Peter Mason

00:41

S1 (Speaker 1)

On Vision Australia Radio, this is Vision Extra with Peter Greco.

S2

Let's welcome to the program Peter Mason, who's got a rather interesting little project underway. Peter, great to meet you. Thank you for your time.

S3

Nice to be here. Thank you.

S2

Please, just a bit about some videos that you've put together. How did the idea come about?

S3

I guess it originally came about... I've been searching around to see if there's anything else on air anywhere like it in Australia and even in American elsewhere overseas and was unable to find anything. So I needed something to do. So I thought, well, why not?

S2

And this is videos or podcast or audio instructions of do yourself stuff.

S3

It's basically podcast and doing my best to explain exactly what it is I'm doing so that it can get a picture in their mind of what it is I'm doing.

S2

So were you looking for something to help you with, something you were trying to do or because there was nothing there, you thought, Well, I'll put some things together for things that I can do.

S3

In mainly the second of the two. Couldn't find anything anywhere. And I thought, well, I'm not working now, so I need something to do. And why not? I like working with my hands, you know, type of thing.

S2

So tell us a bit about your background, Peter, if you don't mind your site situation, Did you lose sight early on in life, or a later development?

S3

I was born with Pea and lost my functional vision in my mid-forties, which was a bit of a challenge because all of the things that I used to do or now I've had to adapt the ways I used to do it to the way you can do it these days. So it was a few challenges there, but it's got there.

S2

Yeah, it's an interesting condition, isn't it? Interesting. I'm not sure if that's the word, but I've spoken to some people with AAP that have virtually lost most of their sight by their mid or late teens and others who have gone, you know, well into their 50s and 60s driving a car and then having to sort of give that up. So it's kind of, as I say, curious as to how it impacts on people's life or how much it does degenerate as far as sight goes. Yeah.

S3

Well, at the moment I've got what you'd probably call minimal light distinction and that's basically about it. So for instance, the measuring tapes are usually the talking tapes. They've got audible spirit levels now, which I use quite a bit and have replaced a pencil or a pen with a particular knife that I've got up in the workshop for marking pieces of timber. So I've got that tactile reference point for any cutting I've got to do.

S2

What sort of things do you like to kind of deal with your hands, if you know what I mean?

S3

Oh, we've just been a few years doing some major renovations to the house, so there's a lot of that. Pulling out walls, put new walls in hanging plaster sheeting of laid floor coverings around the house. As far as outside, we'll set up quite a few garden beds, that type of thing. And that's where I sort of had to adapt or use new audible levels that have got. Well, we've tried using string lines as a straight guide at times, but that's not practical. So I actually ended up running the length of wire, which is more rigid and it can take the knocks and hits when you're working around it. Yeah, generally just doing what jobs need to be done around the house, that type of thing.

S2

That renovation can be very challenging and a little bit frustrating. Are you sort of guy that's got a bit of patience about you, You're kind of happy to work through stuff in a sort of methodical way.

S3

Yeah, it's a bit it's the best way to do it. You've got to sit down and sort of visualise in your mind what it is you're going to be doing, how you're going to go about it. You just put all of that into play and get the job done.

S2

One of the great things, of course, is peer support in any kind of walk of life, you know, be it losing your side and how to get on in the kitchen or had to get on the dressing yourself, even if you want to put it that basic. And I guess this is one of the things that you found challenging is that there wasn't much out there to sort of say, Well, here I am, I'm a person who's blind. This is how I, you know, put together a garden bed or pull out a wall or that sort of thing. 

04:57

S3

You know, I guess before I lost my functional vision or sort of made it a choice of mine to learn everything as much as I possibly could. And while I had that little bit of vision and that knowledge, it just sort of transpired. But you are right. There's not a lot of places to go for blind people to get the right descriptive, I guess you'd say, instructions on how to do it. Well, there are a lot of things.

S2

There's a lot of YouTube. Videos are very, well, visual, aren't they? So, you know, like you do it like this. Well, it's all well and. If you can see what that like this is. But if you don't have it explained to you, it's kind of makes a bit more challenging.

S3

Yeah, that scenario sort of covers anything from DIY through to cooking techniques, that type of thing. And what annoys me with a lot of the visual stuff is you get a really good title and think, okay, I'm going to have a listen to this. And you sit in and it's just either blank or repeating music.

S2

Yes, I've struck that as well.

S3

That is very frustrating, isn't it? You think, oh, this is going to be good. And it's all visual stuff that's going on with some lovely background music. So if you want to kind of sit back and relax or do some meditation, that's cool, but it's not going to help you with the task that you've got in mind. Yeah.

S2

No, that's for sure. Yes, it's very annoying and frustrating. So tell us about how you went about it. You sort of come up with this idea. What about kind of recording it and sort of putting it all together? How much what sort of technology did you use for that?

S3

Well, I guess it all started about 12 months ago, went to one of our local organisations here to brush up on it training. And from there we got into the audio editing program Audacity. So I've learned all of that sort of thing, and I've attended recently a bit of a training course, I guess you'd say. Not official on how to set things out in the podcast, the different steps you've got to go through at each stage and all that sort of thing, which is a good learning experience. You sort of started from there and I thought like, I'm going to have a go at this. Why not?

S2

So are you using a phone or a laptop? What are you using?

S3

To to record my microphones? I'm using it, not this one at the moment, but once when I'm recording because I'm outside or moving around the house, I've got a road wireless go to system which has got two lovely microphones which are the transmitters, and it's got one receiver which I can plug into either my laptop or a any other sort of recording device, you know. So take that audio from that recording device, transfer it through to audacity, do whatever editing is required there and then export it ready for hosting. And then then you upload it onto YouTube.

S2

Is that kind of how it works from there?

S3

Yeah, at the moment I've got it going up on Facebook, but yeah, sort of in the throes of learning the procedures and how to go about setting it up on the podcast platforms and YouTube etcetera.

S2

But what were you doing in your, in your life before this project came to kind of being? Obviously you talked about how handy you were and it's quite an insightful approach to, you know, as you were losing your sight to try and find out as much about things like renovations as you could. I mean, that's a wonderfull,y pardon the pun, but that's showing wonderful foresight.

S3

Yeah. It was up until about five years ago and being employed as a full time radio operator in the local government organisation here and Hobart and I was there for 30 years full time prior to that, or did a few years relief work at another council and originally started out with what we knew was the Department of Main Roads, where I was lucky there with at 30 years the council. Of course, I had to have a lot of involvement with the construction and maintenance crews and that type of thing. So I learnt a lot from those fellows as well, which has come in handy along the way.

S2

Did you retire as in age wise, or was it through your site that you retired from from the work you were doing?

S3

Was made redundant. The position was made redundant, which took me about two and a half years to get myself back together. And I thought, well, I've got to start doing something. So take off with the podcast.

09:32

S2

It's interesting, isn't it? Because, you know, sometimes when those things happen to us, particularly if, you know, we don't necessarily see them coming, you know, it's not just the impact that it has in the short term, but it can be ongoing, particularly if...

S3

Yeah.

S2

It's a bit challenging to sort of get yourself back on on your feet, as it were, as well.

S3

Yeah, you're not wrong there. When I first started working, it was back in the days where I guess it's not what you knew, it's who you knew. So I'm fortunate enough on the road to sit down for a formal interview. I wouldn't know where to start now for trying to get back into the workforce, but unfortunately, yeah, we've just got to keep on going.

S2

It's a great point, isn't it? Because, I mean, these days I had so competitive and B, there's professional organisations that kind of groom - if that's the right term, people for interviews and make sure that when they present they they do it the right way. I mean, they probably might not be very good at the job they're going for, but they can talk their way into the into the employment opportunity and as you say, if you haven't had that experience, that kind of puts you in a bit of a disadvantage.

S3

Yeah, especially now that I'm up into my 50s and that type of thing. But I think from what I've heard of young people these days getting jobs, I think if you can talk the talk, you've got one foot in the door for a start.

S2

And I mean, you know, in your 50s, that's far from old. You've still got 30, 40 years of living to do, where be it... 

S3

Whatever you choose to do. I mean, there's a lot of life still to be living, Peter, yeah. That's for sure. Yeah. I was hoping to still be working at 65 and do the usual retire, pay the house off, all that sort of thing, but everything come to an end prematurely. So I've just got to make do and make the best of the situation.

S2

As you mentioned, living in Hobart, What about in terms of other people blind or visually impaired. That sort of contact? Do I choose to have much or do you have much in that area?

S3

I've got a couple of regular fellows that we catch up from time to time. We're in Tassie, we're all sort of spread out all over the place really, which many years back when we had blind cricket running here, it was almost impossible to get a side together because everyone was just so far apart. And trying to get everyone to game is either very expensive or very, very difficult.

It's one of the challenges with even conventional sporting teams, isn't it? The fact that you've got 2 or 3 big centres, but there are a long way apart and to kind of centralise it all is a bit of a dispute as to who should, who should be hosting, if you like.

S2

Yeah, you hear those stories all the time Over here it's north versus south and south versus north. But but all of us here in the south knows the best.

S3

No bias in that comment. 

S2

Peter, if people want to find out more about the clips you do, so how can we find you on Facebook and maybe down the track on YouTube as well? But if people want to check out some of your work and I actually attended the little workshop that was run regarding a podcast and it was very valuable. 

S3

So I'm sure you'll make a good use of that if people do want to find out more. 

S2

What's the easiest way to find the stuff that you've done on Facebook?

S3

If they search for DIY blind tapes, there should be able to find it via that's that's DIY blind tours and can be contacted directly by email. It's DIY blind tours at gmail.com.

S2

Oh terrific. Well, we'll put that information up on our Facebook page. So if people have missed any of that, they can get in touch. Listen, if they have missed that information right now, they can always give us a call at the station. We can pass on your details because you know, I mean, you know, people are blind or low vision. Why shouldn't they be interested in renovating or why shouldn't they be interested in doing a handy person stuff?

S3

We are part of the community.

S2

Just like anyone else. So our interests are absolutely no different to to those of those with sight.

S3

Yeah, that's exactly right. And I'm looking forward to hearing from anyone that might want to contact me with any ideas or suggestions or if they've had a problem or might be able to help and resolve the problem maybe. And yeah, it'd be great to hear from people. But just.

13:49

S2

Before we go, that work that you did with the radio work with the government, etcetera.
Do you think that's kind of sparked your interest to take this a bit further or were you interested in that anyway? Was it kind of a bit of sort of it just all sort of came together?

S3

So doing the radio work is probably pushed me in a direction of podcast. Yeah. So primarily that and you're just trying to get the word out there and trying to help other people out.

S2

Just give us that email address and what to search on Facebook page once more. It's been great talking to you, Peter. Just give us those details again.

S3

No problem. If you do a Facebook search for DIY blind tours, it's DIY blind tours and the email address is DIY Blind tours at gmail.com.

S2

Peter, great to have met you the other day. Great to have charity this time. We wish you well and we'll keep in touch. This sounds like a very worthwhile project and good on you for the initiative.

S3

No problem at all. Thanks very much for your time.

S2

That's Peter Mason there. Do It Yourself Blind, who's now got some podcasts out and also on Facebook. Check him out. If you're wanting to do it yourself, Peter could be a very good resource. That is it for the program. If you've missed some of it.

15:08

S2

If you'd like to hear it again, you can search for an extra on the iTunes store on Spotify or your favorite podcast service.