WEBVTT - Talking Vision 782 Week Beginning 26th of May 2025 0:00:13.280 --> 0:00:18.920 From Vision Australia. This is talking vision. And now here's 0:00:18.919 --> 0:00:21.000 your host Sam Colley. 0:00:23.320 --> 0:00:26.520 Hello, everyone. It's great to be here with you. And 0:00:26.520 --> 0:00:29.520 for the next half hour we talk matters of blindness 0:00:29.520 --> 0:00:30.480 and low vision. 0:00:30.480 --> 0:00:32.760 He linked it to his Kindle account, and then Alexa 0:00:32.760 --> 0:00:34.359 was able to pick up the same book that he 0:00:34.360 --> 0:00:37.479 was reading from the same chapter and continue that story 0:00:37.479 --> 0:00:40.239 for him and for him, that little moment was a 0:00:40.239 --> 0:00:43.040 life changing support to say, you know, there are still 0:00:43.040 --> 0:00:45.440 ways that the way that you had lived your life, 0:00:45.440 --> 0:00:47.839 we can help you continue to live that with independence 0:00:47.839 --> 0:00:50.800 and I suppose, dignity as well. So for me, in 0:00:50.800 --> 0:00:53.080 my job at what makes me feel good, going to 0:00:53.120 --> 0:00:55.840 work every day knowing that it's the little things that 0:00:55.840 --> 0:00:59.160 can actually have a monumental impact on someone's life. 0:00:59.160 --> 0:01:02.800 Welcome to the program. This week we're joined by two 0:01:02.800 --> 0:01:07.680 very special guests from Amazon, Gina and Kate, who are 0:01:07.680 --> 0:01:11.600 here to chat to us about their recent experiences at 0:01:11.600 --> 0:01:17.240 a round table conference featuring various discussions around print, disability 0:01:17.440 --> 0:01:21.640 and blindness and low vision, as well as some updates 0:01:21.640 --> 0:01:26.039 that Alexa is looking to roll out to further improve 0:01:26.039 --> 0:01:30.320 the accessibility of the device for people who are blind 0:01:30.319 --> 0:01:35.120 or have low vision. We'll also hear from university student 0:01:35.119 --> 0:01:40.279 and business manager Sammy McComb, who took part in our 0:01:40.280 --> 0:01:44.960 recent Career Path podcast. So make sure to stick around 0:01:44.959 --> 0:01:48.920 to hear from Sammy later in the show. I hope 0:01:48.920 --> 0:01:56.279 you enjoy this week's episode of Talking Vision. Are you 0:01:56.280 --> 0:02:00.160 an Alexa user who is blind or has low vision? Well, 0:02:00.200 --> 0:02:03.960 today we've got a few updates for you from Gina 0:02:03.960 --> 0:02:09.130 Manifold and Kate Goodin with a special focus on accessibility. 0:02:09.330 --> 0:02:14.210 Jenna is the head of strategic partnerships at Alexa International, 0:02:14.450 --> 0:02:19.050 and Kate's the country manager for Amazon Alexa in Australia 0:02:19.050 --> 0:02:22.130 and New Zealand. And it's my great pleasure to be 0:02:22.130 --> 0:02:26.690 joined by them right now. Jenna, Kate, welcome to Talking Vision. 0:02:26.690 --> 0:02:28.330 Thank you very much for your time. 0:02:28.330 --> 0:02:29.730 Thank you for having us. Thank you. 0:02:29.770 --> 0:02:30.770 It's great to be here. 0:02:31.010 --> 0:02:33.650 Let's have a bit of a chat about what you've 0:02:33.650 --> 0:02:37.850 both been up to recently at the Round Table Conference. 0:02:37.890 --> 0:02:40.090 Tell us a bit about what you got up to there. 0:02:40.410 --> 0:02:43.890 Yeah. So the Round Table conference is, you know, specifically 0:02:43.890 --> 0:02:47.850 about people living with print disability. And so our goal 0:02:47.850 --> 0:02:53.250 there was to showcase Alexa, what Alexa is how Alexa works. 0:02:53.250 --> 0:02:56.090 And I think talk a little bit about some everyday 0:02:56.130 --> 0:02:59.130 tips and tricks that Alexa can help people who have 0:02:59.130 --> 0:03:02.890 vision impairment or a print disability feel more empowered and 0:03:02.890 --> 0:03:05.530 more independent, and also provide a little bit of a 0:03:05.650 --> 0:03:10.410 sneak peek about what's coming, as generative AI is revolutionizing 0:03:10.410 --> 0:03:13.370 our world and how that might land with Alexa, and 0:03:13.370 --> 0:03:16.330 what that would mean for people living with print disability. 0:03:16.370 --> 0:03:19.410 Okay. And Kate, did you have anything to add there? 0:03:19.450 --> 0:03:21.770 Yeah, I think it was just a great opportunity for 0:03:21.770 --> 0:03:25.090 us to actually talk to the community one on one 0:03:25.130 --> 0:03:27.610 here a little bit more about how they're using Alexa, 0:03:27.650 --> 0:03:30.050 the things they love, the things that they wish Alexa 0:03:30.050 --> 0:03:32.930 could do or could do better. And then to kind 0:03:32.930 --> 0:03:35.530 of hear about just the independence or lifestyle gaps that 0:03:35.530 --> 0:03:38.330 they have, that they thought that generative AI or more 0:03:38.610 --> 0:03:42.410 advanced Alexa might be able to assist with. And similarly, 0:03:42.450 --> 0:03:44.850 it was really great to see some of the tools 0:03:44.850 --> 0:03:47.970 and the technology that people are using every day in 0:03:47.970 --> 0:03:51.210 these conferences and then to navigate around. So it was 0:03:51.410 --> 0:03:53.810 just a really great opportunity to see how people are 0:03:53.810 --> 0:03:54.850 living and thriving. 0:03:55.090 --> 0:03:58.850 Just for some added context for our listeners out there. 0:03:58.890 --> 0:04:02.010 I'm really keen to get some info from you both 0:04:02.050 --> 0:04:05.770 about what you've been up to lately in your work 0:04:05.810 --> 0:04:10.490 at Amazon in particular. So, Gina, I might start with you. 0:04:10.770 --> 0:04:15.130 Yeah. So my role in strategic partnerships is making sure 0:04:15.130 --> 0:04:19.130 that Alexa here in Australia meets the expectations of our 0:04:19.130 --> 0:04:24.010 Australian community. So that means that everyone's favorite radio station 0:04:24.010 --> 0:04:27.850 is available on Alexa. Also that people who are living 0:04:27.850 --> 0:04:32.490 with some kind of disability find function and utility in 0:04:32.490 --> 0:04:37.130 Alexa and working with accessibility partners like Vision Australia with 0:04:37.130 --> 0:04:42.530 universities to help make these accessibility products more readily available 0:04:42.530 --> 0:04:44.409 and easier to understand. 0:04:44.810 --> 0:04:46.490 Okay, what about yourself? 0:04:46.530 --> 0:04:49.210 Yeah. So I'm the country manager for Alexa in Australia 0:04:49.210 --> 0:04:53.250 and New Zealand. So obviously working super closely with Gina 0:04:53.290 --> 0:04:56.490 on these partnerships and then also working across either the 0:04:56.490 --> 0:05:00.690 broader Amazon business or with our policy teams who are 0:05:00.690 --> 0:05:03.610 working really closely with members of Parliament and sort of 0:05:03.650 --> 0:05:08.740 government teams on the broader opportunity to share a little 0:05:08.780 --> 0:05:11.460 bit more about how Alexa is is helping various members 0:05:11.460 --> 0:05:14.859 of the community. And then I also work with other 0:05:14.860 --> 0:05:18.260 international teams and Alexa, and then also the central teams 0:05:18.260 --> 0:05:22.300 in the US to drive prioritization of new features and 0:05:22.300 --> 0:05:26.260 experiences to Australia so that we can continue to improve 0:05:26.260 --> 0:05:29.660 and evolve our product. For everybody that has one at 0:05:29.660 --> 0:05:32.460 home and perhaps is listening to the show here today. 0:05:32.700 --> 0:05:36.500 Oh, cool. Okay. And Gina, I'd love to come back 0:05:36.500 --> 0:05:40.020 to you and get some feedback that you've received over 0:05:40.020 --> 0:05:43.460 the time about the sort of features that have really 0:05:43.500 --> 0:05:48.660 added value and given independence to people living with blindness 0:05:48.660 --> 0:05:51.740 and low vision. What are the things and experiences that 0:05:51.740 --> 0:05:55.380 people have really benefited from with Alexa and the smart 0:05:55.380 --> 0:05:56.620 speakers like that? 0:05:57.020 --> 0:06:00.740 I think in its most simple form, Alexa is this 0:06:00.780 --> 0:06:03.540 ambient intelligence that is there when you need it, but 0:06:03.540 --> 0:06:06.300 fades into the background when you don't. And the feedback 0:06:06.300 --> 0:06:09.940 we often hear, particularly from an accessibility point, is the 0:06:09.940 --> 0:06:12.180 ease of use. When you just need your voice, you 0:06:12.180 --> 0:06:14.340 can be standing on the other side of the room. 0:06:14.540 --> 0:06:17.539 You don't need to be looking at the device. That 0:06:17.540 --> 0:06:20.580 has made things a lot easier and more seamless, which 0:06:20.580 --> 0:06:24.500 provides independence. But a story that I actually heard from 0:06:24.500 --> 0:06:27.940 a Vision Australia client a little while ago. This man 0:06:27.940 --> 0:06:31.260 was a very avid Kindle reader, loved to read his books, 0:06:31.260 --> 0:06:35.300 and then through an accident became blind quite suddenly. Then, 0:06:35.300 --> 0:06:39.020 once he set up his home with Alexa enabled devices, 0:06:39.500 --> 0:06:41.860 he linked it to his Kindle account. And then Alexa 0:06:41.860 --> 0:06:43.460 was able to pick up the same book that he 0:06:43.460 --> 0:06:47.140 was reading from the same chapter and continue that story 0:06:47.140 --> 0:06:49.900 for him and for him, that little moment was a 0:06:49.900 --> 0:06:52.700 life changing support to say, you know, there are still 0:06:52.700 --> 0:06:55.140 ways that the way that you had lived your life, 0:06:55.140 --> 0:06:57.540 we can help you continue to live that with independence 0:06:57.540 --> 0:07:00.500 and I suppose, dignity as well. So for me, in 0:07:00.500 --> 0:07:02.820 my job at what makes me feel good, going to 0:07:02.860 --> 0:07:05.660 work every day knowing that it's the little things that 0:07:05.660 --> 0:07:08.900 can actually have a monumental impact on someone's life. 0:07:08.940 --> 0:07:12.900 Absolutely. And, Kate, what's been your experience? What have you 0:07:12.940 --> 0:07:17.340 heard from people in the general public and some stories 0:07:17.340 --> 0:07:20.140 and feedback that you've received over the time? 0:07:20.340 --> 0:07:23.020 Yeah. So one of the things that we do every 0:07:23.020 --> 0:07:26.340 week is we read every single review that we get 0:07:26.340 --> 0:07:30.260 for Alexa enabled devices. We read the feedback that people 0:07:30.260 --> 0:07:33.020 send through the app. And so I think it's just 0:07:33.020 --> 0:07:35.900 a regularity. We've got a couple of people who regularly 0:07:35.900 --> 0:07:39.460 leave us feedback about various things. And one of them 0:07:39.460 --> 0:07:42.180 is somebody who's quite funny about trying to get a 0:07:42.180 --> 0:07:45.380 feature on Alexa and just being able to. It feels 0:07:45.380 --> 0:07:48.340 like a great connection with that person. And we've also 0:07:48.340 --> 0:07:50.780 had a lot of feedback from people around some of 0:07:50.860 --> 0:07:53.300 the the show and tell features that are available in 0:07:53.300 --> 0:07:55.900 the US and sort of working to try and get 0:07:55.900 --> 0:07:58.180 them here. And that is something that we hope to 0:07:58.220 --> 0:08:00.660 open up with Alexa Plus and sort of have somebody 0:08:00.660 --> 0:08:02.980 to be able to. I think we had an anecdote 0:08:02.980 --> 0:08:05.710 at one point about somebody who was trying to find 0:08:05.710 --> 0:08:08.390 a can of beans, and of course all the cans 0:08:08.390 --> 0:08:11.990 feel the same when you grab into the pantry. And 0:08:11.990 --> 0:08:14.790 so just being able to not rely on, shake and 0:08:14.790 --> 0:08:17.070 hope for the best and to sort of be able 0:08:17.070 --> 0:08:19.670 to unlock those features that will sort of give, as 0:08:19.670 --> 0:08:23.070 Gina said, just another bracket of independence around the home 0:08:23.070 --> 0:08:26.630 and not having to perhaps eat what could like something else? 0:08:26.670 --> 0:08:27.950 Exactly. Yeah. 0:08:27.990 --> 0:08:28.790 Yeah. You think it's. 0:08:28.790 --> 0:08:31.270 A can of beans and you end up with tomatoes? Yeah. 0:08:31.310 --> 0:08:32.150 Oh, yeah. 0:08:32.189 --> 0:08:33.949 And Sam too, I think one of the, you know, 0:08:33.990 --> 0:08:36.110 as I said before, people being able to access their 0:08:36.110 --> 0:08:39.629 favorite radio station, we have a number of devices that 0:08:39.630 --> 0:08:42.070 have been released, some big, some small. Some people love 0:08:42.069 --> 0:08:44.670 them in their bedrooms. Some people want them connected throughout 0:08:44.670 --> 0:08:47.630 to have studio sound in their lounge room, but not 0:08:47.630 --> 0:08:50.429 needing to fiddle with a knob to find your radio station, 0:08:50.429 --> 0:08:53.790 not needing to remember the frequency of the radio station. 0:08:53.990 --> 0:08:57.670 When we look at the reviews, there's constantly people saying, 0:08:57.670 --> 0:09:00.310 I can finally listen to radio stations that I didn't 0:09:00.309 --> 0:09:03.550 think I could access. It's opened up radio stations from overseas, 0:09:03.550 --> 0:09:05.630 my favorite radio station when I was a child, and 0:09:05.630 --> 0:09:07.949 I can simply get it by using my voice. That 0:09:07.949 --> 0:09:10.229 seems to be one of the most common pieces of 0:09:10.229 --> 0:09:12.589 feedback we get. And a quick plug to say that 0:09:12.589 --> 0:09:16.870 Vision Australia Radio is also available on Alexa. So certainly again, 0:09:16.870 --> 0:09:20.110 it's just putting an old school radio set back into 0:09:20.109 --> 0:09:22.469 the home, which has been very positive for a lot 0:09:22.510 --> 0:09:23.069 of people. 0:09:23.109 --> 0:09:27.069 Gina will continue on with you, and I'm really interested 0:09:27.069 --> 0:09:32.270 to get your insights on the relationship that Amazon and 0:09:32.270 --> 0:09:35.629 Vision Australia have been able to build up and what 0:09:35.630 --> 0:09:40.390 you've been working on lately, and the benefits of that relationship. 0:09:40.429 --> 0:09:44.510 Yeah, definitely. So the Vision Australia partnership has been in 0:09:44.510 --> 0:09:47.230 play for many years, and it comes through in a 0:09:47.229 --> 0:09:49.950 number of different ways. So as I said, the Vision 0:09:49.949 --> 0:09:53.670 Australia radio station the broadcast is available on Alexa, just 0:09:53.670 --> 0:09:56.910 say Alexa, play Vision Australia Radio and you should get 0:09:56.949 --> 0:10:00.709 whichever frequency suits you. And then also Vision Australia has 0:10:00.709 --> 0:10:04.630 a um, through Commonwealth funding and Alexa at home program. 0:10:04.630 --> 0:10:08.550 So that includes the provision of some Alexa enabled devices 0:10:08.550 --> 0:10:12.469 and some training for qualified clients, which means that your 0:10:12.469 --> 0:10:14.949 home can be set up to become a smart home. 0:10:14.949 --> 0:10:17.150 But you're also given some guidance on how to make 0:10:17.150 --> 0:10:20.949 the most out of that to increase your independence. So 0:10:20.990 --> 0:10:23.550 that's something that is really great. And then as part 0:10:23.550 --> 0:10:26.630 of that vision, Australia has built what we call in 0:10:26.630 --> 0:10:30.270 Alexa a custom skill, which is simply like an app 0:10:30.270 --> 0:10:35.189 on a phone and that provides information about Vision Australia's services. 0:10:35.390 --> 0:10:38.390 You can hear the newsletter and also find out more 0:10:38.390 --> 0:10:41.710 information about the likes of Happy Pants and the Felix 0:10:41.709 --> 0:10:44.629 Library too. So there's a number of different ways the 0:10:44.630 --> 0:10:48.470 wider community can connect with Vision Australia through being entertained 0:10:48.469 --> 0:10:52.749 and informed, through Vision Australia Radio's content, or actually being 0:10:52.750 --> 0:10:56.390 organised and finding utility in the home through that Alexa 0:10:56.390 --> 0:10:57.390 at Home program. 0:10:57.510 --> 0:11:01.230 Okay. And Kate, I'll come to you now and have 0:11:01.229 --> 0:11:05.229 a bit of a chat about some exciting innovations that 0:11:05.229 --> 0:11:09.199 are on the horizon that you're really excited to see 0:11:09.199 --> 0:11:11.760 where they pan out. And Gina will come to you 0:11:11.800 --> 0:11:14.759 after and get your thoughts. But, um, Kate, I'll just 0:11:14.760 --> 0:11:17.160 start with you and, um, get your insights. 0:11:17.520 --> 0:11:20.999 Yeah. So some of your listeners might be aware of 0:11:21.040 --> 0:11:24.199 big announcement that we made a couple of months ago 0:11:24.199 --> 0:11:27.599 in the US. So we have been working incredibly hard 0:11:27.640 --> 0:11:32.319 to take our already very complex Alexa experience. It's got 0:11:32.319 --> 0:11:35.959 the Alexa experience is more than 30 AI and machine 0:11:35.959 --> 0:11:39.679 learning models, and then a layer of localization over the top, 0:11:39.679 --> 0:11:43.920 which is how Alexa is and sort of understands Australians. 0:11:44.240 --> 0:11:48.639 And to make that generative AI and LLM powered, it 0:11:48.640 --> 0:11:52.760 has been an incredible worldwide effort to get it to 0:11:52.800 --> 0:11:55.880 this point. And we did demos and it started to 0:11:55.920 --> 0:11:58.719 roll out to customers in the US over the last 0:11:58.719 --> 0:12:03.479 couple of weeks. So Alexa Plus is really what we 0:12:03.520 --> 0:12:08.080 had hoped Alexa could be all this time, so it's conversational. 0:12:08.120 --> 0:12:10.520 You don't need to worry about Alexa speak. There will 0:12:10.559 --> 0:12:12.959 be no more Alexa, turn on the lights. You might 0:12:12.959 --> 0:12:16.800 walk into a room and Alexa knows you've left the bedroom. 0:12:16.800 --> 0:12:19.359 And Alexa will proactively say, would you like me to 0:12:19.359 --> 0:12:22.600 turn off the lights in the bedroom? Alexa will remember 0:12:22.599 --> 0:12:25.439 things that are important. For example, that one person in 0:12:25.439 --> 0:12:28.200 your family is vegetarian and one is dairy free, and 0:12:28.199 --> 0:12:30.520 one who might be celiac. And so if you ask 0:12:30.520 --> 0:12:33.679 for a recipe for dinner tonight, that sort of meets 0:12:33.679 --> 0:12:37.120 those needs, then Alexa will know to create something that 0:12:37.120 --> 0:12:40.880 is going to meet all of those different family members needs. 0:12:41.280 --> 0:12:44.920 We don't have a timeline, unfortunately, yet for Australia, it's 0:12:44.920 --> 0:12:47.360 one of those things that could come very quickly, or 0:12:47.359 --> 0:12:49.999 it might take a little while, but you can be very, 0:12:50.000 --> 0:12:53.239 very sure that particularly with our partners like Virgin Australia, 0:12:53.240 --> 0:12:56.439 will be definitely giving you a heads up and we 0:12:56.439 --> 0:12:59.480 may be able to get Alexa Plus into the studio 0:12:59.479 --> 0:13:01.200 and sort of do a bit of a. 0:13:01.359 --> 0:13:01.599 Bit of. 0:13:01.599 --> 0:13:01.679 A. 0:13:01.679 --> 0:13:02.000 Demo. 0:13:02.240 --> 0:13:06.640 Yeah, that'd be pretty cool. Yeah, yeah. No. Okay. And, Gina, 0:13:06.640 --> 0:13:10.079 I'll come to you. Now, the same question, but also 0:13:10.280 --> 0:13:14.199 interested in if there's sort of some features there or 0:13:14.240 --> 0:13:18.359 innovations coming for, you know, listeners who are blind or 0:13:18.359 --> 0:13:20.160 have low vision to look forward to. 0:13:20.199 --> 0:13:22.880 Yeah. Look, I think there's two that are going to be, 0:13:22.920 --> 0:13:26.999 I think, super useful for everybody, but particularly useful for 0:13:27.000 --> 0:13:32.480 people with blindness or low vision. One is the object identification. 0:13:32.479 --> 0:13:35.759 So as Kate was talking about before, but rather than 0:13:35.760 --> 0:13:38.200 it relying or that's a can of vegetables, you should 0:13:38.240 --> 0:13:41.199 actually be able to hold up the can. And Alexa 0:13:41.199 --> 0:13:43.040 might be able to say spin it around and I 0:13:43.040 --> 0:13:46.160 can read you the nutrition label. And so it becomes 0:13:46.160 --> 0:13:49.079 much more interactive. Or you would be able to hold 0:13:49.079 --> 0:13:52.119 up a picture that your grandchildren had drawn. And Alexa 0:13:52.120 --> 0:13:55.720 will describe what the drawing looks like. There's two stick figures. 0:13:55.719 --> 0:13:57.719 This one's in pink, and there's a little dog and 0:13:57.719 --> 0:14:00.280 some flowers and a sun in the corner. So I 0:14:00.280 --> 0:14:02.720 think that's going to be really interesting. And then the 0:14:02.719 --> 0:14:08.130 other is intelligent Documentation. So that could be if you've 0:14:08.170 --> 0:14:10.730 got a new dishwasher and you can get a digital 0:14:10.729 --> 0:14:14.130 copy of the dishwashers manual, you'd be able to store 0:14:14.130 --> 0:14:17.369 that in Alexa's library and then ask, Alexa, how do 0:14:17.370 --> 0:14:20.850 I get it onto the steaming cycle? And Alexa will 0:14:20.850 --> 0:14:23.010 be able to look through that manual and come back 0:14:23.010 --> 0:14:25.690 and provide that information for you, and then remember it 0:14:25.690 --> 0:14:28.810 as well. And so it's not just things like dishwasher 0:14:28.810 --> 0:14:32.650 manuals that could be a pamphlet about diabetes from your doctor. 0:14:32.650 --> 0:14:36.930 It could be a newsletter from your child's school. All 0:14:36.930 --> 0:14:39.810 of these things you'll be able to provide to Alexa 0:14:39.810 --> 0:14:42.690 to be kept in the library. And then that helps. 0:14:42.690 --> 0:14:45.490 As Kate said, for Alexa to become more proactive in 0:14:45.490 --> 0:14:48.769 helping you manage your day and keeping you informed. 0:14:49.090 --> 0:14:53.610 Perfect. Well, I've been speaking today with Gino and Kate 0:14:53.609 --> 0:14:57.090 from Amazon with a bit of a tech update of 0:14:57.090 --> 0:15:02.609 sorts regarding some different features and innovations that they're looking 0:15:02.650 --> 0:15:07.050 to roll out on Alexa The devices, including some new 0:15:07.050 --> 0:15:10.530 ways in which it can assist the blind and low 0:15:10.530 --> 0:15:15.570 vision community in their everyday life. Gina. Kate, thank you 0:15:15.570 --> 0:15:17.769 so much for your time today. It was great to 0:15:17.810 --> 0:15:18.810 catch up with you. 0:15:18.850 --> 0:15:21.090 Thank you so much. We really appreciate you taking the 0:15:21.090 --> 0:15:22.090 time to talk with us. 0:15:22.130 --> 0:15:23.130 Great to be here. 0:15:28.530 --> 0:15:32.330 I'm Sam Corley and you're listening to Talking Vision on 0:15:32.330 --> 0:15:37.930 Vision Australia Radio. Associated Stations of Reading Radio and the 0:15:37.930 --> 0:15:42.930 Community Radio Network. I hope you enjoyed that conversation there 0:15:42.930 --> 0:15:46.650 with Gina and Kate from Amazon. If you missed any 0:15:46.650 --> 0:15:49.930 part of that chat with Gina and Kate or you'd 0:15:49.930 --> 0:15:53.810 love to hear from them again. Talking vision is available 0:15:53.850 --> 0:15:59.690 on the Vision Australia Radio website. Simply head to RVA radio. 0:16:00.770 --> 0:16:06.010 That's RVA radio all one word.org. You can also find 0:16:06.010 --> 0:16:09.410 the program on the podcast app of your choice or 0:16:09.410 --> 0:16:13.850 through the Vision Australia library. Coming up now, it's my 0:16:13.850 --> 0:16:18.090 great pleasure to welcome to Talking Vision, one of the 0:16:18.250 --> 0:16:23.450 guests from our recent Career Path podcast. Her name is 0:16:23.490 --> 0:16:30.050 Sammy McComb. She's a university student and business manager with 0:16:30.050 --> 0:16:35.170 lived experience of low vision living in Geelong. Today you'll 0:16:35.170 --> 0:16:38.770 get some tips from her about how she's managed to 0:16:38.810 --> 0:16:43.170 juggle the various aspects of her life while living with 0:16:43.170 --> 0:16:47.130 a vision condition. But that's enough from me. Let's hear 0:16:47.130 --> 0:16:50.289 from Sammy right now. Welcome, Sammy. 0:16:50.770 --> 0:16:53.050 Thanks for having me, guys. I'm so excited to be here. 0:16:53.090 --> 0:16:53.650 Can't wait. 0:16:54.090 --> 0:16:57.410 And I'm can't wait to have a chat now. Firstly, Sammy, 0:16:57.450 --> 0:17:01.290 let's just get to the heart of things. How do 0:17:01.290 --> 0:17:05.850 you navigate the pressures of university while managing a business 0:17:05.850 --> 0:17:07.570 and coping with low vision. 0:17:07.810 --> 0:17:12.090 Gosh, bit of a loaded question. I don't know. Super loaded. Yeah. Yeah, 0:17:12.090 --> 0:17:14.090 I guess you kind of just have to take it 0:17:14.129 --> 0:17:16.810 day by day. And the way I look at it 0:17:16.810 --> 0:17:20.449 is I didn't choose my cards. You know, these cards, 0:17:20.450 --> 0:17:22.169 just the cards I've been dealt. I didn't choose to 0:17:22.210 --> 0:17:24.450 run a business or manage a business with my mum. 0:17:24.490 --> 0:17:27.129 My dad passed away end of last year, so that's 0:17:27.129 --> 0:17:29.490 also pretty new. But he was the owner of the business, 0:17:29.490 --> 0:17:32.050 so I was kind of just handed that role in 0:17:32.050 --> 0:17:35.170 a way. So that wasn't a choice. And obviously being 0:17:35.169 --> 0:17:38.050 vision impaired wasn't a choice either. So I kind of 0:17:38.050 --> 0:17:40.330 just have to manage it in a way is the 0:17:40.330 --> 0:17:42.249 way I look at it, and it helps that I 0:17:42.250 --> 0:17:42.810 love it too. 0:17:42.850 --> 0:17:46.410 So there you go. And Sammy, what were the biggest 0:17:46.409 --> 0:17:49.969 challenges you faced stepping into this role at such a 0:17:49.970 --> 0:17:54.010 young age, especially while studying and managing low vision? 0:17:54.409 --> 0:17:57.930 Definitely the hardest challenge was the grief I was facing. 0:17:57.970 --> 0:18:00.409 My father's death was very, very sudden, so we didn't 0:18:00.409 --> 0:18:02.770 get any warning. And he was a very, very healthy 0:18:02.770 --> 0:18:05.580 man and had everything going for him and the business 0:18:05.580 --> 0:18:08.420 was going well. And he was. He'd just made some 0:18:08.419 --> 0:18:10.420 big changes in the business as well. So there was 0:18:10.419 --> 0:18:13.859 a big expansion going on. And then we obviously lost him. 0:18:13.859 --> 0:18:16.500 So we lost the head figure. So and I've lost 0:18:16.500 --> 0:18:18.899 my father and everything that comes with that. So the 0:18:18.899 --> 0:18:21.420 hardest part for me was definitely the grief. And then 0:18:21.419 --> 0:18:24.380 everything else kind of came after that. So rolling with 0:18:24.379 --> 0:18:25.140 the punches. 0:18:26.020 --> 0:18:30.019 Mhm. And how did your studies in marketing and business 0:18:30.020 --> 0:18:34.820 help or perhaps not help when managing a company, particularly 0:18:34.940 --> 0:18:39.340 when considering accessibility needs for yourself and the business. 0:18:39.940 --> 0:18:43.380 Yep. So I'm currently studying a bachelor of or double 0:18:43.419 --> 0:18:46.659 Bachelor of Business and Economics and marketing is one of 0:18:46.659 --> 0:18:50.139 my majors, so obviously I wasn't planning to be doing 0:18:50.139 --> 0:18:53.300 so much marketing and business management at such a young age, 0:18:53.300 --> 0:18:55.619 but I definitely think that a lot of the skills 0:18:55.619 --> 0:18:58.659 I've learnt in uni have been very helpful in the 0:18:58.659 --> 0:19:01.740 last sort of six months, but more than anything, I'd 0:19:01.780 --> 0:19:05.380 honestly just say that having lived experience as someone with 0:19:05.379 --> 0:19:08.060 a disability and a vision impairment has been the biggest 0:19:08.060 --> 0:19:11.340 part of it. Like for example, with marketing, just the 0:19:11.340 --> 0:19:14.660 basic things like having good contrast and big text that 0:19:14.659 --> 0:19:17.140 a lot of regular people probably wouldn't think about, I 0:19:17.139 --> 0:19:20.419 kind of just incorporate those things into my daily life, naturally, 0:19:20.419 --> 0:19:22.980 and so they kind of follow through with the marketing 0:19:22.980 --> 0:19:26.619 side of things. And then just, um, having a disability, 0:19:26.619 --> 0:19:30.180 being able to relate to people is a big help 0:19:30.180 --> 0:19:33.139 in managing a business. I think, too, because you're working 0:19:33.139 --> 0:19:35.100 in a team environment, so you need to be able 0:19:35.100 --> 0:19:38.060 to be good around people, and empathy is a big 0:19:38.060 --> 0:19:40.580 part of that. I think as well with patients, because 0:19:40.580 --> 0:19:43.260 it's a healthcare clinic. So yeah, just being able to 0:19:43.260 --> 0:19:46.380 relate to people and have that sense of empathy is 0:19:46.379 --> 0:19:48.419 a big part of running a business in general, I 0:19:48.419 --> 0:19:49.020 would say. 0:19:49.260 --> 0:19:53.300 You've spoken a little bit about accessibility there and the 0:19:53.300 --> 0:19:57.899 assistive technologies and, you know, little features that have made 0:19:57.899 --> 0:20:01.699 your life that little bit easier. But outside of that, 0:20:01.700 --> 0:20:06.020 there's also been a lot of changes, a lot of upheaval. 0:20:06.659 --> 0:20:10.340 Certainly lots of ups and downs, to say the least. 0:20:10.340 --> 0:20:14.779 Over the past year or so, with everything that's gone on. 0:20:14.780 --> 0:20:19.820 So what support systems did you rely on during this transition, 0:20:19.820 --> 0:20:23.420 both for your studies and for managing low vision in 0:20:23.419 --> 0:20:24.260 the business? 0:20:24.580 --> 0:20:27.939 Um, I was very lucky to actually a bit of 0:20:27.940 --> 0:20:29.780 a shout out to Vision Australia here, but I received 0:20:29.780 --> 0:20:33.260 the Vision Australia Further Education bursary. That was a couple 0:20:33.300 --> 0:20:35.780 of years ago and that was fantastic because I was 0:20:35.780 --> 0:20:38.780 set up for uni with a computer and a nice 0:20:38.780 --> 0:20:41.540 phone with a big screen, so that was fantastic and 0:20:41.540 --> 0:20:44.539 some good headphones as well. So that really set me 0:20:44.540 --> 0:20:46.580 up very well for uni, and I also use a 0:20:46.580 --> 0:20:50.420 lot of that for work now too. So that was fantastic. 0:20:50.419 --> 0:20:54.460 And just having the technology in general as well. And yeah, 0:20:54.500 --> 0:20:57.020 besides that, just setting myself up with a really good 0:20:57.020 --> 0:21:00.060 support system of people around me. We're very lucky at 0:21:00.060 --> 0:21:03.180 work to have fantastic staff, so that's really handy and 0:21:03.180 --> 0:21:07.109 I've got really great connections at uni. Education support officers 0:21:07.109 --> 0:21:09.429 and people like that. So I've got pretty much everyone 0:21:09.430 --> 0:21:12.430 I need at my fingertips really. And a supportive family 0:21:12.430 --> 0:21:14.830 and partner too. So yeah. 0:21:14.869 --> 0:21:19.190 And following on from that topic around support systems. We'll 0:21:19.230 --> 0:21:23.189 unfortunately have to dive back into a pretty heavy topic. And, 0:21:23.230 --> 0:21:26.950 you know, that's coping with grief while making critical business 0:21:26.950 --> 0:21:32.430 decisions and managing university workloads. It's just amazing. And we 0:21:32.430 --> 0:21:35.189 really take our hat off to you and how you've 0:21:35.190 --> 0:21:38.869 managed with all of that. So how has the last 0:21:38.869 --> 0:21:42.790 year shaped the way you approach leadership and decision making 0:21:42.909 --> 0:21:44.550 while balancing that? 0:21:44.590 --> 0:21:50.029 Gosh, massively. My dad was a great leader. He definitely 0:21:50.030 --> 0:21:53.830 led by example, so he wasn't so much business minded. Ironically, 0:21:53.830 --> 0:21:56.389 he wasn't great with money like in terms of making 0:21:56.389 --> 0:21:59.750 business decisions. He was very generous with his patience and 0:21:59.750 --> 0:22:01.830 that sort of thing. But I also think that that 0:22:01.830 --> 0:22:04.709 did make him a great leader. So seeing him pass 0:22:04.830 --> 0:22:07.469 and I've definitely taken on a lot of that, a 0:22:07.470 --> 0:22:10.310 lot of those traits. And I think that's very important 0:22:10.310 --> 0:22:12.989 to keep that within the business, because it was a 0:22:12.990 --> 0:22:15.390 thriving business before he passed. So it's important that we 0:22:15.389 --> 0:22:18.270 keep it that way. And by doing everything he did, 0:22:18.430 --> 0:22:21.469 I hope to do that. So yeah. And then I 0:22:21.470 --> 0:22:24.030 think the other important thing I've learned with leadership is 0:22:24.030 --> 0:22:27.790 that a good leader will listen above anything else. Leading 0:22:27.790 --> 0:22:30.709 is not about being at the top of the rankings. 0:22:30.710 --> 0:22:33.510 I suppose it's not a hierarchical thing. It's being able 0:22:33.510 --> 0:22:35.710 to work really well in a team. And I'm really 0:22:35.710 --> 0:22:39.070 lucky that I've got an amazing team at Belmont Physio 0:22:39.510 --> 0:22:40.390 that I work with. 0:22:40.430 --> 0:22:44.790 Yeah. And also on top of that, how have you 0:22:44.790 --> 0:22:48.669 perhaps changed in the way that you've balanced your work 0:22:48.669 --> 0:22:52.590 and your uni life? I mean that's another challenge juggling 0:22:52.590 --> 0:22:55.830 those two things. Has anything changed there in the last 0:22:55.830 --> 0:22:56.830 12 months. 0:22:56.830 --> 0:23:00.230 So I'm studying fully online. So all my correspondence with 0:23:00.230 --> 0:23:04.350 the University of Tasmania, and I've actually decided to defer 0:23:04.389 --> 0:23:07.150 for the first semester of the year this year. So 0:23:07.430 --> 0:23:09.749 I kind of, um, set my laptop up and I 0:23:09.750 --> 0:23:11.310 was all ready to go, and then I just sort 0:23:11.350 --> 0:23:12.990 of couldn't do it. The grief kind of just hit 0:23:12.990 --> 0:23:14.830 me all at once, and I just knew I needed 0:23:14.830 --> 0:23:18.109 to take a bit of time for myself. So I'm 0:23:18.149 --> 0:23:19.790 very ready to go back in a couple of months. 0:23:19.790 --> 0:23:21.629 But I have I have put that one on hold 0:23:21.629 --> 0:23:23.389 for the moment just so that I can focus on 0:23:23.389 --> 0:23:26.869 the business and myself as well, really. So yeah, I 0:23:26.869 --> 0:23:29.509 think that balance is very important and has become more 0:23:29.510 --> 0:23:31.590 and more important in the last 12 months. 0:23:31.750 --> 0:23:35.350 Oh for sure. Yeah. No, that um, balancing wellness and 0:23:35.350 --> 0:23:38.830 keeping mindful and having that sense of balance in, you know, 0:23:38.869 --> 0:23:42.870 professional and personal life, that's super important. So I think 0:23:42.909 --> 0:23:46.030 a lot of people can totally relate with that for sure. 0:23:46.270 --> 0:23:49.670 I guess following on from that, Sami, what lessons have 0:23:49.669 --> 0:23:55.110 you learned about resilience and adaptability through the experience, both 0:23:55.149 --> 0:23:59.109 as a student and a business owner with low vision? 0:23:59.510 --> 0:24:02.629 Probably, yeah. Another lesson I've learnt from the last 12 0:24:02.629 --> 0:24:05.520 months and all the responsibilities that have come during that 0:24:05.520 --> 0:24:09.199 time and all the opportunities I've been handed. I would 0:24:09.200 --> 0:24:11.480 say just the main lesson I've learned is that I 0:24:11.480 --> 0:24:14.560 am very resilient, because if you had told me two 0:24:14.560 --> 0:24:17.160 years ago, even 12 months ago, that my dad was 0:24:17.159 --> 0:24:19.640 going to pass away and mum and I were going 0:24:19.680 --> 0:24:22.720 to be handed this business and all these responsibilities all 0:24:22.720 --> 0:24:25.080 at once. I honestly don't think I would have coped 0:24:25.119 --> 0:24:26.959 nearly as well as I have to be at the 0:24:26.960 --> 0:24:30.359 point I am today. So that's a huge one. Just 0:24:30.359 --> 0:24:33.680 finding that resilience within myself, and I feel like that's 0:24:33.680 --> 0:24:36.080 a very common thing among people who are vision impaired 0:24:36.080 --> 0:24:39.440 and have disabilities, that we don't realise how strong we 0:24:39.440 --> 0:24:44.560 actually are. And even having a disability in itself is 0:24:44.600 --> 0:24:48.919 very much a responsibility in itself, and that builds resilience. 0:24:48.960 --> 0:24:51.279 I'm sure a lot of us have good anecdotes to 0:24:51.320 --> 0:24:54.879 prove that, myself included. So I think, yeah, the biggest 0:24:54.879 --> 0:24:57.280 one is just that you're a lot stronger than you think. 0:24:58.639 --> 0:25:03.719 And Sami, do you see yourself continuing with the business, 0:25:03.760 --> 0:25:09.119 finishing your studies or even pursuing something entirely different. What 0:25:09.119 --> 0:25:11.519 does the future hold? Or it's a bit of a 0:25:11.560 --> 0:25:15.600 Doris Day qué sera sera, whatever will be will be 0:25:15.639 --> 0:25:17.040 sort of situation. 0:25:17.480 --> 0:25:19.320 Yeah, it's such a hard one. 0:25:19.359 --> 0:25:20.600 It's a super hard one. 0:25:21.040 --> 0:25:24.440 Yeah. And everything's been so crazy lately that it's. It's 0:25:24.440 --> 0:25:26.359 hard to say for sure. But one thing I do 0:25:26.399 --> 0:25:28.320 know is that I definitely want to go back and 0:25:28.320 --> 0:25:31.160 finish my double degree and get that under my belt. 0:25:31.159 --> 0:25:34.520 So I'm two out of four years through, so I'm halfway. Yeah. 0:25:34.560 --> 0:25:36.080 So I hope to get that done in the next 0:25:36.080 --> 0:25:38.200 couple of years and smash that out of the way. 0:25:38.200 --> 0:25:41.199 And then after that, it's. Yeah, I'm not sure whether 0:25:41.200 --> 0:25:43.760 I'll use that to continue on with the business or 0:25:43.919 --> 0:25:46.560 use that to find myself a completely different job or 0:25:46.560 --> 0:25:49.200 even start a business myself. So yeah, I definitely think 0:25:49.200 --> 0:25:51.600 I'll start a business in the longer term, but how 0:25:51.600 --> 0:25:54.439 soon that comes? Only time will tell. Yeah. 0:25:54.480 --> 0:25:58.039 Well, let's keep tabs on the Sammy McComb story. I 0:25:58.040 --> 0:26:01.720 think that's going to be something super worth following. And 0:26:01.720 --> 0:26:06.920 we're very excited to see how it all pans out now. Finally, Sammy, 0:26:06.960 --> 0:26:12.119 what advice would you give to others facing unexpected responsibilities 0:26:12.119 --> 0:26:18.119 or challenges, especially when balancing personal growth, education, and low vision? 0:26:18.159 --> 0:26:20.679 Just yeah, going back to what I said before about 0:26:20.720 --> 0:26:22.840 you've got this, you can do it. You don't know 0:26:22.840 --> 0:26:25.360 what you're capable of until you're actually in that position. 0:26:25.359 --> 0:26:27.400 And it's definitely a lot more than you expect it 0:26:27.399 --> 0:26:29.879 to be. So definitely that. And the other thing I 0:26:29.879 --> 0:26:31.959 would say is, and this is something my partner and 0:26:31.960 --> 0:26:36.040 I have always lived by, is don't view your dreams 0:26:36.040 --> 0:26:38.440 as dreams. You've got to view them as goals. That's 0:26:38.440 --> 0:26:41.320 something I've always lived by, because if it's a dream, 0:26:41.359 --> 0:26:42.919 you're not going to achieve it. You've got to have 0:26:42.919 --> 0:26:44.840 it as a goal and then it's set. 0:26:45.240 --> 0:26:49.119 I love that. No. That's fantastic. Sammy, thank you so 0:26:49.119 --> 0:26:51.960 much for having a chat with us today. We really 0:26:51.960 --> 0:26:55.400 appreciate how candid and open you've been, and we do 0:26:55.440 --> 0:26:58.280 appreciate you having a chat with us today. So thank 0:26:58.280 --> 0:26:58.919 you again. 0:26:59.200 --> 0:27:01.040 Oh thank you guys. Thank you so much for having 0:27:01.040 --> 0:27:01.879 me in the studio. 0:27:07.930 --> 0:27:11.009 And that's all the time we have for today. You've 0:27:11.010 --> 0:27:15.170 been listening to Talking Vision. Talking vision is a Vision 0:27:15.169 --> 0:27:19.330 Australia radio production. Thanks to all involved with putting the 0:27:19.330 --> 0:27:23.490 show together every week. And remember, we love hearing from you. 0:27:23.490 --> 0:27:27.010 So please get in touch anytime on our email at 0:27:27.050 --> 0:27:32.850 Talking Vision at Australia. That's talking vision all. One word 0:27:32.850 --> 0:27:37.210 at Vision Australia dot. But until next week it's Sam 0:27:37.210 --> 0:27:39.129 Corley saying bye for now. 0:27:42.530 --> 0:27:46.609 You can contact Vision Australia by phoning us anytime during 0:27:46.609 --> 0:27:54.490 business hours on one 384 746. That's one 384 74 0:27:55.010 --> 0:27:59.889 six or by visiting Vision Australia. That's Vision Australia.