (05:02):
Excellent. And the fun doesn't stop there, Maureen. There's also
some other events coming up later in the year in November.
A couple of great, really exciting things to look forward to.
S3 (05:17):
Well, we have our final writing program for the year.
I cannot believe the year is winding up already. It seems.
S2 (05:23):
Like scary. Oh my God.
S3 (05:25):
Well, it's.
S2 (05:25):
All.
S3 (05:26):
Christmas presents.
S2 (05:27):
And you have to. Yeah, exactly. Oh my God.
S3 (05:30):
So our final writing program is crime fiction writing. So
crime fiction is one of the most popular genres within
the Vision Australia library. So I'm working with the premise
that if people like to read crime fiction, maybe they'll
like to write it as well. So we have a
new facilitator who's joining us from Writers Victoria, and she's
(05:53):
going to run a four week program for us, which
is focused on how to write a successful crime fiction novel.
So that's going to be hugely fun. It will run
on the fifth and the 12th and the 19th of
November and then the 3rd of December. So it's an
online course. It's a free course for all our library members.
(06:15):
So I really encourage anyone that has been thinking about
enrolling in a writing course, thinking about putting pen to
paper or fingertips to keyboards to bite the bullet and go, yep,
this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to
get some skills and some knowledge and some motivation, and
that will give you something to do over the summer break.
S2 (06:35):
Wonderful, great four part program there. It's very exciting to
hear about, so look forward to hearing a bit more
about that one. Now finally, Maureen, there's a very special
guest that the library has been able to get in
touch with who's going to be presenting their own event.
S3 (06:56):
That is correct. We have our final in conversation for
the year. There's a lot of finals and this is
with Dave Steel, the blind poet. Now, many of our
listeners would know, Dave, if they're interested in poetry. He
is quite famous, I would say in the UK, but
also in the US and Australia. He's recently had a
(07:20):
special that ran on the BBC about him, so he
is quite phenomenal really. He has RP, so he was
diagnosed in 2014, and since his diagnosis, Dave has tirelessly
advocated for the rights of blind and low vision people
(07:40):
across the world. And his collaborative work that he's done
with global brands across the world has earned him so
much recognition and awards and notoriety, and really driving that
global conversation about blindness and disability. So what he's achieved
has just been phenomenal. But for his own, I suppose,
(08:02):
mental well-being and as a, I suppose, a therapeutic outlet
for himself. Dave turned to writing poetry. So he wasn't
a poet beforehand. He was actually a musician, and he
has written at least three anthologies, and they're very much
a well-being tool where he has been able to channel
(08:24):
his thoughts and his emotions, the rollercoaster that he's been
through over the last 11 years. So his three poetry
anthologies were number one bestsellers, both in Australia and the US.
And then more recently, his son has also been diagnosed
with RP and loosely based on his son's story, Dave
(08:46):
has written. Or he's commenced a series of books called
Austin's Amazing Adventures. So his first book, The Big Test,
follows a visually impaired boy named Austin navigating the challenges
of a mainstream school, and that's been hugely successful. And
then the sequel, The Unstoppable Duo, was just released in September.
(09:09):
So this is a whole series of books that Dave
is writing, which is very much about supporting his son
and also educating the world and younger members of mainstream
schools about being friends with and studying alongside and living
with people with a disability. So he really is just
(09:29):
an amazingly motivational person to listen to. And we're very,
very privileged to have secured him for our final in conversation.
S2 (09:38):
Well, that sounds wonderful. That and all those events there.
Lots to look forward to for people out there. And
if you'd like to find out a little bit more
about that or any of those other events or more broadly,
what the Vision Australia Library is up to and can
(09:58):
offer you or somebody you know. Maureen, what's the best
way for people to find out more and get in
touch with the Vision Australia library?
S3 (10:08):
Well, probably the best way initially is to go to
our website, which is Vision Australia. All of our events
are posted on the WhatsApp section there so that people
can see what's coming up, see what would interest them.
But we also have a lot of news items that
(10:29):
are up there. So there's a news item that's just
been uploaded which focuses on how to curate your bookshelf.
So how to make sure that the books that are
being sent to your bookshelf are actually ones that really
match your interests. There's also reading lists that are up there.
So we just put a new one up for Halloween.
So that's full of a whole lot of quite horrific
(10:51):
horror stories that would keep me awake at night. And
there's always news items that are being uploaded, whether there
are reading lists or whether it's links to our webinar
on reading tools or writing tools. So many things for people.
And if they want to know more about actually joining
the library or how to register for these events, they
(11:14):
can always phone us on one 354 56.
S2 (11:20):
That's 1300 654 656. Or if you'd like to email the library,
you can get in touch through library at Vienna, Austria.
That's library at Austria. I've been speaking today with Maureen O'Reilly,
(11:41):
community engagement coordinator from the Vision Australia Library. I'm Sam
Colley and you're listening to Talking Vision on Vision Australia Radio,
associated Stations of Disability Media Australia and the Community Radio Network.
(12:04):
I hope you enjoyed that conversation there with Maureen from
the library. If you missed any part of that chat
with Maureen or you'd love to hear it again. Talking
vision is available on the podcast app of your choice
or through the Vision Australia library. We'll continue now with
Kayla Everingham from the Vision Store in Queensland. I started
(12:28):
my conversation with Kayla by asking her about the upcoming
Community Inclusion Expo that Vision Australia will be attending.
S4 (12:38):
Yeah that's right. So on Saturday the 11th of October
from 2 to 5 p.m.. Vision Australia is going to
be taking part in the Community Inclusion Expo. That's prior
to the blind Australian of the Year Awards, which are
run by Link Vision. Which Vision Australia is sponsoring this year?
S2 (12:58):
Excellent. And um, what sort of involvement will Vision Australia
be having at the Community Inclusion Expo? What sort of
things can people expect if they head along and come
and visit the Vision Australia store?
S4 (13:14):
Yeah. So we are one of many stallholders. So the
free events designed to celebrate diversity, promote accessibility and showcase
many organisations making a difference in people's local communities. So
with Vision Australia we are going to be there representing
the store and a number of our services and get
(13:35):
the word out about blindness and low vision. Give the
opportunity for people to check out some of the products
we'll have on display, and also just answer any questions
that people might have about what we do, who we are,
and how we can help as well. If they have
a loved one or a family member or friend or themselves,
have low vision and haven't experienced anything that Vision Australia
(13:57):
has to offer yet.
S2 (13:58):
And Kayla, what sort of equipment and devices can people
expect to be able to check out through Vision Australia
and the Vision store?
S4 (14:09):
Yeah, so we'll have a range of products on display
at the event itself, and we'll be able to take
people who might not be familiar with the kinds of
products we can assist with and what kind of categories
they cover. So we've got things that make items bigger, brighter, bolder, braille,
tactile and talking. So we can give people a bit
(14:32):
of a small look into the very wide range of
equipment that's available to view in all of our vision
stores nationally.
S2 (14:39):
And Kayla, you'll be one of the people representing Vision
Australia on the day. But I understand there's going to
be quite a team of you there. So quite a
few different parts of the organization represented. What sort of
people can people come and have a chat to? What
parts of Vision Australia are we going to have represented
(15:00):
up there on the day?
S4 (15:01):
Yeah, so we will have myself and some of my
teammates in the vision store department. Their names are Ruby
and Eliza will also be having Jason representing the Vision
Australia radio team there to talk about services as well.
And we will cover for the Vision store team will
cover product questions, demonstrations and also talk about our services
(15:27):
as well.
S2 (15:28):
But some Jason Gibbs, a familiar voice for people out there,
you might have heard his voice on Talking Vision or
elsewhere on the Vision Australia radio network, so definitely come
have a chat with him and find out a little
bit more about Vision Australia Radio. But of course you
can talk to Kayla and Ruby and Eliza and the
team and find out just what the Vision store can
(15:51):
offer for yourself or somebody you know who is experiencing
blindness or low vision now. Following on from that expo,
as you've mentioned, Kayla, the Blind Australian of the year
awards are coming up. So tell us a little bit
about the awards for people who may not be aware.
S4 (16:11):
Yeah, so I'm very excited to go to these awards myself.
This will be the first year that I'm attending as
a spectator too, so I'm very interested and excited to
hear about all of the people who are nominated. But
from my understanding of previous visits, that Vision Australia team
members of mine have had, it's a really great event,
(16:32):
recognising the efforts of everyone who's nominated and of course
the winner. But everything that they have achieved in their
personal and professional lives and the ways that they excel
above all the rest in everything that they've kind of
chosen to do, curricular or extracurricular as well.
S2 (16:50):
Right. Okay. So you're heading along and who else has
got the fun opportunity, the privilege to head alongside with you?
Or is that the whole team or just, um, a
couple of you?
S4 (17:03):
Yeah. So all of us who people are able to
meet at the expo itself will also be sticking around
to go to the awards, and then we'll be joined
by some of our other colleagues from Peru who will
be of attendance as well.
S2 (17:18):
Kayla Everingham, their vision store support officer from the Vision
Australia office in Queensland. Next up we'll hear from B4
tennis player Sarah Pollard, who's here to chat to us
about an upcoming common Try day in Geelong. I started
(17:40):
off my conversation with Sarah by asking her to give
us an overview of blind and low vision tennis.
S1 (17:47):
So Blind and Low Vision tennis is a modified version
of tennis, and it exists in several formats. So depending
on your level of vision loss, it depends on how
much the game has been modified. So across the blind
spots categories from B1 to B4, different variations happen depending
on your level of vision loss. So for me I
play in the B4 category, which means that I get
(18:08):
one bounce with the tennis ball and the court I
play on is slightly smaller for some of the participants
that play B1, so those that are legally blind and similar,
they play with three bounces. I believe on a much
more modified court, with tactile markers on the floor to
allow people to orientate their ways around the court, and
then between B1 and B4, there's variations that reflect being
(18:30):
able to be successful in tennis and the number of
bounces that happen during the sport as well.
S2 (18:35):
I'm interested to hear a bit about yourself, Sarah. How
long have you been playing blind and Low vision tennis.
S1 (18:42):
I've been playing blind and low vision tennis since the
start of this year. So at the start of 2025,
so coming up to just under a year now.
S2 (18:49):
How did you find out about blind and Low vision tennis.
How did that sort of all come about?
S1 (18:55):
Um, truthfully, I, I can't remember is the honest answer
to that, but I think it might have been through
some marketing or some kind of advertisement through Blind and
Sports Recreation Victoria. I saw the flyer for the tennis. Um,
I don't live too far away from tennis world, and
I thought I'd head down and and give it a
try in Melbourne.
S2 (19:12):
Fantastic. And, um, today we're here to talk about a
come and try day taking place down in Geelong over
the next little while. So tell us a little bit about, um,
that one.
S1 (19:27):
So there's a come and try day for blind and
low vision tennis in Lara on the 12th of October. Um,
anyone is welcome. Um, both people with vision loss, their
support crew, um, children, adults, everyone, come on down. And
the aim is it doesn't matter if you've played sports
or not before. Um, it's very much. Come give it
a go. Come down. Try it out. Try something new.
(19:48):
All you need really is some comfy clothes and a
can do attitude. And maybe some water. And the rest,
some really useful quality coaches will come down and help
you out with.
S2 (19:57):
Let's get. Just to recap the, um, date and time
for people there and, um, where the event will be
taking place.
S1 (20:06):
So the, um, come and try event is at Lara
Tennis Club, um, which will be on Sunday the 12th
of October. It begins at 10 a.m. and it'll go
through to 12 p.m..
S2 (20:15):
Okay. Perfect. And in terms of how people can make
their way to the Lara Tennis Club on the day.
What's the best way for people to get there by
public transport or those sort of things.
S1 (20:31):
Perfect. So Lara Tennis Club is a short walk from
Lara train station. So for those that are connected on
a V line service, people should be able to access
it via train, and then a short walk or other
kind of driving options were available as well. And there's
parking at the event.
S2 (20:45):
I understand there's also quite a bit of a social
element to the tennis event. It's not just tennis. People
will be able to catch up and have a bit
of a barbecue afterwards. That sounds pretty cool.
S1 (20:59):
Yeah. So once you've worked hard playing tennis with us,
come down and give it a go. There will be
a barbecue lunch provided afterwards, so a nice chance to socialise,
meet other people, have a chat about the sport. There's
some outstanding volunteers and participants that are already involved in
the tennis program that are very welcoming and are more
than willing to chat to you and help you out,
get you excited about tennis, if that's what you enjoy.
S2 (21:19):
All right, and speaking of getting in touch with people
and having a chat and finding out a bit more
about blind and low vision tennis. Sarah, what's the best
way for people to register and get in touch with
the appropriate people.
S1 (21:37):
Perfect. So we have two options. Um, if you would
like to register your interest for the event, the best
place to do that is to book online on the website.
Try booking and it should land you on the page
where you can register for the event. Uh, failing that,
you can contact Rachel who is overseeing the event and
her mobile number is 0493 105 800.
S2 (22:05):
And that was Sarah Pollard there before tennis player attending
the upcoming Come and Try day at Lara Tennis Club
on the 12th of October. And last but by no
means least, Liz Dulcoease is back with a flyer information update.
(22:31):
I started off by chatting to Liz about World Sight
Day coming up on October 9th and the excitement building
up around the day. A big day in the blind
and low vision calendar.
S5 (22:44):
Yeah, Eddie is. You're right Sam, it's such an important day,
especially for our blind, low vision community. It's on Thursday,
October 9th, and it's a time where people around the
world come together to celebrate World Sight Day. The global
event will raise awareness about blindness and low vision, and
it just encourages communities to take action for better eye health.
The theme this year is to love your eyes, and
(23:06):
it's just a reminder to protect the value and prioritize
our sight, because healthy eyes just help us see a
brighter future.
S2 (23:13):
Absolutely do. And um, in some NDIS news, Liz, I
understand there's been a press conference recently from the minister.
S5 (23:23):
Yeah there has. Sam. So we know there's just so
much happening with the NDIS right now. And there's a
lot of information overload out there and NDIS Minister Jenny
McAllister says that we've come to an important moment and
it's time will help to define the future of the NDIS.
So within the client newsletter there's a link that you
(23:44):
can read where she talks about funding pressures and long
term reforms that are on the table and the decisions
made now that will have lasting impacts on participants, families
and their providers. So it's just it's a good one
to listen to.
S2 (23:58):
Um, a lot of very important information there. So yeah,
definitely check that one out for sure. And Liz, there's
some exciting news in the world of eye research in
regards to a camera that can do something very, very
important for people out there.
S5 (24:16):
Yeah. Through our collaboration with the centre for Eye Research Australia,
who we have all come to know as Sarah, we
have learnt that in one of their Australian studies, there
is an automated AI camera that can detect diabetic eye
diseases and have a 93% accuracy. And even more impressive,
it works outside of a specialist eye clinic.
S2 (24:39):
Whoa.
S5 (24:39):
It's just it's so cool.
S2 (24:41):
Yeah. That's incredible.
S5 (24:43):
Yeah, it's, you know, you can learn about AI for
the eyes. It's just so cool.
S2 (24:48):
Yeah. Certainly is. Absolutely.
S5 (24:50):
I mean, within the newsletter, I have a click of
the link and then discover how this amazing technology works
and what it can mean for the future of eye care.
S2 (24:58):
Absolutely. And Liz, I understand there's some karaweik info coming
up for people out there.
S5 (25:07):
Yeah, we at Vision Australia are very excited to be
joining a panel with Miss Plus and Carer Gateway for
a special Carers Week webinar. So totally online on Tuesday
the 14th of October. So it's a free session and
we'll feature carers, family members, supporters and people with lived
experiences sharing their stories and insights. So it will be
(25:29):
a panel discussion, and it will talk about services that
help to promote well-being and practical strategies for balancing responsibilities
with self-care. Spaces are pretty limited, so don't miss out
on this one. It will be such an interesting conversation
for sure.
S2 (25:43):
And finally, Liz, there's a White Cane Day walk coming
up on White Cane Day. Surprisingly.
S5 (25:51):
Yeah. Funny that.
S2 (25:52):
Yeah.
S5 (25:53):
So October's such a big month for the blind low
vision community because it's on October 15th is White Cane Day,
and this year Vision Australia are doing a White Cane
Day walk. It's a special event that shines a light
on independence, inclusion and the importance of accessibility for people
who are blind or have low vision so we can
all come together, walk together, show our support and be
(26:15):
part of the movement that's trying to make a difference.
S2 (26:18):
And that was the latest stories there from Liz Dalla Carus,
editor of For Your Information, otherwise known as FII. And
that's all the time we have for today. You've been
listening to Talking Vision. Talking vision is a Vision Australia
radio production. Thanks to all involved with putting the show
(26:40):
together every week. And remember, we love hearing from you.
So please get in touch anytime on our email at
Talking Vision Australia. That's talking vision all one word at
Vision Australia. But until next week it's Sam Coley saying
bye for now.
S6 (27:03):
You can contact Vision Australia by phoning us anytime during
business hours on one 308 4746. That's one 384 74
six or by visiting Vision Australia. That's Vision Australia.
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