WEBVTT - Talking Vision 780 Week Beginning 12th 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. 0:00:23.480 --> 0:00:26.640 Hello, everyone. It's great to be here with you. And 0:00:26.640 --> 0:00:29.640 for the next half hour we talk matters of blindness 0:00:29.640 --> 0:00:30.640 and low vision. 0:00:30.640 --> 0:00:34.960 We really need to see service providers or other disability 0:00:34.960 --> 0:00:39.519 workers calling out risky conduct. And the ultimate purpose, again, 0:00:39.559 --> 0:00:42.920 is to make sure that people with disabilities are safe 0:00:43.080 --> 0:00:45.080 when receiving disability services. 0:00:45.120 --> 0:00:48.440 Welcome to the program. This week we have a chat 0:00:48.440 --> 0:00:54.639 with Victorian Disability Worker Commissioner Dan Stubbs about a new campaign. 0:00:54.640 --> 0:01:00.000 The VDC is running to ensure the safety of people 0:01:00.000 --> 0:01:06.260 with disabilities when receiving support services and working with support workers. 0:01:06.620 --> 0:01:10.260 That conversation's coming up very shortly, so make sure to 0:01:10.300 --> 0:01:14.060 stick around. Then after you hear from Dan, I'll catch 0:01:14.060 --> 0:01:18.540 up with producer, writer and actor of the new movie 0:01:18.580 --> 0:01:23.500 My Eyes coming out on the 28th of May. Suzanne Chambers. 0:01:23.780 --> 0:01:27.539 Then after that, we wrap up with some FYI news 0:01:27.539 --> 0:01:32.340 from the editor of FYI, Liz Dalakouras. I hope you 0:01:32.340 --> 0:01:39.819 enjoy this week's episode of Talking Vision. I started my 0:01:39.819 --> 0:01:45.020 conversation with Dan by asking him about the Victorian Disability 0:01:45.060 --> 0:01:48.499 Worker Commission and his role as commissioner. 0:01:48.540 --> 0:01:52.820 Sure, Sam. So the Victorian Disability Worker Commission is the 0:01:52.820 --> 0:01:57.740 only regulator like it in Australia. We regulate all disability 0:01:57.780 --> 0:02:02.419 workers in Victoria and really that any support worker or 0:02:02.420 --> 0:02:06.440 practitioner working with people with disabilities to support them in 0:02:06.440 --> 0:02:09.960 relation to barriers created by their disability. It's a pretty 0:02:09.960 --> 0:02:15.040 broad definition, and the overall objective is to promote and 0:02:15.040 --> 0:02:20.680 provide for a safer, stronger disability sector in Victoria. And 0:02:20.720 --> 0:02:25.280 we do that by a range of functions, including promoting 0:02:25.320 --> 0:02:30.120 a code of conduct, accepting complaints from anybody and receiving 0:02:30.120 --> 0:02:32.920 mandatory notifications from key people. 0:02:33.200 --> 0:02:38.200 And Dan, I understand you're conducting a new campaign to 0:02:38.240 --> 0:02:44.320 encourage disability providers and workers to notify the VW of 0:02:44.320 --> 0:02:48.760 conduct by disability workers that may put the people they 0:02:48.760 --> 0:02:52.480 support at risk. So could you explain a little bit 0:02:52.480 --> 0:02:53.919 more about this? 0:02:54.200 --> 0:02:57.720 Sure. So this is all about us making sure that 0:02:57.720 --> 0:03:01.400 disability workers so people anyone working in the disability sector 0:03:01.400 --> 0:03:06.780 and disability service providers. though employers of disability workers who 0:03:06.780 --> 0:03:11.060 provide disability services know that they have an obligation to 0:03:11.100 --> 0:03:14.980 notify us of certain types of conduct, and that's conduct 0:03:14.980 --> 0:03:18.740 that puts people with disability at risk of harm. And 0:03:18.780 --> 0:03:21.660 so the key aspect of that for people to remember 0:03:21.660 --> 0:03:25.620 is if they have a reasonable belief of anyone with 0:03:25.620 --> 0:03:28.340 a disability being put at risk of harm by their 0:03:28.340 --> 0:03:31.620 disability worker, then we need to be told about that 0:03:31.620 --> 0:03:35.500 by either the service provider or another disability worker who 0:03:35.500 --> 0:03:36.820 becomes aware of that. 0:03:36.820 --> 0:03:40.540 And following on from that. Dan, why do you believe 0:03:40.540 --> 0:03:46.420 it's important that disability workers and their employers notify the VDC? 0:03:47.460 --> 0:03:50.700 There's a few reasons. And the primary reason is because 0:03:50.740 --> 0:03:55.460 often people with disabilities are in a vulnerable situation when 0:03:55.460 --> 0:03:59.740 they are relying on disability workers to provide assistance to 0:03:59.780 --> 0:04:01.980 them in the wide range of ways that we get 0:04:01.980 --> 0:04:06.320 support from disability workers and practitioners. The other reason that 0:04:06.320 --> 0:04:09.040 I think is really important is that often people with 0:04:09.040 --> 0:04:14.360 disabilities themselves. So when we're using disability services, it's a 0:04:14.360 --> 0:04:18.599 big ask to require that the person with disability make 0:04:18.600 --> 0:04:21.560 the complaint to us. You know, I think it's the 0:04:21.560 --> 0:04:24.240 hardest thing we can ever ask anyone with a disability 0:04:24.240 --> 0:04:27.080 or their family to do. And that make a complaint 0:04:27.080 --> 0:04:31.560 about their support worker. We really need to see service 0:04:31.560 --> 0:04:36.440 providers or other disability workers calling out risky conduct. And 0:04:36.440 --> 0:04:39.320 the ultimate purpose, again, is to make sure that people 0:04:39.320 --> 0:04:43.760 with disabilities are safe when receiving disability services. 0:04:44.040 --> 0:04:47.800 Does this apply to services to older people? 0:04:47.840 --> 0:04:52.080 Dan Yeah, good question. Sam. It does because the Disability 0:04:52.120 --> 0:04:57.320 Worker Commission covers people working in disability, regardless of the 0:04:57.320 --> 0:05:01.400 age of the people disability. And there's many older people 0:05:01.400 --> 0:05:05.260 in places like aged care settings, or even in their 0:05:05.260 --> 0:05:08.980 own home where they're receiving my aged care type services. 0:05:09.020 --> 0:05:12.100 They're usually receiving those kind of services because they have 0:05:12.100 --> 0:05:15.500 a disability. It might be an age related disability, but 0:05:15.500 --> 0:05:19.300 they are still receiving disabilities. So it doesn't matter what 0:05:19.340 --> 0:05:22.620 age someone is. It's about the fact that they're receiving 0:05:22.620 --> 0:05:25.339 a service in relation to their disability. 0:05:25.860 --> 0:05:30.180 Could you give examples of some types of conduct that 0:05:30.180 --> 0:05:33.940 absolutely must be notified to the Commission, the sort of 0:05:33.980 --> 0:05:37.140 things they're looking to be aware of and stamp out? 0:05:37.460 --> 0:05:41.940 There are four general categories that we require people to 0:05:41.980 --> 0:05:47.300 notify us of risky conduct. There's the situation where a 0:05:47.300 --> 0:05:51.460 worker is intoxicated by drugs or alcohol when working as 0:05:51.460 --> 0:05:54.820 a disability worker. The second one is when a disability 0:05:54.820 --> 0:05:58.980 worker has engaged in sexual misconduct while working. There's the 0:05:58.980 --> 0:06:03.120 situation where a disability worker has an impairment that puts 0:06:03.120 --> 0:06:07.320 a person with disability at risk of harm when they're practicing. Now, 0:06:07.320 --> 0:06:10.120 I just want to clarify. That doesn't mean that someone 0:06:10.120 --> 0:06:13.360 with a disability can't be a worker. It's very much 0:06:13.400 --> 0:06:17.160 about if that impairment puts someone at risk of harm. 0:06:17.320 --> 0:06:20.440 And the final one and the one where we deal 0:06:20.440 --> 0:06:25.080 with a lot. It's where a disability worker has departed 0:06:25.080 --> 0:06:30.440 from acceptable professional standards in the delivery of their disability service. 0:06:30.440 --> 0:06:33.960 And that's a fairly broad definition. But really, I really 0:06:33.960 --> 0:06:37.839 want people to concentrate on a disability worker putting someone 0:06:37.840 --> 0:06:41.919 with disability at risk of harm. That's the key criteria 0:06:41.920 --> 0:06:45.080 that overlays all of those areas of conduct. 0:06:45.120 --> 0:06:49.680 When should a disability service provider or a worker make 0:06:49.720 --> 0:06:50.960 a notification? 0:06:51.280 --> 0:06:54.800 The key driver for that is when another worker or 0:06:54.800 --> 0:06:58.760 the service provider has a reasonable belief that a disability 0:06:58.760 --> 0:07:02.279 worker has put a person with disability at risk of harm. 0:07:02.660 --> 0:07:06.300 Dan, I noticed you mentioned reasonable belief in there. Could 0:07:06.300 --> 0:07:07.860 you expand on that a bit? 0:07:07.940 --> 0:07:11.420 Reasonable belief is if someone has some sort of direct 0:07:11.420 --> 0:07:16.020 knowledge of the risky conduct that a worker is engaged in. 0:07:16.060 --> 0:07:19.540 So it's not going to be when someone maybe has 0:07:19.540 --> 0:07:22.740 a suspicion, but they don't also need to have seen 0:07:22.740 --> 0:07:25.540 the conduct. They can reasonably believe it because they had 0:07:25.540 --> 0:07:28.940 it reported directly to them by someone who witnessed it. 0:07:28.980 --> 0:07:31.540 So it's more than just a suspicion, but it doesn't 0:07:31.540 --> 0:07:34.860 mean you have to have direct evidence of that conduct. 0:07:35.180 --> 0:07:39.780 Do disability service providers and workers still have to notify 0:07:39.780 --> 0:07:43.740 the VDS if they have reported it to the NDIS 0:07:43.780 --> 0:07:45.620 Quality and Safeguards Commission? 0:07:46.060 --> 0:07:49.180 Yeah. One of the things about Victoria is that we 0:07:49.180 --> 0:07:53.140 have this scheme that regulates all disability workers across all 0:07:53.140 --> 0:07:56.460 types of funding and yes, some disability workers are funded 0:07:56.460 --> 0:07:59.420 by the NDIS, some are funded in the aged care 0:07:59.420 --> 0:08:02.840 setting and some are funded in other places like education 0:08:02.840 --> 0:08:07.080 and health, we do require all types of conduct that 0:08:07.080 --> 0:08:09.440 put people with disabilities at risk of harm to be 0:08:09.440 --> 0:08:14.320 notified to us, particularly by service providers. It's really important 0:08:14.320 --> 0:08:17.920 that they let us know. Sometimes service providers will finish 0:08:17.920 --> 0:08:20.240 someone up or let them go if they are unhappy 0:08:20.240 --> 0:08:22.240 with their conduct. We want to be able to make 0:08:22.280 --> 0:08:24.480 sure that worker doesn't just go and act in the 0:08:24.480 --> 0:08:28.760 same way, with the same risky conduct at another service provider. 0:08:29.000 --> 0:08:32.760 And when we do receive these notifications, we are obliged 0:08:32.760 --> 0:08:36.639 to let the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission know about something. 0:08:36.640 --> 0:08:40.319 So anyone notifying us can feel confident that once they've 0:08:40.359 --> 0:08:42.640 told us if it is a matter, if it is 0:08:42.640 --> 0:08:45.319 an area of service that is funded by the NDIS, 0:08:45.359 --> 0:08:48.359 then they can be confident that the NDIS Commission will 0:08:48.359 --> 0:08:49.959 be notified by Arth two. 0:08:50.319 --> 0:08:55.559 What is your message to our listeners regarding mandatory notifications? 0:08:55.679 --> 0:08:58.280 I think the key thing is I know listeners will 0:08:58.280 --> 0:09:02.579 be users of disability services in different way, and I 0:09:02.579 --> 0:09:06.020 think people need to feel confident that if they use 0:09:06.020 --> 0:09:09.380 the services of any disability support worker, they are being 0:09:09.380 --> 0:09:12.860 held to a standard in Victoria where they have to 0:09:12.859 --> 0:09:15.459 be notified about if they are putting someone at risk 0:09:15.459 --> 0:09:18.780 of harm. And I think it's also important that if 0:09:18.819 --> 0:09:22.620 you experience the sort of conduct by a disability support 0:09:22.620 --> 0:09:25.139 worker that you feel has put you at risk of harm, 0:09:25.140 --> 0:09:27.660 you can let the service provider know and they will 0:09:27.660 --> 0:09:29.739 have to tell us. And I think that's really important. 0:09:29.780 --> 0:09:32.939 You don't need to necessarily do much more than that. 0:09:32.979 --> 0:09:38.699 What's your message to disability service providers regarding their workers 0:09:38.740 --> 0:09:40.860 and mandatory notifications? 0:09:41.179 --> 0:09:45.059 It's really important that service providers recognise that it's a 0:09:45.099 --> 0:09:49.499 lawful obligation, that they notify us of unsafe conduct by 0:09:49.660 --> 0:09:54.099 any disability support worker, and they should also make sure 0:09:54.099 --> 0:09:58.459 that the workers who they employ are qualified and capable 0:09:58.459 --> 0:10:02.160 and operate to a certain standard and know their obligations 0:10:02.160 --> 0:10:05.839 to report certain types of conduct. Know how to report 0:10:05.839 --> 0:10:09.719 that conduct to us. And probably most importantly, feel supported 0:10:09.719 --> 0:10:14.519 by their employer to notify them and us of concerns 0:10:14.520 --> 0:10:15.160 they have. 0:10:15.599 --> 0:10:20.600 Only. Dan, how can anyone find more information about mandatory 0:10:20.599 --> 0:10:24.480 notifications or the VD c more broadly? 0:10:24.719 --> 0:10:26.600 First of all, I just want to let everyone know 0:10:26.640 --> 0:10:30.520 that in a few weeks time, we're holding a webinar 0:10:30.719 --> 0:10:34.039 for anyone interested. That's later in May. We're holding that webinar, 0:10:34.040 --> 0:10:37.120 and people can log into that or see a recorded 0:10:37.120 --> 0:10:39.400 version on our website, and that will set out all 0:10:39.400 --> 0:10:42.880 the information anyone needs to know about making a notification. 0:10:42.880 --> 0:10:49.839 People can go to our website, which is simply. We're 0:10:49.839 --> 0:10:53.000 pretty easy to find on the internet by just googling us, 0:10:53.040 --> 0:10:56.440 the Disability Worker Commission in Victoria, and if there's any 0:10:56.439 --> 0:11:00.200 workers out there or service providers and they believe there 0:11:00.339 --> 0:11:02.619 has been the sort of conduct they need to notify 0:11:02.660 --> 0:11:05.860 us of, but you're not sure. Let us know and 0:11:05.859 --> 0:11:08.939 we'll talk you through that. Our intake staff are people 0:11:08.939 --> 0:11:11.900 who are very experienced in the disability sector, and we 0:11:11.900 --> 0:11:14.740 can talk people through what that is. And if people 0:11:14.740 --> 0:11:18.140 with disabilities want to let us know about poor quality 0:11:18.179 --> 0:11:21.300 services or the type of services that they think is 0:11:21.300 --> 0:11:23.379 putting them at risk of harm, they can also call 0:11:23.380 --> 0:11:25.900 us directly and we can deal with that directly with 0:11:25.900 --> 0:11:28.460 them as well. So please don't hesitate to give us 0:11:28.459 --> 0:11:30.740 a call and talk us through any matter that you're 0:11:30.740 --> 0:11:33.059 concerned about with your disability worker. 0:11:33.420 --> 0:11:39.220 I've been speaking today with Victoria Disability Worker Commissioner Dan 0:11:39.260 --> 0:11:44.860 Stubbs about the latest campaign. The commission is currently running 0:11:45.020 --> 0:11:51.459 to inform people about mandatory notifications and give greater awareness 0:11:51.459 --> 0:12:00.960 for the rights of people with disabilities. On Sam Culley 0:12:00.959 --> 0:12:05.119 and Joel listening to Talking Vision on Vision Australia Radio, 0:12:05.439 --> 0:12:10.439 associated stations of Reading Radio and the Community Radio Network. 0:12:10.920 --> 0:12:14.800 I hope you enjoyed that conversation there with Dan Stubbs. 0:12:15.160 --> 0:12:18.559 If you missed any part of that conversation with Dan 0:12:18.599 --> 0:12:21.720 or you'd love to hear it again. Talking vision is 0:12:21.719 --> 0:12:26.999 available on the Vision Australia Radio website. Simply head to 0:12:27.040 --> 0:12:32.760 RVA radio. That's RVA radio all one word dot. Or 0:12:32.760 --> 0:12:36.120 you can also find the program on the podcast app 0:12:36.120 --> 0:12:40.200 of your choice or through the Vision Australia library. And 0:12:40.199 --> 0:12:44.959 now please enjoy my chat with writer, producer and actor 0:12:44.959 --> 0:12:50.240 Suzanne Chambers. I started off by asking Suzanne about her 0:12:50.240 --> 0:12:52.079 new movie, My Eyes. 0:12:52.400 --> 0:12:56.400 Yes, well, it is a feature film inspired by true events, actually, 0:12:56.400 --> 0:12:59.499 of my life. When I volunteered at the Paralympic Games 0:12:59.500 --> 0:13:01.900 and fell in love with a judo athlete, actually, by 0:13:01.900 --> 0:13:06.980 the way. Um, but it's a beautiful film, actually, about love, resilience. 0:13:07.020 --> 0:13:10.179 The lengths we go for family also raises awareness about 0:13:10.179 --> 0:13:12.820 preventative eye health as well, which is true to my 0:13:12.819 --> 0:13:15.860 heart being an optometrist by trade, and it stars an 0:13:15.859 --> 0:13:19.259 amazing cast as well. We've got Adam Garcia, who some 0:13:19.260 --> 0:13:22.019 of you may remember from Coyote Ugly Bootmen back in 0:13:22.020 --> 0:13:26.939 the day. Eduardo Sanchez, who is a Mexican judo Paralympic champion. 0:13:26.939 --> 0:13:30.219 He won gold twice and CU Chin from the Joy 0:13:30.219 --> 0:13:32.780 Luck Club. If you're big fans of that movie. So 0:13:32.780 --> 0:13:36.700 it's something that we've worked incredibly hard to create. And yeah, 0:13:36.740 --> 0:13:38.219 glad it's out. Coming out. 0:13:38.260 --> 0:13:42.099 Yeah. Now, um, tell us a little bit about your 0:13:42.099 --> 0:13:47.500 involvement with my eyes. Suzanne. Um, I understand you're the 0:13:47.500 --> 0:13:49.579 producer of the movie. 0:13:49.819 --> 0:13:53.300 Actually, I'm on both sides of the camera. Actor, writer 0:13:53.300 --> 0:13:57.300 and producer. Oh, okay. So, yes, but in terms of 0:13:57.300 --> 0:14:00.359 the story, yeah, it is obviously something very close to 0:14:00.400 --> 0:14:02.880 my heart. It's almost like a love letter. Back to 0:14:03.000 --> 0:14:05.920 the IC industry, really, from my perspective, something that I 0:14:05.920 --> 0:14:08.439 wrote back in Covid, you know, five years ago, based 0:14:08.439 --> 0:14:11.520 on obviously, my experiences with volunteering when working with the 0:14:11.559 --> 0:14:14.760 judo athletes who are vision impaired. And it was such 0:14:14.760 --> 0:14:17.880 a profound experience. Obviously, I wanted to really tell the story, 0:14:17.880 --> 0:14:20.200 and it was one of the things that I also 0:14:20.200 --> 0:14:23.519 produced it, which basically means the buck stops with me 0:14:23.560 --> 0:14:26.520 when making everything happen. And it was a hard decision 0:14:26.520 --> 0:14:29.640 also to decide whether or not to play my character 0:14:29.640 --> 0:14:32.120 in the film. Originally, I wasn't going to do that. 0:14:32.120 --> 0:14:34.360 I went, oh no, let's get someone famous, you know, 0:14:34.359 --> 0:14:37.120 like a Aquafina or Gemma Chan or someone. But one 0:14:37.120 --> 0:14:40.239 of my mentors said to me that, you know, he said, Suze, it's, 0:14:40.280 --> 0:14:41.880 you know, this is your story and you've got to 0:14:41.880 --> 0:14:44.640 think really hard about it. If you ended up seeing 0:14:44.640 --> 0:14:47.120 someone else play you in this, are you going to 0:14:47.120 --> 0:14:49.080 regret it? You know, because it's one of a lifetime 0:14:49.080 --> 0:14:51.720 kind of shots. And so something that I thought about 0:14:51.720 --> 0:14:54.479 and went, okay, no, okay. All right. I will regret it. 0:14:54.520 --> 0:14:57.479 And so I decided obviously to play also my character 0:14:57.479 --> 0:15:00.230 in the film. So yes, a few hats. Still, though, 0:15:00.270 --> 0:15:01.150 in the making of it. 0:15:01.190 --> 0:15:05.710 Certainly. And Suzanne, as you've mentioned there, this has been 0:15:05.710 --> 0:15:09.190 quite a few years in the making. Um, and of course, 0:15:09.229 --> 0:15:12.109 Covid does sort of throw a spanner in the works 0:15:12.109 --> 0:15:17.030 in terms of preparation and availability of people and resources 0:15:17.030 --> 0:15:19.629 and all that sort of thing. Did that slow things 0:15:19.630 --> 0:15:22.310 down for you, or did it all sort of really 0:15:22.350 --> 0:15:25.790 take off after anyway? So it wasn't in the pipeline 0:15:25.790 --> 0:15:26.869 just yet? 0:15:26.910 --> 0:15:29.229 Yeah. Well, I guess a blessing in disguise with the 0:15:29.229 --> 0:15:32.190 Covid was that it gave me time to develop the 0:15:32.190 --> 0:15:35.710 script to write. I mean, I was working quite heavily 0:15:35.710 --> 0:15:38.350 as an optometrist at that time as well, because even 0:15:38.350 --> 0:15:40.950 though the entertainment industry might have ceased, that's when all 0:15:40.950 --> 0:15:43.590 our healthcare services, you know, hemorrhaged really in terms of 0:15:43.590 --> 0:15:46.470 the need. But in terms of the impacts, it was 0:15:46.470 --> 0:15:49.590 hard to decide whether or not to shoot overseas or 0:15:49.590 --> 0:15:52.630 within Australia, because once we decided that we were going 0:15:52.630 --> 0:15:55.509 to have Eduardo play the role of, well, pretty much 0:15:55.510 --> 0:15:58.770 play himself, being the character and having tunnel vision. You know, 0:15:58.810 --> 0:16:01.450 it was hard going. Can we shoot in Mexico? Actually, 0:16:01.450 --> 0:16:04.450 the resounding answer was no. But. So fortunately, by the 0:16:04.450 --> 0:16:07.490 time we got to production and Borders open, that's when 0:16:07.490 --> 0:16:09.170 we went, okay, let's see what we can do and 0:16:09.170 --> 0:16:10.570 actually shoot over there as well. 0:16:10.770 --> 0:16:16.129 Was this the first movie that you'd put together yourself? 0:16:16.170 --> 0:16:20.450 Had you been involved with production or acting or any 0:16:20.450 --> 0:16:24.090 of that sort of thing prior to my eyes? Or 0:16:24.130 --> 0:16:27.290 was this the first kind of foray into that for you? 0:16:27.330 --> 0:16:30.970 I've actually been in the industry now for 11 years professionally. 0:16:31.130 --> 0:16:33.770 I know, I know, My Eyes is actually my third 0:16:33.770 --> 0:16:37.729 major feature film. My first one, unsound, was actually back 0:16:37.729 --> 0:16:40.970 in Covid days, actually, and that was actually about a 0:16:40.970 --> 0:16:44.690 deaf trans man, actually. And another love story in a 0:16:44.690 --> 0:16:46.850 sense with that. But it was my biggest one so 0:16:46.850 --> 0:16:49.369 far in a sense of in terms of the budget, 0:16:49.650 --> 0:16:52.649 it was like a $4 million feature film. My eyes and, 0:16:52.690 --> 0:16:55.050 you know, yes, I've been obviously, you know, acting and 0:16:55.050 --> 0:16:58.150 writing and producing all through the last decade and in 0:16:58.150 --> 0:17:00.789 my day job I also work as a production accountant. 0:17:01.390 --> 0:17:03.950 I believe my brain, I know, and then I work 0:17:03.950 --> 0:17:06.550 on other major productions as well in relation to that. 0:17:06.550 --> 0:17:09.629 But yes, it's a big undertaking making these projects. They 0:17:09.629 --> 0:17:11.470 take many, many years to get up. 0:17:11.510 --> 0:17:14.109 Um, you know, juggling all of that with the day 0:17:14.109 --> 0:17:18.190 job and being the accountant and being involved with optometry 0:17:18.190 --> 0:17:24.590 and being involved with writing, producing, acting, everything. So that's just, um, incredible. 0:17:24.590 --> 0:17:27.310 But let's have a bit of a chat about the 0:17:27.310 --> 0:17:31.430 finer details of my eyes and when people can go 0:17:31.430 --> 0:17:36.030 and check it out. So it releases on the 28th 0:17:36.030 --> 0:17:40.429 of May. Where can people go and watch if they'd 0:17:40.430 --> 0:17:41.470 like to head along? 0:17:41.669 --> 0:17:46.430 Yeah, yeah, it's incredibly exciting. We are releasing across select 0:17:46.430 --> 0:17:51.350 cinemas around Australia, New Zealand and the United States, and 0:17:51.350 --> 0:17:54.590 because every portion of every ticket that we sell, for 0:17:54.590 --> 0:17:58.090 my eyes, it's actually being distributed evenly amongst a group 0:17:58.090 --> 0:18:01.369 of not for profit organizations dedicated to eye care and 0:18:01.369 --> 0:18:04.169 blind sports. And so because of that, tickets can only 0:18:04.169 --> 0:18:09.330 be found on the Fan Force website, which is fan force. 0:18:12.169 --> 0:18:15.930 And basically that's where you'll see all the location times. 0:18:15.930 --> 0:18:19.889 We've got a few obviously in Melbourne, Sydney and across 0:18:19.889 --> 0:18:22.850 every single state and territory in Australia. And as I mentioned, 0:18:22.889 --> 0:18:25.649 New Zealand and with some of these screenings, we're obviously 0:18:25.649 --> 0:18:28.169 having a Q&A as well. So you'll get to actually 0:18:28.169 --> 0:18:32.050 meet myself. You'll get to also meet Eduardo Sanchez, who 0:18:32.050 --> 0:18:35.290 is the real life judo Paralympic champion coming through as well, 0:18:35.290 --> 0:18:38.050 and also some of the other cast and crew in 0:18:38.050 --> 0:18:40.409 various different screenings. So it's going to be a lot 0:18:40.409 --> 0:18:44.409 of fun. We had our world premiere at the 39th 0:18:44.409 --> 0:18:48.609 Mar de Plata International Film Festival in Argentina last year. Actually, 0:18:48.649 --> 0:18:50.890 it's one of the most prestigious and only class A 0:18:50.930 --> 0:18:54.369 film festivals in Latin America, and it was incredible. The 0:18:54.369 --> 0:18:58.110 film also got picked to represent Australia at the 69th 0:18:58.109 --> 0:19:00.869 Asia Pacific Film Festival, Macao, which I was also very 0:19:00.869 --> 0:19:03.470 lucky to be invited to go across, and we only 0:19:03.470 --> 0:19:06.550 just had a full house recently, last week actually at 0:19:06.550 --> 0:19:09.630 the Gold Coast Film Festival as part of that. And yes, 0:19:09.629 --> 0:19:11.629 and you know, we really enjoyed the Q&A. We had 0:19:11.669 --> 0:19:14.550 great response. And yeah, it was a great start to this. 0:19:14.550 --> 0:19:17.429 And we're really hoping that we can raise awareness about 0:19:17.470 --> 0:19:22.070 preventative health, about inclusion, and to really put our industry 0:19:22.070 --> 0:19:24.310 and vision on the map. You know, I think it's 0:19:24.310 --> 0:19:27.070 something that's quite unique and it's never really seen much 0:19:27.109 --> 0:19:28.350 on the big screen. 0:19:28.389 --> 0:19:31.590 As you've said, you've released a couple of movies before, 0:19:31.590 --> 0:19:35.670 but this is the one that's really focusing in on vision, 0:19:35.710 --> 0:19:39.070 on eye health, on what people who are blind or 0:19:39.070 --> 0:19:42.150 have low vision are capable of. And so was that 0:19:42.149 --> 0:19:45.830 something you'd always really wanted to get stuck into and 0:19:45.830 --> 0:19:49.109 tell that story and show the world what people from 0:19:49.109 --> 0:19:51.510 the blind and low vision community can do? 0:19:51.790 --> 0:19:54.629 Yeah, absolutely. It is one of my passions of mine. 0:19:54.629 --> 0:19:58.010 I come from a public health background with optometry. Spent 0:19:58.010 --> 0:19:59.970 a lot of time in third world countries, and I 0:19:59.970 --> 0:20:03.369 really wanted through this story to show that people with 0:20:03.369 --> 0:20:06.570 vision impairments, with any form of disability, it's not a 0:20:06.609 --> 0:20:09.810 negative thing, in a sense of that typical trope. You know, 0:20:09.850 --> 0:20:12.530 the stereotype that we tend to see or fall into 0:20:12.570 --> 0:20:16.410 in the story. It is uplifting. It's seeing people with 0:20:16.409 --> 0:20:19.330 vision impairment just be normal people, you know, like they 0:20:19.330 --> 0:20:21.490 can fall in love. They can have, you know, children, 0:20:21.490 --> 0:20:24.409 they have emotions. They're grappling drama, right? And they can 0:20:24.409 --> 0:20:27.850 be super hot, you know, like just like, you know, Eduardo, 0:20:27.889 --> 0:20:30.889 he's amazing, amazing person. And you know, with just like 0:20:30.889 --> 0:20:34.609 everyday people, you know, and that's where the authenticity comes from. And, 0:20:34.609 --> 0:20:37.450 and I think it's something that it's important to just reinforce, 0:20:37.450 --> 0:20:40.129 but in a very entertaining way. It's something that I 0:20:40.129 --> 0:20:43.290 do focus on in my work. I call it Impact Entertainment. 0:20:43.330 --> 0:20:45.050 You know, we want to make a positive impact but 0:20:45.050 --> 0:20:46.050 also entertain. 0:20:46.169 --> 0:20:50.050 Mhm. For sure. Now let's get the details about a 0:20:50.050 --> 0:20:53.630 movie launch event, which is coming up on the 2nd 0:20:53.629 --> 0:20:57.629 of June for Sydneysiders out there to head along to. 0:20:58.109 --> 0:21:01.230 It's at the Burwood Cinema. So tell us a bit 0:21:01.230 --> 0:21:02.109 about that one. 0:21:02.149 --> 0:21:05.470 Yeah, yeah. So very excited that we're going to have 0:21:05.470 --> 0:21:09.710 someone from Vision Australia hosting that event. Actually we're going 0:21:09.710 --> 0:21:14.070 to be having myself, one of our consultant directors, Eduardo, 0:21:14.230 --> 0:21:17.869 there for the Q&A, which means that audiences can ask 0:21:17.869 --> 0:21:20.710 us anything. It is free rein. 0:21:20.750 --> 0:21:21.109 Wow. 0:21:21.149 --> 0:21:23.989 Okay. And yeah, and you obviously get to see the 0:21:23.990 --> 0:21:26.630 movie and be amongst the crowd. And yeah, we just 0:21:26.629 --> 0:21:29.669 want to amplify these voices and it's going to be exciting. 0:21:29.669 --> 0:21:31.870 It's going to be the same with every single Q&A 0:21:31.909 --> 0:21:34.430 that's going to be across the country, really. And we're really, 0:21:34.430 --> 0:21:35.510 really looking forward to it. 0:21:35.510 --> 0:21:39.630 Looking forward to hearing what sort of questions come your way. 0:21:39.669 --> 0:21:42.230 I'll have to keep tabs on that one. That could 0:21:42.230 --> 0:21:45.950 be quite interesting. But yeah. Suzanne, thank you so much. 0:21:46.070 --> 0:21:48.909 It's been a pleasure to catch up with you today 0:21:48.909 --> 0:21:53.310 and chat about my eyes. So that's my eyes coming 0:21:53.310 --> 0:21:58.210 out on the 28th of May across Australia, New Zealand 0:21:58.210 --> 0:22:02.010 and the USA. And if you're in Sydney, you can 0:22:02.010 --> 0:22:05.850 head along to a session that Vision Australia is involved 0:22:05.850 --> 0:22:10.250 with on the 2nd of June. Suzanne, thank you so much. 0:22:10.290 --> 0:22:13.330 It's been so good and I'm really excited to hear 0:22:13.330 --> 0:22:14.490 how the movie goes. 0:22:14.730 --> 0:22:17.490 Yeah. Thank you so much, Sam. Thanks, everyone. 0:22:20.570 --> 0:22:25.490 And now here's Liz Dalakouras, editor of For Your Information, 0:22:25.490 --> 0:22:29.570 otherwise known as FYI. We kicked off our chat this 0:22:29.570 --> 0:22:32.290 week by chatting about a few articles. 0:22:32.450 --> 0:22:36.250 Yeah, absolutely. So one that's proven quite popular this week 0:22:36.250 --> 0:22:40.929 just speaks about the cost of NDIS misinformation. So Steph Travers, 0:22:40.930 --> 0:22:43.850 who's the board director at the people with Disabilities Australia, 0:22:43.850 --> 0:22:47.690 who also receives the NDIS herself. She recently spoke out 0:22:47.690 --> 0:22:50.690 about the public discourse that's left her and many others 0:22:50.690 --> 0:22:54.010 in the community feeling like a political football. It's just 0:22:54.010 --> 0:22:57.790 a really interesting opinion piece article that really highlights the 0:22:57.790 --> 0:23:00.109 importance of getting the information right when it comes to 0:23:00.109 --> 0:23:00.910 the NDIS. 0:23:01.230 --> 0:23:04.110 And there's a couple of other articles that people can 0:23:04.109 --> 0:23:05.510 look forward to as well is. 0:23:05.550 --> 0:23:09.230 Absolutely there is. So we at Vision Australia have created 0:23:09.230 --> 0:23:12.590 a new one that focuses on advocating for yourself, as 0:23:12.590 --> 0:23:15.350 in someone who is in the aged care system. So 0:23:15.350 --> 0:23:19.390 no matter your age, your location or your circumstances, remember 0:23:19.389 --> 0:23:21.590 that you always have the right to advocate for yourself 0:23:21.590 --> 0:23:24.390 and take control of your life. That article can be 0:23:24.389 --> 0:23:26.310 found in the news section of our website. 0:23:26.350 --> 0:23:29.830 Third, and finally, there's a third article of Vision Australia's 0:23:29.869 --> 0:23:30.910 been involved with. 0:23:30.950 --> 0:23:34.510 Absolutely. It's a really interesting topic, Sam. It's about protecting 0:23:34.510 --> 0:23:38.909 your information online. So going online we know can be 0:23:38.909 --> 0:23:41.230 quite a scary thing, particularly when you're asked to put 0:23:41.230 --> 0:23:44.669 in your bank details, your address, your phone number. Nobody's 0:23:44.710 --> 0:23:46.590 keen to do it, but we know there are safe 0:23:46.590 --> 0:23:48.550 and non-safe ways to do it. And this is the 0:23:48.550 --> 0:23:52.430 sort of article that just helps you feel more confident 0:23:52.430 --> 0:23:55.570 and comfortable being online and live. 0:23:55.609 --> 0:23:59.170 There's different ways for people who are blind or have 0:23:59.169 --> 0:24:03.889 low vision to enjoy their favorite sport, with some tactile feedback. 0:24:03.930 --> 0:24:08.170 That's now becoming available, so that's quite exciting for people 0:24:08.169 --> 0:24:08.649 out there. 0:24:08.690 --> 0:24:11.769 It really is. It's not only exciting, it's really cool. 0:24:11.810 --> 0:24:14.810 Imagine following a live sporting match with your hands. It's 0:24:14.810 --> 0:24:19.170 an incredible innovation. This device has real time vibrations that 0:24:19.169 --> 0:24:21.609 are mapped out to the action, and it just changes 0:24:21.609 --> 0:24:25.730 the way you can watch tennis, basketball, baseball, AFL, whatever 0:24:25.730 --> 0:24:27.730 sport it is you enjoy, you get to now feel 0:24:27.730 --> 0:24:28.369 the game. 0:24:28.369 --> 0:24:32.290 That's right. But on a slightly related topic, there's also 0:24:32.290 --> 0:24:35.930 some life hacks for people to enjoy and check out 0:24:35.970 --> 0:24:39.369 and see what works for them. In particular, I think, Liz, 0:24:39.369 --> 0:24:42.169 you wanted to have a chat about rubber bands. 0:24:42.290 --> 0:24:46.290 Absolutely. So as a part of FYI, moving forward, we're 0:24:46.290 --> 0:24:48.770 going to have a little section that's going to highlight 0:24:48.810 --> 0:24:50.609 our life hacks, and there'll be a new one in 0:24:50.649 --> 0:24:54.350 there every week to kick off this series. We used 0:24:54.350 --> 0:24:57.070 one of the new videos in our series. Who knew 0:24:57.109 --> 0:24:59.390 that rubber bands could be your new best friend? So 0:24:59.430 --> 0:25:03.030 this video will highlight that. Simply put a rubber band 0:25:03.030 --> 0:25:05.670 on your sauce bottle and not on your mustard bottle 0:25:05.669 --> 0:25:08.429 so you know which one is which. It's an amazing video. 0:25:08.430 --> 0:25:11.430 Visit our website, jump on the Lifehack section and you 0:25:11.430 --> 0:25:14.550 will lose yourself scrolling down and seeing all these cool 0:25:14.550 --> 0:25:15.749 little tips and tricks. 0:25:15.750 --> 0:25:21.470 And Liz, I understand the calendar artwork competitions back open 0:25:21.470 --> 0:25:24.390 again for people to take part. Tell us a bit 0:25:24.389 --> 0:25:25.350 about that one. 0:25:25.389 --> 0:25:28.790 Yeah, it sure is. It's such a great competition, Sam. 0:25:28.950 --> 0:25:31.669 You simply submit your artwork and then you have a 0:25:31.669 --> 0:25:35.989 chance to be featured in our large print calendar or diary. Plus, 0:25:36.030 --> 0:25:39.070 you can win a $200 gift card. Wow. So it's 0:25:39.070 --> 0:25:41.790 time to ready, set, create, because then you get to 0:25:41.790 --> 0:25:44.510 have your artwork displayed in people's homes. 0:25:44.510 --> 0:25:48.710 Fantastic. Now it's always a great competition and it's always 0:25:48.710 --> 0:25:52.550 lovely to check out the winning entries. There's a lot 0:25:52.550 --> 0:25:56.570 of amazing talent out there, so look forward to checking 0:25:56.570 --> 0:26:01.810 out this year's edition. And speaking of editions, the way 0:26:01.810 --> 0:26:05.290 that you can sign up to the FYI mailing list 0:26:05.330 --> 0:26:10.649 hasn't changed. Go on to the Vision Australia website and 0:26:10.690 --> 0:26:15.170 head to FYI and you can get your email on 0:26:15.169 --> 0:26:17.770 the FYI mailing list. Isn't that right, Liz? 0:26:17.810 --> 0:26:21.810 That's exactly right. Super easy. Delivered to your inbox every 0:26:21.810 --> 0:26:22.889 second Thursday. 0:26:22.930 --> 0:26:28.010 Perfect. There you go. I've been speaking today with Liz Dalakouras, 0:26:28.050 --> 0:26:33.090 editor of Foyer Information, otherwise known as FYI, having a 0:26:33.090 --> 0:26:36.890 chat with me today about the latest edition of Vision 0:26:36.889 --> 0:26:41.209 Australia's fortnightly newsletter. Liz, thank you so much as always 0:26:41.210 --> 0:26:43.730 for your time today. Great to catch up with you 0:26:43.730 --> 0:26:45.490 and have a chat about FYI. 0:26:45.530 --> 0:26:47.969 Absolutely. Thank you for having me Sam. It's always so 0:26:47.970 --> 0:26:48.609 much fun. 0:26:54.909 --> 0:26:57.989 And that's all the time we have for today. You've 0:26:57.990 --> 0:27:02.149 been listening to Talking Vision. Talking vision is a Vision 0:27:02.190 --> 0:27:06.310 Australia radio production. Thanks to all involved with putting the 0:27:06.310 --> 0:27:10.510 show together every week. And remember, we love hearing from you. 0:27:10.510 --> 0:27:13.990 So please get in touch anytime on our email at 0:27:14.030 --> 0:27:19.830 Talking at Vision Australia. That's talking vision all. One word 0:27:19.830 --> 0:27:24.630 at Vision Australia. But until next week it's Sam Culley 0:27:24.629 --> 0:27:26.109 saying bye for now. 0:27:29.550 --> 0:27:33.630 You can contact Vision Australia by phoning us anytime during 0:27:33.629 --> 0:27:41.509 business hours on one 384 746. That's one 384 74 0:27:42.070 --> 0:27:46.950 six or by visiting Vision Australia. That's Vision Australia.