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S2: So today we have an interview with Andy Poetschka ,
S2: who uses she/her pronouns, has Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy and uses a walking stick to get around.
S2: She lives on the central coast of New South Wales,
S2: has a bachelor's degree in communication majoring in journalism from
S2: Newcastle University. His passion for radio has her own show
S2: called Thank andie it's Friday on her local community station,
S2: Coastal FM 96.3. Her dream is get into the commercial sector one day.
S2: So you.
S3: Yes. Nice to meet you.
S2: And you have a bachelor's degree in communication majoring in
S2: journalism from Newcastle University, Australia. And you also work in
S2: radio and you have your own show called Thank Andy,
S2: It's Friday on the local community station. Most of them.
S3: Yes, that's right.
S2: And you plan on going into the commercial sector one day? Yes.
S2: So you have community radio and have your own show
S2: on local station. Tell us about your show and what
S2: you love about it.
S3: So my show, it started when I was about 14,
S3: when I moved to the Central Coast from Sydney and
S3: I didn't have any outlet. So basically I started volunteering
S3: at the station and did all the training and then
S3: eventually I got into doing. Thank you, Andy. It's Friday,
S3: which is basically it's pop culture based. The station was
S3: very sort of easy listening, but after 6 p.m., which
S3: is when my shift is it caters to different audiences.
S3: And so mine, my show is basically pop culture based.
S3: It's about, you know, the newest emerging artists, things that are,
S3: you know, top 40, so celebrity news movies, you know,
S3: things that people sort of 18 to 35 would really enjoy.
S3: And above that as well. I just love it because
S3: it allows me to be creative. And, you know, they
S3: my listeners know I have a disability, but I don't
S3: talk about it too much and I can just be myself.
S3: And and that's a really great thing. It's just me
S3: connecting with people on a really personal level and just
S3: having fun. I get to go to I go to
S3: concerts and sort of, you know, take a few photos
S3: and review the concert and talk about what's going on
S3: in the world. And I just really love it.
S2: And it says, you know, well, this is a community
S2: radio show you're doing, but it says you wish to
S2: go into the commercial sector one day. The commercial sector,
S2: of course, is not as friendly as a lot of
S2: community broadcasting as I have found out. And I had
S2: actually been knocked back a few times. Do you find
S2: the commercial sector is going to be a very big
S2: jump for you? Do you think the commercial sector is
S2: going to be accessible? Do you think they're going to
S2: put in what they can to make it accessible for
S2: you and to take on your skills?
S3: I would really hope so. I've done a couple of
S3: like work experience things. As you know, as a result
S3: of uni, I went and did a work experience in
S3: Newcastle at a commercial station. I think it will be
S3: a big jump. I think it will be difficult and
S3: I'm not really sure whether they will. Hopefully they will
S3: make it accessible, but if they don't, I'm happy to
S3: really fight for it because it's been a dream of
S3: mine for the last ten years to eventually get into
S3: the commercial sector. It's not going to be easy. It's
S3: going to be really hard. But you know, I'm no
S3: stranger to adversity, so I'm happy to keep fighting to
S3: get what I want. I would like to be eventually.
S2: And so in the commercial sector, where do you actually
S2: wish to be? What would be your absolute dream and goal?
S2: What would be the ultimate role for you in the
S2: commercial sector that would bring you? You've done it.
S3: My ultimate goal would be on would be breakfast radio
S3: and being one of those personalities. I mean, I am
S3: one of my absolute idols is and Marciano in the
S3: radio industry and to be able to, you know, have
S3: a show of of me and a couple of other
S3: people just bouncing things off each other and having a
S3: really great time, you know, it's going to be early hours.
S3: But the absolute ultimate dream would be breakfast radio and
S3: having people wake up every morning and tuning in, as
S3: well as a little bit of a pep in their
S3: step for the day. That would be my absolute dream, really.
S2: And do you think that your disability has created barriers
S2: to get there?
S3: And I think it has it has created barriers in
S3: in life. I'm not entirely sure if it has created
S3: barriers in the radio industry. I think there will be
S3: because I think as applying for any job, there are
S3: times where people see my disability before they see the
S3: brains and the rest of me um m Yeah, I
S3: think that probably will be. I can't really pinpoint what
S3: they what they are. I think it'll just be a
S3: matter of seeing, you know, the person as opposed to
S3: the disability, which when it comes to jobs, in the
S3: past I've struggled, I've struggled. But I think, you know,
S3: the radio industry is very difficult for anyone to get into,
S3: you know, able bodied or disabled. So will my disability
S3: make it harder? I think it will be it will
S3: make it harder. But I'm again, still really willing to
S3: fight to get there, essentially.
S2: So you have cerebral palsy and a passion about being
S2: a voice of the community. What do you want other
S2: people to know?
S3: Well, cerebral palsy. I want them to know that it
S3: doesn't mean that people with cerebral palsy can't live very
S3: fulfilling lives. I was always taught to, you know, be treated.
S3: I know the word normal isn't really a thing anymore, but,
S3: you know, to approach life as, you know, if you
S3: can't do things one way, you can do things another way. And,
S3: you know, just because we have cerebral palsy doesn't mean
S3: we don't have the same aspirations, the same dreams as
S3: as an able bodied person. You know, we can still
S3: be loved. You know, we can still have meaningful relationships
S3: and partners. And we are very employable. We want to work.
S3: We want to contribute to the community. And if we
S3: want help, we'll tell you, you know, but but we
S3: are regular people , you know, on the inside. Just
S3: because our bodies may not work the same way as
S3: everybody else's, we can still live very fulfilling lives and
S3: do whatever we want to do. We just may have
S3: to find a new way of doing it to get
S3: around our limitations, essentially.
S2: So my Internet, my thing just unplugged. So accessibility in
S2: the media industry is a very big topic. And you're
S2: specifically going into radio, which a lot of people think
S2: to be a dying industry. How would you view radio
S2: as an industry that is probably not going to be
S2: around in the next maybe even ten, 20, 30 years?
S3: I, I think I understand why they think it's dying,
S3: but I think it's more of a changing industry as
S3: opposed to dying. We may not do it the same
S3: way in ten, 20, 30 years, but now we have podcasting.
S3: I think I think it's changing from the sort of analog,
S3: for lack of a better word, into the digital age.
S3: So we have Spotify, we have podcasting, we have, you know,
S3: lots of different avenues to go on. And, you know,
S3: a lot of radio's they have apps to access. You know,
S3: for my radio show, for instance, I have a lot
S3: of people who are in Sydney. And so when I
S3: listen to you, but I can't get you when I say,
S3: you know, go to go to the apps in or
S3: any sort of radio app, I think I think it's changing,
S3: but I don't think it will ever die because, you know,
S3: advertising is still going to be a thing. So people
S3: are going to still need voiceovers. They're still going to
S3: need people to voice their ads. Music is something that
S3: will never, ever die. And and topics that need to
S3: be talked about are not going to die. So people
S3: are still going to get behind a mic. It just
S3: may not be in a studio or in the traditional
S3: way that we that we know it. I think, you know,
S3: I think it's changing into the digital age. But is
S3: it going to die? I really hope it won't. And
S3: I don't think it will. I think it's just going
S3: to change into a different being, for lack of a
S3: better way of putting it.
S2: So how do you feel about the accessibility of the
S2: media industry as a disabled young person? Do you find
S2: that the media industry is accessible to you, particularly the
S2: radio industry?
S3: The radio industry? I feel is very at the moment
S3: it is accessible. In especially in the community sector, you know,
S3: I was always welcomed and I always feel like when
S3: I get behind that, Mike, I can be myself. I
S3: can see how the media industry, you know, it can,
S3: it can, it can seem like it isn't accessible. And
S3: I think there are there is there are improvements to
S3: be made, But I think we'll get there. I think
S3: I think every industry has has parts that are inaccessible.
S3: But I think especially with the digital age and there's
S3: so many different ways that people can can access it.
S3: And I think I think because especially people don't see
S3: my disability because they just hear my voice, whether it
S3: be I think, you know, I wanted to be in
S3: the TV industry when I was younger. I think that
S3: would be a more difficult industry to get into because
S3: I am disabled and I walk different. And you know,
S3: there are parts of me like I look a little
S3: bit different when I walk and I think that would
S3: freak people out a bit if I jumped on the
S3: TV on the TV. I would love to see, you know,
S3: a news anchor or a, you know, reporter or something
S3: who who did have a disability because that was something
S3: that I always wanted to do.
S2: Have you ever considered going into maybe podcasting or voicing
S2: voiceovers or something that is lost similar skills to radio,
S2: but not actually radio?
S3: Yes, I have. I would love to do. But I've
S3: actually done a couple of commercials for for my local
S3: community station that I that I have my show on.
S3: And I have done a couple of courses in voiceover.
S3: I think podcasting is fabulous. I would love to do that.
S3: That's something that I just have to get the courage
S3: up to start doing, essentially. But I would love to
S3: do that.
S2: So I'm also in community radio and I have been
S2: for about four years now. I have attempted to break
S2: into the the commercial and public funded broadcasting for the
S2: ABC and SBS and also some commercial shows like KISS
S2: and the whatnot. Every time I've attempted, I actually have
S2: not been able to get a job. I had one
S2: graduate job that I tried, but I didn't get into it.
S2: Even though the actual media major is not radio or
S2: media at all, it's actually theatre.
S3: Oh, that would be awesome.
S2: Yeah, that's also another industry that I feel much like.
S2: Radio is also changing a lot and has been sort
S2: of making itself more appear more accessible, but in reality
S2: is still preferencing people who are not disabled. A lot
S2: of jobs now ask for accessibility requirements and in my
S2: opinion that is just a big thing to say, oh,
S2: disability accessibility and then just going to throw away application.
S2: That's how I feel. We actually do these interviews completely live.
S2: Oh wow. Do you do live broadcasting or do you
S2: do pre-recorded broadcasting mainly live?
S3: I mean, if I know that I can't be there
S3: one night, then I might do a pre-record. But very
S3: rarely will I do a pre-record. Most of the time
S3: I will do live. But I'm also part of I
S3: thought this might be cool too. I'm part of the show.
S3: I'm I'm a guest on a show that is dedicated
S3: to use and disability on on the station as well,
S3: which that's pre-recorded, but my show is predominantly live.
S2: Do you feel that pre-recorded broadcasting is going absolutely change
S2: the landscape because during the pandemic almost all the shows
S2: were pre-recorded. Do you think that that is something that
S2: you believe should be kept? I found pre-recording much more
S2: accessible for a lot of our guests and also convenience
S2: as well, because they don't have to come to the
S2: studio at a certain time. They can do it in
S2: their own time and should not go with their schedules.
S3: I think I think it makes it more accessible. And
S3: it also probably would make the guests feel a bit
S3: more comfortable. I know when I've been a guest on shows,
S3: if I know it's pre-recorded, then I go, okay, I
S3: don't have to justify my mistake. Then I don't have
S3: to stress as much, but I really enjoy live as well.
S3: So I think that that I think that, you know,
S3: I really wish that I hope that that live is
S3: kept as well. But during the times that we're in,
S3: you know, if you'd asked me this three years ago,
S3: I would have said live is 100% better. But in
S3: the climate that we're in, I think pre-recorded is is
S3: a very valuable asset to to have and it does
S3: make things a lot more accessible. I'm not a big
S3: fan of it myself in terms of my show because
S3: I'm terrible at audio editing. But, but it does make
S3: things a lot more accessible and, and, you know, probably
S3: makes the guests feel a little bit more comfortable and
S3: the people presenting as well. But I think it will
S3: be kept. I think I think it will be kept,
S3: especially with the climate working with isolations and garbage that
S3: kind of stuff. I think it's very useful for things
S3: like that. But then I also really enjoy live as well.
S3: So I think both of them have their place.
S2: So when you apply for jobs, your disability is a
S2: visible disability. So people, you know, you walk into the
S2: job interview, people can tell that you are disabled, but
S2: someone like me, I if I wanted to, was I
S2: personally said it was there to be a visible disability.
S2: There is no doubt about it being visible. It is.
S2: I'm very personal on that issue of being what disability?
S2: If I were to have kept the secret walk into
S2: job interviews would is completely change my life. It'll be
S2: a completely different people wouldn't even know. But I don't
S2: really feel safe keeping it under wraps. I think that
S2: it is important for me to tell people that I
S2: have skills. I just don't feel comfortable going around perpetuating
S2: the idea that autism must be kept secret. How do
S2: you feel about going into job interviews? You tell people
S2: that you have autism or do you keep it a secret?
S3: Um.
S2: Okay. Tell people you have cerebral palsy or do you
S2: keep it a secret?
S3: Well, I, I tend to tell people straight away simply because,
S3: I mean, you can say it straight off. So so
S3: I mean, I'm very lucky to be in the current
S3: job that I'm in because I'm very, you know, I'm
S3: very accepted. And and, you know, that didn't really it
S3: wasn't an issue. But I have had job interviews in
S3: the past where people have looked me up and down
S3: and I write and I put it on my resume.
S3: So it's not staring them in the face. But when
S3: I come up to the job interview, you know, they'll
S3: see it. And then I will say, you know, okay,
S3: you know, you've noticed that I have a walking stick.
S3: This is because I have cerebral, cerebral palsy. And it
S3: it you know, it doesn't stop me. My brain is
S3: still very switched on. I'm very intelligent. But I wanted
S3: you to know I have cerebral palsy because, you know,
S3: when people first meet me, they can be quite confronted.
S3: And I have had people kind of there was one
S3: job interview I had years ago that I walked in
S3: and the guy looked me up and down and I
S3: wanted to walk straight out because his reaction was, Oh. Oh, okay.
S3: You know, he was really shocked. So. So I don't
S3: put it on my résumé. Because I don't feel like
S3: I should have to. But when I have a job interview,
S3: I will say straight up, unless it's unless I'm applying
S3: for something in the disability sector, which I have done before,
S3: that I will put on my resume. Look, I've had
S3: lived experience with disability as I have CP. So it's
S3: so it actually becomes something that is beneficial for the job. But,
S3: you know, I don't put on my resume, but when
S3: I go in there, I will briefly touched on it.
S3: I don't talk about it too much because I don't
S3: want it to be the only thing they se. But
S3: that's the issue that I've had in the past, that people,
S3: once they, you know, they think my résumé and my
S3: cover letter is great. And then I get there and they
S3: see me and they sort of you can tell that
S3: they're internally having a little bit of a panic because
S3: they've obviously never employed someone with a disability before, and
S3: I don't know how to handle it, which I really
S3: wish that would change because we are very willing to
S3: work and very willing to go above and beyond and
S3: do the job. And we're intelligent people. So, you know,
S3: that's something that in the employment sector, I think that
S3: that needs to become more accessible.
S2: I like to boast that I have a the Bachelor of Arts and Monash University, amazing theatre, and
S2: then also in history and also in Minored in German.
S2: I am probably more qualified than most able bodied people
S2: and that's all I want to say to the world.
S3: That exactly, that's the thing. When they, when they wanted
S3: to chuck in sort of a maccas job years ago,
S3: and I'd sit there and go, I have a bachelor's
S3: degree in communications, I'm probably more qualified than most of
S3: the other clients. You're like, you know, give me a
S3: job that's going to stimulate me and and help me
S3: use my brain, you know, because I want to use
S3: it and I want to work and I want to
S3: make a difference in the world. And I'm finally in
S3: a job where I could do that. But it took
S3: a long time to get there because people just was like, okay,
S3: she's got a disability. We'll put we'll put her in a,
S3: you know, call center or a Macca's Job job or a
S3: drive thru job or a shop assistant or something. And
S3: I'd sit there and I'd go, I've studied for years
S3: at university. I've done all the courses. You know, I,
S3: I have a lot of qualifications and I want to
S3: make a difference. Look, a meaningful difference in the world.
S3: I don't want to just fade into the background and
S3: I never have, you know, ever since I was a kid,
S3: I always used to be in the spotlight on the stage,
S3: doing theater, doing singing, doing whatever. But that. Dream of
S3: being in theater or an actress. That would be another
S3: thing that I've always wanted to do. But then I thought, okay, well,
S3: they're not going to fit that if you get it.
S3: If you if you get anything at all, they're not
S3: going to film you below the waist because of the
S3: way you walk. And that was something that that I
S3: had to come to terms with. There's no I think
S3: there was one of my friends was like, well, there's
S3: no place for people like you in in theater or
S3: in in film. So I went to radio instead. But
S3: I really wish that they they would even like they
S3: would have, you know, more actors and actresses that that
S3: were disabled, you know, just so that we could. We
S3: could act and do all the things that we wanted
S3: to do. I didn't think I was good enough talking
S3: about this, but I just thought about it from when
S3: I was a kid and I wanted to do all
S3: these different things. And then I had to come to
S3: terms with the fact that there's no way you're going
S3: to be doing that because of what you've got, really.
S3: So I really wish that it would be more accessible.
S2: I've got two stories that I'm probably going to share.
S2: This one is when I was you know, when I
S2: did drama, this is about it is as an elective. They
S2: actually forced everyone to do it in year seven eight
S2: at my school, which that's a good idea. My school
S2: had brains at some point and we had this horrible
S2: drama teacher, which no one liked. And I actually was
S2: only there for it because the really good drama teacher
S2: who is a legend also made some sort of leave
S2: long service and she'd been at that school for a
S2: very long time. So she I guess this drama teacher
S2: said to the three people who are disabled in that class.
S2: She just asked all of us and said, You shouldn't
S2: do this next year. You shouldn't do it. It's just
S2: too hard feeling like it's not really necessary. Like I
S2: don't want to be. You're not the judge of my body,
S2: so I'm not to you. If I choose or not
S2: choose to do a class is your responsibility to make
S2: it as accessible as you can. And I think hopefully
S2: she wasn't even the teacher next year. So it wasn't
S2: really an issue. But it's like I now have a
S2: major in drama and I'm probably going to have honors
S2: in it next year. I'm already more qualified than this person, so.
S2: Another story was that when I was in, we went
S2: to the Britain for Holiday Ground 20, and I think
S2: it's about 1516 when it happened and was Stratford upon
S2: Avon and went to the Royal Shakespeare Company, the British,
S2: and we went to see Othello and one of the
S2: lead actresses in it was she only had one arm.
S2: And I was like, That's a disabled actress. The physical difference.
S2: I'm here, one of the famous theaters in the world.
S2: I was like, Maybe I can actually pursue theatre. Maybe
S2: you actually can do all these things like pursue drama.
S2: And I mentioned upstream the schools let me do drama
S2: the next Semester.
S2: Because it was like just saying that just changed the
S2: way I thought about theatre. And then I go to
S2: university and half the people in my class have autism,
S2: and it's like, I've actually never told anyone at my
S2: high school that I had autism until university. And I was like,
S2: Maybe I can actually do this. Maybe it actually that difficult.
S3: That. I love that story so much, and I think
S3: that it would be awesome to have more people with
S3: any disability, but especially a physical one that you can see,
S3: to see that it can be done. You know, because
S3: I had to I remember being young, kind of wanting
S3: to be an actress, you know, when you're seven, eight, nine,
S3: ten years old, I want to be an actress. I
S3: want to be a singer, I want to be all this.
S3: And then I thought, no one's going to you know,
S3: I can't do that because because I have a physical
S3: disability and I still want to do something creative. So
S3: I went into radio and I that's become my my dream.
S3: But I remember when I when acting was my dream
S3: and I was like, well, I can't do that, you know?
S3: And I did do drama until year 12. I loved
S3: I loved being, you know, I did love that. But yeah,
S3: it's it's difficult when you have people telling you you
S3: can't do something. And I'm always one of those people
S3: that as soon as someone tells me I can't do something,
S3: it makes me want to do it even more.