Matthew Layton and Sam Rickard present Studio 1 - Vision Australia Radio’s weekly look at life from a low vision and blind point of view.

This week:

The world’s fastest blind man on two wheels - and that’s official. 

His name is Ben Fetlen, he’s a current Guinness World Record holder and a card-carrying Australian bloke 

However, while this show might at first seem to be about Ben racing across the South Australian salt flats at 266kph on a motorbike without being able to see where he’s going, there is actually something a little more important at its heart.

Here at Studio 1 we’re always keen to explore the link between blindness, low vision and particularly sight loss and mental health issues.

In this episode of Studio 1 Ben talks incredibly frankly, eloquently and generously - about the effect that losing his sight in his mid twenties had on his life.

As well as losing his sight, Ben lost his career, his independence and the relationship with his partner at the time.

At his lowest ebb, Ben ended up self-medicating with alcohol and soft drugs, getting into fights in pubs and eventually got himself into so much trouble that he ended up in jail.

Ben goes onto tell us how, with the help of a brilliant counsellor, he managed to get his life back on track.

He is without doubt the most eloquent person we’ve had on this show on the subject of sight loss and mental health and we’re incredibly grateful to him for sharing his story with us.

If you think that what Ben has to say may help someone going through this kind of issue, please share it with them.

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CALL or TEXT: 04 500 78834

EMAIL: [email protected]  

TWITTER: http://twitter.com/varadionetwork and http://twitter.com/whingeingpom 

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GUESTS AND RESOURCES

Ben Felten

Mentoring - Insightofdreams.org

Speed record adventures - blindspeed.com.au

[PHOTO CAPTION: A striking image of Studio 1 guest Ben Felten standing on the bright white ground of the South Australian salt flats under a clear blue sky. Next to him is his guide rider Kevin Magee. They are standing in front of their world record-breaking motorcycles.]

Vision Australia gratefully acknowledges the support of the Community Broadcasting Foundation for Studio 1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matthew Layton and Sam Rickard present Studio 1 - Vision Australia Radio’s weekly look at life from a low vision and blind point of view.

This week:

We cross to Vancouver British Columbia to talk to Canadian composer and performer Jugpreet Bajwa.

Juggy’s new single ‘Sukoon’ was released on Monday and, considering he’s just released one of his babies into the world, he seems incredibly calm.

Topics of conversation range from Juggy’s close relationship with his family to the challenges of touring as a blind musician, stopping off on the way to talk about romantic love and hiking along Vancouver’s magnificent Seawall.
CALL or TEXT: 04 500 78834
EMAIL: [email protected]   
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/varadionetwork  and http://twitter.com/whingeingpom  
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GUESTS AND RESOURCES

Jugpreet Bajwa
twitter - https://twitter.com/JuggyJag
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jugpreetbajwa 
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/3DFGYkgDvvTO1qPtMomjyd?si=ikz4Wa4PT82hbwHGTdyhVw 

Juggy’s new single ‘Sukoon’
YouTube - https://youtu.be/WDGcTNj7_S4

[PHOTO CAPTION: Studio 1 guest Jugpreet Bajwa in the photo from the cover art for his new single Sukoon, the sun setting over his native Vancouver in the background]

Vision Australia gratefully acknowledges the support of the Community Broadcasting Foundation for Studio 1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matthew Layton and Sam Rickard present Studio 1 - Vision Australia Radio’s weekly look at life from a low vision and blind point of view.

This week:

As the rest of the world celebrates May the Fourth - Star Wars Day - Studio 1 tries to find out why George Lucas’s supposed masterpiece is the blind community’s least favourite film.

To this end, we are conducting an experiment.

We have sent each of our two victims… sorry, subjects (neither of whom have seen Star Wars) audio-only copies of the original Star Wars movie to see what they make of it.

Mick Zannis is the most-capped player in Australian Blind Cricket history. Mick has sat through Star Wars in the past and it never did anything for him, but we’ve sent him Disney's new audio-described version of the film.

Jason Gipps is one of the team of dedicated people who keep Vision Australia Radio on the air. We’ve sent him an audio-only version of the film to see what a sighted person makes of the experience without the usual visual aids.

Mick also tells us how to do a COVID RAT test without the benefit of sight and Jason gives us a rundown on what’s coming up in the near-future here on Vision Australia Radio.

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this week’s show - or if there’s something you feel we need to talk about on future shows, please do get in touch.

CALL or TEXT: 04 500 78834

EMAIL: [email protected]  

TWITTER: http://twitter.com/varadionetwork and http://twitter.com/whingeingpom 

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[PHOTO CAPTION: The opening scene of Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope in which ”...suspended in the infinite void of outer space, words in giant YELLOW letters roll out from underneath us..."] 

Vision Australia gratefully acknowledges the support of the Community Broadcasting Foundation for Studio 1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matthew Layton and Sam Rickard present Studio 1 - Vision Australia Radio’s weekly look at life from a low vision and blind point of view.

This week:

A man we’ve been wanting to talk to for a while now

The man who turned up to last year’s #WhiteStickFest - our virtual music festival to celebrate International White Cane Day - and won, because of his energy alone. 

He’s a rootin’ tootin’ son of a gun and his name is Blind Joe.

He’s also a country music artist from Fargo, North Dakota. 

Our conversation covers topics as diverse as music, family and the effect that COVID - or the’rona as Joe calls -  has had on our lives in the last two years

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this week’s show - or if there’s something you feel we need to talk about on future shows, please do get in touch.

CALL or TEXT: 04 500 78834

EMAIL: [email protected]  

TWITTER: http://twitter.com/varadionetwork and 

http://twitter.com/whingeingpom 

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GUESTS:

Blind Joe - https://www.blindjoe.com/

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[PHOTO CAPTION: The devilishly handsome Blind Joe sitting atop a tree stump in what we imagine are the woods of North Dakota] 

Vision Australia gratefully acknowledges the support of the Community Broadcasting Foundation for Studio 1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matthew Layton and Sam Rickard present Studio 1 - Vision Australia Radio’s weekly look at life from a low vision and blind point of view.

This week:

Christine Ha.

Christine first came to the world’s attention when she won one of the first series of Masterchef, her relationship with Gordon Ramsey in particular tugging at the heart strings of many watching.

In this interview we have a chance to get to know a woman who is so much more than a contestant on a cooking show, 

Christine has two degrees to her name - one in Business Administration and one in fine arts - both of which she acquired as she was losing her sight.

Christine speaks with incredible dignity about what it was like to lose her sight in her early twenties and the challenge of learning how to cook without sight.

Now the proprietor of two restaurants in Houston, Texas, Christine talks eloquently of the energy and resilience required by business owners in the service sectors over the last couple of years.  
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If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this week’s show - or if there’s something you feel we need to talk about on future shows, please do get in touch.
CALL or TEXT: 04 500 78834
EMAIL: [email protected]  
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/varadionetwork and 
http://twitter.com/whingeingpom 
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GUESTS:
Christine Ha

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[PHOTO CAPTION: A portrait of Studio 1 guest Christine Ha resplendent in immaculate chef’s whites] 
Vision Australia gratefully acknowledges the support of the Community Broadcasting Foundation for Studio 1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matthew Layton and Sam Rickard present Studio 1 - Vision Australia Radio’s weekly look at life from a low vision and blind point of view.

This week:

Murphy

We meet a musician with a fascinating true gentle artist’s soul.

After losing his job - and being told that this had happened because of the issues he has with his sight, our guest today Phillip Murphy - Murphy to those who know him - hit the road, guitar in hand and lived an itinerant balladeer’s life for nigh on eight years

Then, in a strange twist of fate, our hero found himself being swept up by the U.S. reality TV juggernaut that is American Idol

A strange collision between two very different worlds

So today we have the chance to get to know Murphy a little better and to ask him about what his American Idol experience was like and how things are going for him now.

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If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this week’s show - or if there’s something you feel we need to talk about on future shows, please do get in touch.

CALL or TEXT: 04 500 78834

EMAIL: [email protected]  

TWITTER: http://twitter.com/varadionetwork and 

http://twitter.com/whingeingpom 

–

GUESTS:

Murphy on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/08wbLLblCPpZafA2CXUXRB 

Murphy’s American Idol “journey” - https://youtu.be/aZjVsAZAdfM

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[PHOTO CAPTION: Musician and Studio 1 guest Murphy sitting at a microphone, guitar upon his knee] 

Vision Australia gratefully acknowledges the support of the Community Broadcasting Foundation for Studio 1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matthew Layton and Sam Rickard present Studio 1 - Vision Australia Radio’s weekly look at life from a low vision and blind point of view.

This week:

COVID

The news agenda may have moved on, but “the virus”  is still having a very real effect on many people’s lives - particularly people living with low vision or blindness.

So with the help of our panel of experts, our choir of angels, our gang of friends and associates who have what the hipsters refer to as “lived experience” of low vision and blindness, we investigate!

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If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this week’s show - or if there’s something you feel we need to talk about on future shows, please do get in touch.
CALL or TEXT: 04 500 78834
EMAIL: [email protected]  
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/varadionetwork and 
http://twitter.com/whingeingpom 

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GUESTS:
Matt Spencer
Paul Patterson
Gabrielle Simmons
Tim Haggis
Simon Chong
Peter Greco
Carolyn Johnson

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[PHOTO CAPTION: Kenny The Crochet Corona Virus - a somewhat bedraggled-looking representation of the COVID 19 virus in crochet form] 

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vision Australia gratefully acknowledges the support of the Community Broadcasting Foundation for Studio 1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matthew Layton and Sam Rickard present Studio 1 - Vision Australia Radio’s weekly look at life from a low vision and blind point of view.

This week:

Space!

We speak to the wonderful Wanda Diaz Merced, a blind astronomer who explores space using sound.

Wanda has joined us to ask for your help with her current project measuring extra terrestrial gravitational waves. 

She’s looking to recruit an army of people to help her interpret and spot patterns in the vast amount of audio data she and her team collect..

To sign up go to

https://ep.ego-gw.eu/SonificationTraining/HomePage.html

Wanda also gives us the greatest answer we’ve had to the second question we ask all of our guests, “Where are you and can you describe it for us?”

Wanda is based in Pisa and her answer includes the aromas of fresh coffee and roasting onions and the high-pitched buzzing of Italian motor scooters.

--
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this week’s show - or if there’s something you feel we need to talk about on future shows, please do get in touch.
CALL or TEXT: 04 500 78834
EMAIL: [email protected]  
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/varadionetwork and 
http://twitter.com/whingeingpom 

--
[PHOTO CAPTION: SPACE! The word “Space” in big bright yellow letters against the black background of outer space with a light sprinkling of twinkling stars.] 

Vision Australia gratefully acknowledges the support of the Community Broadcasting Foundation for Studio 1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matthew Layton and Sam Rickard present Studio 1 - Vision Australia Radio’s weekly look at life from a low vision and blind point of view.

This week:

“Why do you bother travelling when you can’t actually see anything?”

Matthew speaks to Tony Giles, who, in spite of his vision impairment, has visited over 130 countries.

Tony tells us of his adventures sofa-surfing in Russia, kayaking in Papua New Guinea and accosting strangers on the streets of New York.

Other topics discussed include the smell of penguin poo and Tony’s collection of garden gnomes.

For more information about Tony, his travels and the books he has written, go to https://www.tonythetraveller.com/ 

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If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this week’s show - or if there’s something you feel we need to talk about on future shows, please do get in touch.

CALL or TEXT: 04 500 78834

EMAIL: [email protected]  

TWITTER: http://twitter.com/varadionetwork and 

http://twitter.com/whingeingpom 

--

[PHOTO CAPTION: Intrepid traveller Tony Giles in a large courtyard decorated with orange and red bunting outside the Basilica of Santo Niño in Manila.] 

Vision Australia gratefully acknowledges the support of the Community Broadcasting Foundation for Studio 1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matthew Layton and Sam Rickard present Studio 1 - Vision Australia Radio’s weekly look at life from a low vision and blind point of view.

This week:

Make-up!

Many of the people we talk to in the course of making Studio 1 lose sight later in life.

On top of all the other frankly horrible things that this loss can lead to, it can mean the loss of the ability to apply make-up with confidence - to put on the war-paint that allows them to go out and face the world with confidence.

So, instructed and inspired by Studio 1’s resident chef-cum-children’s author Jen Gierens, Matthew and Sam have left their comfort zone, and gone on the  hunt for make-up tips.

Sam has canvassed the opinions of Studio 1’s Panel of Experts/Choir of Angels for their advice. We hear from Heidi Rickard, Gabrielle Simmons, Grace King and Carolyn Johnson.

Matthew asks content creator, style icon and influencer Lucy Edwards for help. 

Lucy is eminently qualified. As well as having 1.5 million followers on TikTok, Lucy has a contract with shampoo brand Pantene as the face of both their universal packaging initiative and their Pantene Miracles Silky and Glowing hair care line.

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If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this week’s show - or if there’s something you feel we need to talk about on future shows, please do get in touch.
CALL or TEXT: 04 500 78834
EMAIL: [email protected]  
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/varadionetwork and 
http://twitter.com/whingeingpom 

--
[PHOTO CAPTION: A portrait of Studio 1 guest Lucy Edwards, a young woman with vibrant red hair wearing a cream dress.]

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GUESTS AND RESOURCES:

Lucy Edwards

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChhMknOcAZOQXC1rh0ler-Q 
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@lucyedwards   
Twitter - https://twitter.com/lucyedwards 

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Vision Australia gratefully acknowledges the support of the Community Broadcasting Foundation for Studio 1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.