Talking Vision by Vision Australia Radio

We have a special appearance from Peter Greco this week, as he catches up with Mac Bollella from the South Australian Electoral Commission.

With the SA state election taking place on 21 March we get the latest details on how voters who are blind or have low vision can cast their votes confidentially and accessibly.

You'll also hear from music therapist Emily Shanahan, Sam catches up with her to get a recap 12 months on from the dev...

We have a very special guest on the show this week as Sam speaks with new Vision Australia CEO, David Williamson.

David began his tenure as CEO in October of last year, and just past the three month mark Sam caught up with him to discuss his first three months as CEO, what he's gotten involved with so far and what he's looking forward to in 2026.

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This week Sam speaks with University of Southern Queensland PhD student Aasha Rose, whose research explores braille literacy and its link to positive life outcomes for braille users who are blind or have very low vision.

We also hear from editor of For Your Information, Liz Dalakouras, as she joins Sam with the latest issue to kick off February, and Frances is back with a Reader Recommended.

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We pay tribute to Food for Thought host and avid braille book reader Joy Nuske, who sadly passed away over the holiday break.

Frances Keyland caught up with Joy a few years back on Hear This, and you'll hear from Frances and Joy today.

Sam also catches up with Megan Star from Red Feet Wines, a winery in the King Valley in Victoria who will be holding a Taste of the Senses event for wine lovers who are blind or have low vision on 21...

It's a Midsumma special episode of Talking Vision this week as we feature three interviews with Karen Bryant, Dolly Diamond and Justin Clausen.

You'll hear from Vision Australia Radio favourites Tess Herbert and Karan Nagrani as they're joined by Joy 94.9 personalities Little Jase, Adz and CJ to host the 3 hour carnival special broadcast which took place at the Alexandra Gardens on Sunday 18 January.

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We kick off the show this week with Karan Nagrani, who joins the show to talk about his upcoming show From Grindr To Blindr, taking place on 7 February at the Melbourne Pride Centre.

Then after Sam catches up with Karan we feature some news and information, and Frances wraps up the show with a Reader Recommended.

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It's a World Braille Day special episode of Talking Vision as we feature Vision Australia Radio and RPH network veteran Stephen Jolley, who catches up with BBC North America correspondent Gary O'Donoghue.

Gary has been totally blind from a young age, and so throughout his later childhood and adult life braille has played a central role in everything he does. 

Tune in to hear more from Gary about braille's role in his life, mak...

Sam speaks to Anne Diez, mother of five-year-old Iko. At age two Iko lost his vision due to leukemia but thanks to Vision Australia he's been able to adapt to play and be as active as ever.

Iko is one of our Carols ambassadors this year, if you'd like to buy a ticket and head along there's still time, simply head to the Carols website.

You'll also hear from Gino who joins us with some gift ideas for that friend or family member who...

We kick off the show with a library update from Vision Australia Library manager Sarah Bloedorn, who gives us a sneak preview of what the library has in store for members in 2026.

You'll also hear from singer and songwriter Summer Giddings, who has recently released a single for Christmas entitled Paper Hats and Mistletoe, alongside her new album Christmas with Summer.

Then finally to wrap up we get the latest on the Telelink Janua...

Sam welcomes back Santiago Velazquez Hurtado, who is one of six ambassadors for this year's International Day of People with Disability. He talks about his role, the day itself and what days like this can do to raise awareness and provoke positive change for people with disabilities.

You'll also hear from Liz Dalakouras as she gives a final run down of For Your Information for 2025, and we finish up with a Reader Recommended.

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Sam speaks to Kathryn Carey from Impact Institute about their recent Melbourne Disability Expo which wrapped up on Saturday 22 November, as well as the other work Impact is doing in the disability space.

You'll also hear from Moonee Valley City Council's Kelly Armstrong, she tells us about an upcoming event in Flemington to mark the lead up to International Day of People with Disability on December 3.

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This week we celebrate the nine Vision Australia Award winners who received their awards at the recent Vision Australia Annual General Meeting on October 31.

You'll hear from all in attendance at the awards with introductions from master of ceremonies Ian Finlayson and chair Bill Jolley.

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Sam catches up with Vision Australia's manager of radio and audio services, Conrad Browne, about the recent CBAA conference in Hobart and the awards night where Vision Australia Radio picked up three awards, and Peter Greco was added to the community radio honour roll for his three decades of service to the sector.

You'll also hear from Sara McDonald and Belinda Marcon who join us to chat about the Melbourne Airport Assist program,...

Sam speaks to CEO of Bus Stop Films, Tracey Corbin-Matchett about an upcoming disability employment summit that Bus Stop Films has been involved in running, now is its second year.

The summit is called Driving Change, taking place over three days on 25-27 November both in Bondi and online, for members of the screen industry and creatives with lived experience of disability including but not limited to deafness, neurodivergence or m...

Sam speaks with Associate Professor Tien Huynh from RMIT about her team's research into a new medication using natural proteins to tackle retina-based vision conditions such as macular degeneration.

You'll also hear from 2025 Blind Australian of the Year Maurice Gleeson, who recently picked up the award for his decades of service to the blind and low vision community in the field of sport and recreation.

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This week we celebrate the 2025 Blind Australian of the Year Awards with a range of interviews and speeches featuring Vision Australia Radio's own Jason Gipps, and Blind Australian of the Year MC Karan Nagrani.

Jason and Karan take you through the night featuring conversations with Reggie Bird, Tash from Braille and Tactile Signs Australia, award winner announcements and more.

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Talking Vision turns 800! To celebrate Sam takes us on a trip back over the years to feature some of his favourite conversations with people from the blind and low vision community who have made an impact on the world in their own way.

We also hear from Wayne Speers from Yarra Trams to tell us about the upcoming Try Before you Ride event at Southern Cross on 16 October.

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