Interview Highlights from Vision Australia Radio

A look back at a special moment for writers and readers.

In 2025, Hear This marked the Brimbank Writers and Readers Festival with a very special broadcast celebrating storytelling, creativity and community. This reflective edition revisits that occasion, when we proudly announced the winners and runners-up of the festival’s 2025 Microfiction Competition, showcasing powerful short works from across the Brimbank community.

As w...

Sam catches up with music therapist Emily Shanahan, 12 months after their previous conversation when, at the time, the fate of music therapies on the NDIS was front and centre of political debate.

Fortunately thanks to tireless advocacy from music therapists and testimonies from clients both past and present, the role of music therapy in the NDIS has stabilised somewhat, however challenges still remain.

Hear from Emily as she tells...

Storytelling is about connecting, preserving and sharing and empowering.

In the era of ChatGPT, real stories may be more important than ever.

This conversation between friends and colleagues, Chemutai Glasheen and Yirga Gelaw Woldeyes offers an opportunity for audiences to gain insight into the significance of the oral storytelling traditions of their respective cultures and how these traditions have informed the evolution of their...

When Alkira Buti was born in 1993 her parents knew little about cri du chat syndrome other than it was a chromosomal abnormality that would render their daughter ‘disabled’.

As they searched to understand more about the syndrome and the likely future for their daughter, they learned more about the social treatment of, and attitudes towards, children with disabilities.

Alkira is a story of resilience, determination, hear...

Peter Greco hears from classically trained pianist, Kip McLachlin, about their unique and very inclusive show, PiaNu-Metal, at the Midsumma Festival, 29-31January. The dialogue, staging and sound design have been crafted with multisensory description and auditory cues in mind, supporting audiences who are blind or have low vision to follow narrative, action and atmosphere.

More info: Pianu-Metal

See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

In this high‑energy finale to the 2026 Midsumma Carnival Day broadcast, Vision Australia Radio and JOY 94.9 welcome cabaret powerhouse Justin Clausen for a joyful and music‑filled conversation about his hit show He’s Every Woman.

Justin shares how the show pays tribute to some of the world’s greatest divas — Whitney, Cher, Céline, Tina, Kylie, and more — offering insight into which artists he channels...

In this insightful Carnival Day conversation, Vision Australia Radio and JOY 94.9 speak with Nilgun Guven, founder of Vitae Veritas, an organisation known for its long‑standing work in disability access, guided tactile tours, and inclusive festival experiences. Nilgun joins the broadcast live from the community stalls following her confirmation earlier in the week to take part again in the festival’s accessibility programming...

In this warm, insightful Carnival Day interview, Vision Australia Radio and JOY 94.9 bring together representatives from two church communities who are reshaping what faith, inclusion, and belonging look like in contemporary Melbourne.

Recorded live from the community stalls at Midsumma Carnival, the conversation explores how these congregations are building open, affirming, and LGBTQIA+‑welcoming spaces within traditions that have...

In this powerful pre‑recorded conversation, Vision Australia Radio presenter Jason Gipps speaks with multidisciplinary artist, author, musician and Deaf advocate Asphyxia, whose creative work spans circus, puppetry, visual art, bestselling fiction, and groundbreaking accessibility projects.

Recorded especially for the 2026 Midsumma Carnival Day broadcast, the interview explores Asphyxia’s extraordinary artistic journey &mdash...

In this candid and high‑energy Carnival Day conversation, Vision Australia Radio and JOY 94.9 sit down with Karan Nagrani — Midsumma Community Ambassador, advocate, keynote speaker, and creator of the sold‑out Midsumma show From Grindr to Blindr.

Karan’s work blends razor‑sharp humour with deeply honest storytelling about dating, identity, and disability as a blind, gay person of colour. In this interview, he shares how...