Audio
NDIS: "No Doubt It Stinks?"
Studio 1 by
Vision Australia2 seasons
19 June 2024
36 mins
People with blindness or low vision discuss Australia's NDIS, its services and what could be done better.
![A purple square with the white word I, followed a green heart image, followed by white acronym ndis.](https://powered-media-prod.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/transformed/_bannerMedium/I-Heart-NDIS_2020.jpg)
Lizzie Eastham 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... NDIS: “No Doubt It Stinks?”
Sam comes up with a somewhat unflattering reuse of the anagram NDIS and challenges others to do better. Meanwhile Lizzie asks a number of people who are blind or have a vision impairment what they think of the NDIS; its services and what could be done better?
Studio 1 welcomes any input from our listeners. If you have any experience or thoughts about issues covered in this episode or believe there is something we should be talking about.
Email us or leave comment on our Facebook page.
Thank you to Stephen, Jodie, Carlie, Lisa and Steven.
Studio 1 gratefully acknowledges the support of the Community Broadcasting Foundation.
00:44S1
This is Studio 1 on Vision Australia Radio.
00:53S2
Hello, I'm Sam...
S3
And I'm Lizzy.
S2
And this is Studio 1, your weekly look at life from a low vision and blind point of view here on Vision Australia Radio.
01:00S3
On this week's show...
01:02S2
The NDIS. Recently it's been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
01:06S3
We talked to a few friends and asked them what they think of the organisation that's proven to be a help and a hindrance at the same time.
01:15S2
Most of us love the services, but to some there's no doubt it stinks.
01:20S3
As we always say at this point, please do get in touch with the show. Whether you have experience with any of the issues covered in this week's episode of Studio 1, or whether you think there's something we should be talking about, you never know. Your story and insight may help someone who's dealing with something similar.
01:36S2
Please contact us via email: studio1@visionaustralia.org - that's studio number one at Vision Australia dot org.
01:41S3
Or perhaps you can drop us a note on our Facebook page at facebook.com slash RVA Radio Networks, we want to hear from you.
01:49S4
It's created more work as far as the paperwork and following things and doing assessments and getting paperwork in and OT assessments and all those things. But it's the old system kind of went in and went, I can have this. They sort of made a judgement call and that was that. It's definitely given us more services about housecleaning and gardening and support work hours. There was a potential for us to get some of that anyway, so it's definitely benefits. But... cost as far as time and running around and paperwork and bureaucracy. But pros and cons. So my biggest disappointment with the NDIS is that people who struggle to advocate or understand the system are the ones that miss out. So I think that's the biggest, biggest problem with it.
02:38S2
So who were we talking to then?
02:40S3
Steven Kemp? Yes, I had a lovely chat with him last week and you know, he has quite a bit to say about the NDIS.
02:46S2
So welcome to studio 1, dear listener. And I know there's only one of you out there. So hello, we're making use of the wonderful vox pops that Lizzy has got from us. So thank you very much for that, Lizzy.
02:58S3
Oh no worries, I should have done it sooner, but it's all good.
03:01S2
So what we do is we take a whole lot of people. We ask them exactly the same set of questions, which gives us the ability to do what we're doing today, and that is get your opinions, and that is you, the listeners opinions on various issues. So this week we are talking about the NDIS. And note in this that start I used a subtle use of the anagram. Yes, if you can think of anything else to apply to that, well please drop us a note and let us know. Please keep it clean though.
03:33S3
I'll try to think of one, you know, before the end of the show. But like you said, Sam, the people that have given us the answers are people that actually listen to the show. So you can, you know, be rest assured that your opinions will be represented.
03:46S2
And, yes, I mean, if you if you're afraid of coming on air, then we can send you a questionnaire and you can write us a few notes back again, I'm sure we can find in this wonderful studio of ours someone to read things like that out. So we are talking about the NDIS today and who have we got on next?
04:05S3
I believe we have Jodie.
04:09S5
I reckon that the NDIS is an absolute amazing scheme. I just wonder whether when Julia Gillard originally, had the vision of the NDIS, whether she went down the rabbit hole that it's now become. I know lots of people have trouble getting things. And for example, I had, from the time I applied to the time I received my ten and bike, it was 17 months. So it was a bit of a long, long haul, a long slog. And I know that there are some vision impaired people out there that don't have as good a package as what I've got, which is disappointing and frustrating for them. And I know there are people who are vision impaired that have a better package than I do.
I think it's really hard when when it first came in, they want to know what it's like for you on your worst day. And if you've been vision impaired all your life like I have, you don't think about your worst day. It's always, righto, how can I get around this? How can I do this? It's not. Or how can someone help me? It's how can I do it on my own? And how can I plan for that day? So to, I guess, make yourself vulnerable and explain to people how how your day is, but then you're always trying to make your day the best it can be. Not dwell on the hardship of the of the day or the activity that you're going to do. So yeah, it would be a pretty contentious question, but I think in general it's a great thing. I mean, there are lots of people that have lots of help that wouldn't have had that pre NDIS.
And on the flip side of that, there's lots of people with employment that wouldn't have had employment, you know social workers and uh, and that kind of thing. But you know there are things that need uh, tidying up like gardeners charging to come to your house, like, who does that? Like, it's not like I can pick my garden up and take it to you. You have to come here. That's your job. So yeah. There, there. And, you know, I mean, I don't know what in, in what real world does. Does somebody earn $193 an hour? I think when you're self-managed and you see the charges that some of the price guide allows, and I know you're self-managed, you can negotiate things, but you, you know, sometimes you've just got to pay up and shut up sort of thing. But it sometimes it does go against the grain.
But the actual concept of the scheme is awesome because as I said, there's lots of people that wouldn't have the help that they have today.
06:49S3
Yeah. And I think the other challenge too, is if you are not able to advocate for yourself and you don't have the resources with which to do that, then you can get stuck in this hole where you're not getting the funding that you require. And because you're not able to voice your challenges and your feelings, you're constantly stuck in that hole.
07:13S5
I guess it's the Taurean in me. If I need something or I want something, I will do what I need to do to get it and look out anyone that gets in my way.
07:21S3
Yeah, I don't think everybody's like that, unfortunately. You know, we don't have the confidence or the ability either to to advocate. No.
07:30S5
So no, you're 100% right. And I and I there's a friend of mine who's vision impaired and their package is absolutely rubbish and they're totally blind and I it's, I want to try and help but they are just not up for the fight. And that that is really upsetting that they're not up for the fight because, you know, like my life, their life could be so much better and so much more... fulfilling if they had the help that they were absolutely entitled to.
08:00S3
So what are some of the good things that you've had happened to you or that you've received because of the NDIS? I know you were talking about your tandem bike.
08:08S5
Yeah, I would say my bike and for my hubby is, he's seeing eye dog. We have an exceptional Lassie here. I know a lot of people can the lacks and you know, oftentimes it's with good reason. But, we were on one waiting list. Well, I say we. That's the royal We. My hubby was on one, both waiting lists, and we submitted a quote. And the opposite school came up with a dog. And, you know, that could have presented problems, but our lack and, whoever she contacted turned it around and got it all sorted within two weeks. And there was a public holiday in there in that two weeks. So, you know, it's I think obviously she our Lassie had had some dealings with people with disability before. So she was sort of all over it.
Whereas, you know, unfortunately some people might just see it as a job and it's just something they've got to tick off. And, you know, they, they're not able or willing to go that extra mile to get things over the line in the time frames that they should be.
09:18S2
There's a lot of things to unpack there. So one of the things that stands out to me is the local area coordinator. If you've got a good one, you've got a good one, and there's a lot of stuff you don't need to say to them. And I've been lucky to, we're both me and Heidi have been extremely lucky as far as that goes. Usually what we've asked for is what we've got.
09:39S3
I've been pretty lucky myself, and Stephen has been fairly lucky as well. But I do know of some people who have secondary disabilities, and these disabilities make it so that they can't advocate for themselves, and their local area coordinators are stepping beyond the boundaries, I should say, of what is allowed and what's not by, you know, dictating to them what goals are acceptable. So I think, you know, having a good lack is important. And also if you've got the funding for it, getting a good support coordinator, someone that can coordinate your services as well and advocate for you.
10:17S2
The interesting thing about the NDIS is they like to say it's all about choice.
10:22S3
Yes, choice and control.
10:23S2
But they'll often lump a whole lot of people into a One Size Fits All situation. So it's wonderful for people like ourselves who, you know, hey, we work in the communications industry, we can actually speak up for ourselves, but it is rather tricky for those who can't and who are reliant on other people to speak for them. So I can picture how that could be a problem. And of course, one of the other issues is multiple disabilities is not something that is necessarily recognised by the NDIA, not even now. So often you've got to choose which disability do I get support for. You hear this quite a lot. And so, you know, if you're getting support for being legally blind, as in our case, then you're not allowed to have any... mental issues or anything like that, even though one often leads from the other. So if you need help accessing counselling and things like that, that's not an automatic thing because, well, you're blind, you're not supposed to have an intellectual problem.
11:27S3
And the thing is, to the nature of the disability itself makes us prone to having mental health issues, as you said. So, you know, there's a lot of vision impaired people with PTSD or high levels of anxiety or major depression because of the nature of their disability, because they are more isolated and because they are less able to advocate for themselves, they're not getting the treatment that they deserve. And I think this is a problem that arises when you have delegates that are making decisions that don't have any lived experience. You know, they're giving us the funding. They're choosing what is allowed and what is not allowed and what is accepted, but they don't actually have any experience living with a vision impairment. And they're not close to people who are living with vision impairments. And I think that clouds their judgement when they're making these decisions, and it makes it hard for them to make a decision based on all of the information.
12:25S2
And I think, I mean, if for anyone who is able bodied and listening here, you're never going to get the full story either, because what we tend to do, it's just an automatic habit is we'll underplay things. So something that is actually a big deal, it'd be oh well yeah. So what okay. That happened often things that would be absolutely catastrophic for other people. You know, the stubbing of the toe or bumping into something or whatever. Well, we make jokes about it because that happens all the time, but it still hurts.
12:56S3
I think that's a large part of what makes this so difficult is that as disabled citizens, we don't use our disability as. A way to to be feel victimised or to live in that space of of victim mentality. We don't we don't see the world through that lens. You know, we are very much an optimistic community. We are very much making strides to to engage with the wider public in a meaningful way and to engage with members of our community, whether it be our families and friends, and show them that just because we live with a disability doesn't mean we are any less capable. So to ask us to, you know, take what we're going through on our worst day and portray that to an able bodied person who's got no idea. I actually find it to be quite insulting, really.
13:59S2
But we'll cover that later on, because I think our next guest actually does cover that quite nicely.
14:04S3
Yes, I think it's Carly.
14:10S1
It's like the Lotto. I'd have to say it took a few years for me to, I guess, get to where I am today, where I've got. I'm very happy with where I'm at today. But it took finding the right support coordinator, then listening to the crazy things that I wanted to do. I'm not in the normal tick the box and I don't think you are either. No, definitely. And you need to find a support coordinator that can really show you that in your plan and match the goals up. That's when you get, I think when things can happen, when you get that wording right, it all comes down to what it reflects back to. So it's about having people around you that understand you want to do different things. Yeah. And some people, yeah, it's black and white I guess you've got and I do feel it matters. On who's sitting behind. This is the sad reality and this is my how I see it is. Sometimes people have to take their bias out of it and and see it for what it is.
And what's the best case scenario for the individual without setting them up to fail? The first year, I didn't realise that when the day I got diagnosed and the ophthalmologist said, you can't drive anymore, I'll start the process of the NDIS and I'm like, okay, but I didn't understand. I was working. I had a really good job on really good money, so I didn't even know what it was about. I didn't realise how much that taking just my driver's license off me and diagnosing me, the impact. I think I was still in shock, the impact that that would have. And then when the first lack, I think it was the lack, the person that come out and um, I feel yeah, I could still see pretty good then. Because I was driving not long before that and my brain had worked out, worked around the no peripheral and things like that, you know what I mean?
Because it was slow. I just thought, Oh, yeah, the... I need stronger glasses. My astigmatism is getting worse. My brain kind of made up for that. And the lady come out and she I said, I'm going to need transport because I don't drive anymore. And I've got two young children. Do you know, I didn't even get any.
16:37S3
That's crazy. And I think the problem is they want you to like when they when they do the assessment and they ask the questions. The way that I've had it explained to me, through my support coordinators and other people in the know, is that they want to know how you function on your worst day.
16:54S1
And my worst day is shut the curtains, I'm going, I'm having a mental health day and bring me chocolate. Yeah, exactly. That's the what are you all doing.
17:05S6
Now that the NDIS is there to support you?
17:08S1
Yeah, exactly.
17:09S6
I mean, unless you're willing to function, to fund my chocolate budget, there's things that I put in.
17:16S1
Come and rub my feet and tell me I'm pretty. That's. You know.
17:21S6
Exactly. It's all about the wording. You know, how they word the questions as opposed and and how then you answer those questions and also how you word your goal 100%. And I look so different for every individual.
17:33S1
That's it. Like, I've worked out you know I love mindfulness I love yoga, I love that's therapy to me. Yeah. That's what works for me. And jumping on the bike now you know, because I've been given this opportunity that's now I've got all these other tools that I'm gathering because that first little ripple effect of being able to just step out and and learn how to do meditation and, and mindfulness and things like that, and have a psychologist, I'll be honest. I need to get a checkup from the neck up, because I'm grieving something that's getting taken away from me that I didn't think would be taken away. Yeah. So it's all these things that need to be taken into consideration for the whole to come together. And for me to have that freedom to go.
You know what I don't I what really gets me is these service agreements. Service agreements to me, make me anxious. I know the money's not spent, but it's like, Oh, well, you're doing a service agreement for this, this and this. And I'm just like, Oh my God, there goes my freedom. And also that's how I feel. And also as well I think the NDIS is going the way that I can't. I've got to go through somebody, a company, not have that freedom of find my own supports with an ABM that I can I get on with there in my home, there with my. My son has just been diagnosed. As with those keys in level two and ADHD, he's on a NDIS plan now. You know what I mean? I don't want to have to go somewhere that through a company that will charge the exact total rate because they've got to pay the other everything else. When I can connect with a support worker that's got an ABN number.
I'm going off on a tangent here. But obviously it needs to be said to have that freedom of going. Are you available this week because something's come up, I've got to get out of the house and this is happening now. So, you know, are you able to connect with me more normality? I think the the way it's going is it's going to take that. It's going to be very kind of like aged care. When a few years back, the aged care sector, I went from, you know, you've got this company to people try to buy your... own support out.
20:04S1
Yeah, exactly. And the thing is, I went, I said something to someone and they said, Oh, no, that's what we charge. And I said, the NDIS, someone through Mabel, actually, and they tried to charge me $80 an hour plus car hire. And I just went, oh my God. I entertained him for a little while and I said, it is an NDIS guide. It's a guide. It's not saying I have, we have to, you know what I mean? We can come to an agreement. Because I've got to think of this over 12 months in my son's case, two years, you know, so that's getting taken away as well because these companies are coming in, going whatever it's up to now, 67.23 an hour. Why do that when I've made an agreement with somebody I really like at 55 to 60 an hour. Do you know what I mean?
20:55S3
Yeah. And I think the thing is, with the NDIS and...
20:59S6
The fact that we, we do have more companies to rely on or to fall back on, they're just taking it as carte blanche to set whatever prices they like. You know. Yes.
21:10S1
Yeah. And it's just, it's sometimes and especially with the bigger companies, I'm not going to throw out any names. No, do that. No. That's okay. But, you know, it's that they won't even connect with you. And I understand that until they see that you've got the money. I guess I've just I'm going off on a tangent, so I'll stop now. But did you hear the latest that, the new naming for support coordinators and, plan managers are going to be called Navigators. So specialist navigators and general navigators.
21:47S6
Okay. Wow. That's great.
21:49S1
Yeah, I like it the way it is.
21:52S6
But you me through it because...
21:53S1
One support...
21:55S6
As well. Yeah. Yeah.
21:56S1
One is the support coordinator support coordination and the plan manager manager plan.
22:04S6
And...
22:04S1
The local air link does the local area. Yeah. It just I heard that the other day and I just went, Oh really?
22:11S6
It's specific. It's simple. And it says in the title exactly what they do. And I think exactly for people who don't have a draft or a massive understanding on all the bureaucratic red tape that goes along with the something like the NDIS, the more simple, specific and insight that you can make, I think the better...
22:31S1
Yeah, definitely. But it's just, you know, that's the way of the world and it's always going to be changing. So I now have to sit back and just accept it. Well I'll accept what I have to and leave the rest, but take what I need and leave the rest. But it is it's always changing. And I guess, you know, meeting someone like yourself, it's that's what it's about. It's about connecting with people, like minded people that just have got these quirks and want to live their best life.
23:04S3
So a couple of points that I found really interesting that Carly was talking about. And we'll go with... the more recent one. First is the language that's now being used.
23:15S2
Yeah. Picture that. I'm a navigator. Oh. On which ship?
23:20S7
And which software?
23:22S2
Which aeroplane?
23:22S7
Yes. What are you navigating?
23:26S2
Yes, exactly. It's, they've obviously spent a lot of money and thought, okay, this is how we'll fix it. We'll change the names.
23:34S3
I mean, there are so many other areas that can be improved that have been highlighted over the years. Why not dedicate your resources and funding to fixing those areas? Well, probably because it's too hard, I think.
23:48S2
Yes, they've just identified something here and somebody has just decided they'll get that in there. This is the thing that they've been working on and it's their big moment to shine.
23:58S3
The other point that I found to be rather interesting and, you know, this is a lot of what's been coming up in the headlines is the companies that are finding these loopholes to charge people through their NDIS funds for things that clearly aren't supported in their goals.
24:18S2
Well, we use that example last week with the Barossa helicopter tours. Yes, but even the legitimate ones though, and this is the point that Carly was making, was they will charge the maximum allowable amount.
24:33S7
Exactly.
24:34S2
Which is ridiculous. You know, they will have a separate charge for NDIS as opposed to normal services.
24:41S7
Exactly.
24:42S3
And I mean, I look obviously I can understand it from a business point of view, but the NDIS wasn't supposed to be about that. The National Disability Insurance Scheme is in the name. It's meant to ensure quality of life for disabled citizens of Australia. So for these businesses to be hiking up their prices because of the set price line or price guide, you're not taking that into account. The individual's specific needs, how much funding they've got in their plans and what their individual goals are. And I think that is a massive problem, is that a lot of unscrupulous people, individuals, have seen the NDIS as an opportunity to put more money in their pockets. And it's it's quite sad because in the end it's the people with disabilities that are losing out, not anybody else.
25:37S2
The other problem, and this is a problem that has occurred within trades for ever, is the assumption is that taxpayers money is an eternal trough of money that can be just exactly pulled out. So I mean, if someone says, Oh yes, I'd like this, you know, well built over here, they will give you a quote. And if you say, Oh, it's for this government department, all of a sudden the quote will double. And this seems to have bled through to the NDIS as well. So despite the fact, I mean, yes, I've got a lot of money in my plan, I will admit that. But it's not my money.
26:13S7
No, it's...
26:14S2
There to be spent for my benefit, but it's taxpayers money and well, we're taxpayers, so it's in our interest to see that it's spent properly as well.
26:25S7
Yes.
26:26S3
And I think, Lisa, our next guest is going to talk more on that.
26:33S8
A premise with the saying of the concept of the NDIS what it was supposed to be is a good, good thing. I actually liked where it was supposed to be. It's supposed to be choice controls if people can get the help they need and all that. But the problem is the people are making the decisions. Have absolutely no idea about people with disability. No. And that that leads into one of my comments about, you know, the guide dog doesn't help me do shopping. In my last plan, I had to take to the A8. They took away my community. Community involvement one, oh no. And they said, Oh, well, you got the dog. And I'm like, The dog does doesn't help me find the baked beans on the shelf. The dog gets me from point A to point B, it is a replacement for my cane. It is not a replacement for a human.
And then they also said to me, Oh well, you can go do online shopping instead. Because they weren't, they didn't want to find someone to help me shopping. This is basically what they wanted to do. And I said to them, What happened to choice and control? Somebody who is able bodied can choose whether they want an online shop or go in person shop. And their response was, Yeah, but that's their choice. I said, exactly why don't I have the choice? Why does my disability take away this choice? And I sit there going like, you know, there are things that I can't do on online shopping. I can't look at a picture and say, yes, I like that dress. That's something I have to do in person. Of course, I like to choose my own groceries, like my fruit and veg, because I want it at my standards, not somebody else's standards.
There are those sort of things. And I said, it's not fair just because I have a disability that you don't want to find somebody to help me do something that you can do on your own. I said, that's the whole point of NDIS, to help me do things that I would normally do without my disability. So the concept of NDIS is good. The practicality of what it is today is not.
28:23S6
So I think that's the thing, isn't it? Like you've got people in charge who are or who do not have lived experience, and these people are making their decision on what funding is and isn't allowed.
28:36S8
Well, there's another story of another vision. And per person who I was talking to and they were saying that they wanted funding for assistive technology to help them with cooking and stuff, and NDIS wouldn't give them that. They just said, Here's some funding for a support worker to do it for you. And she's like, No, I want to do it myself. I just need the technology. But then we've got other people saying, Hey, look, I need a support person for this. They're saying, No. It's like, can you at least listen to the person, the individual. And I've actually had when I've taken the last plan to the A8, they said to me, oh, $17,000 is good for a vision impaired person. And I'm sitting and I'm like, but that's not how it's supposed to be judged. I'm supposed to say, this person is prepared. They get this much.
It is supposed to be based on individual needs. A vision impaired person who has no children, no other things. $17,000 might be good for them. And note the word might, but I have a child who has a disability of their own. I have a life that I have to live outside of some somebody who might just be sitting around going to some, um, some daily activities or whether so. And I had to do all these appointments with my son, so I had a bit more of a higher need for funding than somebody who didn't have my lifestyle.
29:50S6
Yeah.
29:51S8
And it's not to say that somebody who doesn't have my lifestyle doesn't deserve a more than $17,000. I was just saying, you can't bucket us together. No. Well, the other thing is, even if somebody had the exact same disability as me, had a child and all that, it's also skill level. Somebody may have better skill level than others to cope with it. It could be that because I've lived with my vision of hammer all my life, or the other person's acquired their so they're not going to have the same skill level, same confidence and all that. So it has NDIS has to be on an individual basis, but clearly and evidently it's not. No.
30:27S3
So the point I really wanted to drive home there was in the story that she was telling about the vision impaired person that wanted assistive technology for their cooking. Now, wouldn't it make more sense on a logical basis to give her the technology and a few hours of training in how to use it and send her on a merry way? Then it would be to constantly fund a support worker week in, week out, to do a job that she clearly wants to do on her own.
30:57S2
Again, it's because the person clearly didn't have any understanding of what it is like to have to have a disability. No. And obviously we as people don't know what we want or what's good for us again.
31:12S3
And that's the other thing, Sam, is the assumption that we're all the same. And I think one of the main points that we've managed to get from all of our guests, and I hope that you feel the same way about this as well, is that more representation of disabled citizens in higher up positions in the NDIS, for example, having delegates with lived experience, they don't have to be disabled themselves, but at least have some sort of background in disability work or some lived experience with a member of your family or friend. Have a disability, you know, like that experience. To be able to understand that disability is an individual thing. Two people with the same disability, like Lisa said, don't have the same set of circumstances.
32:01S2
Well, talking of someone who's a bit different, we have well, your husband on last and we asked Stephen what he thought of the NDIS. I think he held back a little bit.
32:12S3
Tell us what you really think, Stephen.
32:15S9
Ooh, can I be blunt? Get stuffed. That's about all I'd say.
32:21S2
You need to elaborate. Yes.
32:23S9
I'll elaborate by saying, that your system doesn't work. It's got flaws coming out from the wazoo. You keep cutting back on things where you've approved it before. People have, like, suffering out there, and you keep taking money off their plans and stuff, and we end up going, trying to figure out where we can actually spend money here and there, what we're allowed to ask for in the NDIS. And a lot of the times, well, when it first came out, we had a person come out and we did a review sort of thing or a talk talk with him about about what we could and couldn't do and everything that we asked, they, they sort of just laughed and said no. So I have a good rapport with the NDIS system. I don't like it at all.
33:09S2
I understand some things have changed, though.
33:11S3
Yes. So, he actually is in the process of... perhaps getting a secondary disability recognised. That's still going to take some work because, again, the NDIS assumes that, you know, if you have one disability, that's it, you can't have more than one. And also, you know, he's got a few more community hours, which means he'll be able to get out more and do more for himself and hopefully become a more independent member of the community.
33:41S2
So who would have thunk it? If you ask somebody what they think of the NDIS, they just talk and talk and talk and it seems to apply to us as well, doesn't it, Lizzy?
33:51S3
Yes, I think we have quite a lot to say about the subject. We could be here for hours, in fact.
33:56S2
And we have this, the show you are listening to now, dear listener, is somewhat longer and the podcast will probably be even cut down as well. But what we are also intending on doing is once this is podcast and once it's gone out, we're going to send a link to this to the press section of the NDIA and say, can somebody come on and maybe tell their side of it? So keep an ear out. We do intend on following this up. It's a subject that is important to all of us.
34:28S3
And if you do have any questions, of course you could send them to the Facebook page or email us at studio1@visionaustralia.org - and we'll pass them along.
34:38S2
I mean, we are, in theory, a talkback show. We just do things that are slightly slower rate.
34:43S3
We're more like the snail mail version, aren't we Sam?
34:47S2
Exactly. That is a wrap for this week.
34:49S3
A big Thank You to Stephen, Jodie, Carly, Lisa and the other Stephen. And of course, thanks to you for listening.
34:57S2
On our next show: Would you give these clowns a job? We put our resumes up for examination with an employment agent and ask, what is the best formula to get a job?
35:08S3
But between now and then, please do get in touch with the show. Whether you have experience with any of the issues covered in this week's episode of Studio 1, or whether you think there's something that we should be talking about, you never know. Your story and your insight may help someone who is dealing with something similar.
35:26S2
Our email address is studio1@viionaustralia.org - that's studio number one at Vision Australia dot org.
35:32S3
Or of course you can search for us on all the important socials such as Facebook, Instagram and X at Vision Australia Radio.
35:41S10
Vision Australia Radio gratefully acknowledges the support of the Community Broadcasting Foundation for Studio 1.
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