Studio 1

WARNING: This week’s Studio 1 contains language that some listeners may find offensive.

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.

On this week’s show…

The first of three shows recorded on my recent unexpected last-minute trip to London.

This week Matthew speaks to Paula Thomas, She’s the Eye Clinic Liaison Officer at Great Ormond Street Children’s hospital in London

When Matthew’s twin daughters were both born with congenital cataracts, she was the person whose job it was to hold his and his family’s hands and helped them navigate what can only be described as quite a traumatic experience

She was also the first severely sight impaired person Matthew had ever spoken to about being severely sight impaired himself.

Not only that, she’s the person who came up with the concept for this very show

In the Layton household she is referred to as ‘Matthew’s Hospital Girlfriend”

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EMAIL: [email protected]   

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

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[PHOTO CAPTION: Studio 1 guest Paula Nettley in relaxed mood sitting against a wall, resplendent in a bright yellow dress and sunglasses guide dog by her side]

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s Studio 1: The show’s favourite rockstar, Casey Harris of X Ambassadors

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.

On this week’s show…

Back to talk to us for the third time, our guest is not only the engine room of award-winning, chart topping popular music combo X Ambassadors, he’s a fully qualified and certified piano tuner.

His name is Casey Harris.

Casey and Matthew have a natter about the things that, as fathers with living with vision impairments, they have to get their wives to do - like identifying rashes and cutting kids’ fingernails.

Casey waves his fist in the air about the inaccessibility of music software, Matthew offers to buy Casey a xylophone and was that a clue to when X Ambassadors might be releasing new music….?

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CALL or TEXT: 04 500 78834

EMAIL: [email protected]   

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

GUESTS AND RESOURCES

Casey Harris of X Ambassadors - https://xambassadors.com/ 

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[PHOTO CAPTION: A studio shot of the three members of X Ambassadors against a black background. Casey Harris is front and centre wielding his long cane.]

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s Studio 1: We cross to Cape Cod, Massachusetts to talk to the world’s only blind oceanographer Dr Amy Bower

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.

On this week’s show…

Dr Amy Bower is a physical oceanographer at The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. She specialises in the measurement of underwater currents.

Amy talks about the challenges she faced as she lost her sight in her twenties, the practical difficulties of working as a scientist when you’re blind and the remarkable support her employer has given her.

She also talks passionately about her work. If you’re not fascinated by the movement of water in the cold murky depths of the ocean, you soon will be!

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CALL or TEXT: 04 500 78834

EMAIL: [email protected]   

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

GUESTS AND RESOURCES

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute - https://www.whoi.edu/ 

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[PHOTO CAPTION: A headshot of Studio 1 guest Dr Amy Bower clumsily photoshopped onto a picture of the famous lighthouse in her home town of Cape Cod.]

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s Studio 1: We’ve brought out the big guns! An Australian of the Year and a bona-fide Australian rock’n’roll legend!

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.

International Glaucoma Week kicks off on 12th March and for the fourth year in a row, to mark the occasion, we talk to Australian rockstar Kirk Pengilly about how he narrowly avoided losing his sight to glaucoma.

And, as before, Matthew presents Kirk with a couple of pieces of music to listen to. Last year, for the first time, Matthew got two ‘thumbs up’ - let’s see how he does this year.

And, as usual, we have asked a medical professional to give us an overview of what glaucoma actually is, but this year we’ve gone straight to the top.

2020 Australian of the Year Dr James Muecke outlines glaucoma causes, symptoms, treatment and, most importantly of all, prevention.

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CALL or TEXT: 04 500 78834
EMAIL: [email protected]   
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/varadionetwork and http://twitter.com/whingeingpom  

GUESTS AND RESOURCES

Glaucoma Australia - https://glaucoma.org.au/

7 Sights Challenge - https://www.sevensights.org.au/  

Kirk Pengilly Chill Compilations on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3eZITfq6E6mogh5OD68wBj 

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[PHOTO CAPTION: Side-by-side headshots of this week’s Studio 1 guests Dr James Muecke and Kirk Pengilly]

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s Studio 1: the young blind DJ taking #WorldPride2023 by storm!

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.

We head to Sydney for #WorldPride2023 where young blind DJ GALLEON - also known as Mitch Medcalfe - is taking the festival by storm.

He’s played outdoor events, events for bears and a couple of kink parties - each time adapting his set to suit the crowd.

Please get in touch with the show, whether you have experience of any of the issues covered in this episode of Studio 1 or if you think there’s something we should be talking about.

You never know your story and your insight may help somebody else who is dealing with something similar.

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CALL or TEXT: 04 500 78834

EMAIL: [email protected]   

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

GUESTS AND RESOURCES

Vision Australia - https://visionaustralia.org/ 

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[PHOTO CAPTION: DJ Mitch Medcalfe - a.k.a GALLEON - at the wheels of steel in a very smart white hat and sunglasses]

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s Studio 1: Sirine - the seventeen year old singer-songwriter who stole the show at last year’s #WhiteStickFest and is about to steal your heart.

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 Matthew talks to Sirine, the seventeen year old singer-songwriter who shared a virtual stage with Sarah McLachlan and KT Tunstall and, to put it mildly, acquitted herself rather well!

In this often touching interview, Sirine tells Matthew about going blind at the age of 11, her relationship with her father and how appaearing on Britain’s Got Talent changed her liffe.

Please get in touch with the show, whether you have experience of any of the issues covered in this episode of Studio 1 or if you think there’s something we should be talking about.

You never know your story and your insight may help somebody else who is dealing with something similar.

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CALL or TEXT: 04 500 78834
EMAIL: [email protected]   
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/varadionetwork and http://twitter.com/whingeingpom  

GUESTS AND RESOURCES

Vision Australia - https://visionaustralia.org/ 

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[PHOTO CAPTION: A portrait of Studio 1 guest seventeen year old singer-songwriter Sirine.]

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s Studio 1: Matthew and Sam talk to athlete Sophie Patton.

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 Matthew talks to Sophie Patton.

By day Sophie is an educational professional by day and at other times she’s an accomplished athlete.

Sophie chats about her job helping young children learn to read, the logistical difficulties of training during COVID and surviving the childhood trauma of having Sam as an athletics coach.

Please get in touch with the show, whether you have experience of any of the issues covered in this episode of Studio 1 or if you think there’s something we should be talking about.

You never know your story and your insight may help somebody else who is dealing with something similar.

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CALL or TEXT: 04 500 78834
EMAIL: [email protected]   
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/varadionetwork and http://twitter.com/whingeingpom  

GUESTS AND RESOURCES

Vision Australia - https://visionaustralia.org/ 

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[PHOTO CAPTION: Studio 1 guest Sophe Patton in a three-quarter length portrait, hand on hip, dressed for business.]

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s Studio 1: Matthew talks to the first person he ever met with the same eye condition that he has. He was 46 years old at the time.

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 Matthew talks to Sam’s wife Heidi.

Heidi and Matthew were both born in the 1970s with congenital cataracts.

In both cases it was a few months before the condition was spotted.

Both of them had operations to remove the lenses from their eyes and, unlike today when those lenses would be replaced with artificial ones, Heidi and Matthew have no lenses at all in their eyes.

So it’s quite likely that they’re the only two people you know who see the world the right way up!

Matthew and Heidi talk about the pros and cons of mainstream education versus specialist schools for people with a vision impairment.

Heidi went to a specialist school while Matthew went to a mainstream school.

Heidi has lifelong friends from the blind and low vision community. Matthew didn’t have a conversation about vision impairment with a person with a vision impairment until the day his twin daughters were born. 

Please get in touch with the show, whether you have experience of any of the issues covered in this episode of Studio 1 or if you think there’s something we should be talking about.

You never know your story and your insight may help somebody else who is dealing with something similar.

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CALL or TEXT: 04 500 78834
EMAIL: [email protected]   
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/varadionetwork and http://twitter.com/whingeingpom  

GUESTS AND RESOURCES

Vision Australia - https://visionaustralia.org/ 

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[PHOTO CAPTION: Matthew Layton and Heidi Rickard in conversation at a table in the Rickards’ back garden. Matthew is holding a can of Coopers Sparkling Ale Heidi is having a glass of rose. Because she’s a lady.]

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When a mother finds out that her new born baby is blind, what effect does it have on her mental health?

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 Matthew talks to Ailis Conrad, mother to 5 year old Kitt, who was born with congenital glaucoma.

Matthew’s twin daughters (who are now 11) were born with congenital cataracts, so, although Matthew and Ailis might never have met in normal circumstances, they have found they have a lot in common.

Clouds, silver linings etc...

Ailis speaks candidly and generously about the difficulties she had bonding with Kitt when she was born, the challenges that manifest themselves when your vision impaired child starts school and the joy brought by the arrival of the latest addition to the Conrad family, 8 month old Rico.

Matthew and Ailis also discuss the guilt they both feel about passing a hereditary eye condition on to their children.

Please get in touch with the show, whether you have experience of any of the issues covered in this episode of Studio 1 or if you think there’s something we should be talking about.

You never know your story and your insight may help somebody else who is dealing with something similar.

–
CALL or TEXT: 04 500 78834
EMAIL: [email protected]   
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/varadionetwork and http://twitter.com/whingeingpom  

GUESTS AND RESOURCES

Vision Australia - https://visionaustralia.org/ 
Glaucoma Australia - https://glaucoma.org.au/

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[PHOTO CAPTION: Supermum Ailis Conrad and her bonny eight month old son Rico]

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Studio 1, we talk to a Romanian living in Norway about an audiobook set in Japan…

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, our very special guest is renowned critic and accessibility activist Victor Dima.

Victor is living the dream.

He earns a crust by listening to audiobooks and playing computer games (then reviewing them and writing about them - https://victordima.net/)

Victor and Matthew discuss life in winter in Oslo, playing computer games with a vision impairment and being married to superwomen!

Please get in touch with the show, whether you have experience of any of the issues covered in this episode of Studio 1 or if you think there’s something we should be talking about.

You never know your story and your insight may help somebody else who is dealing with something similar.

–
CALL or TEXT: 04 500 78834
EMAIL: [email protected]    
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/varadionetwork  and http://twitter.com/whingeingpom   

GUESTS AND RESOURCES

Victor Dima - https://victordima.net/ 
https://twitter.com/victordimanet 
https://www.facebook.com/playstationfansromania/ 

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[PHOTO CAPTION: A portrait of Studio 1 guest Victor Dima.]

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.