Women's Day

00:05 ID

This is Studio 1 on Vision Australia Radio.

00:12 Lizzie

Hello, I'm Lizzie Eastham and you're listening to Studio 1, Vision Australia Radio's weekly look at life from a blind and low vision point of view. On this week's show, we're celebrating International Women's Day, which falls on March the 8th. And in light of this most auspicious occasion, I've taken the reins and I'll be flying solo. We hear from an Instagrammer who has made it her mission to bring awareness to brand accessibility in Canada and Australia, who has faced systemic barriers head on. 

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 on this week's episode of Studio 1, or if 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. You can contact us via email at studio1@visionaustralia.org - that's studio number one at Vision Australia dot org - or perhaps you can drop us a note on our Facebook page by going to facebook.com slash via Radio Network. 

Hello and welcome. As stated in the intro, it is International Women's Day, which is a day to recognise the achievements of women across the globe, from the boardroom to the basketball court and everywhere in between. Let's be honest, one day isn't exactly enough to appreciate the strength, resilience and brilliance of women. But hey, we'll take what we can get. Joining us today are two incredible women who are making an impact in their own unique way. 

First, we'll be hearing from Anne Mok, a social media content creator who is using her Instagram platform to highlight brands that are both accessible and inclusive to people with disabilities in Canada. If that name sounds familiar, we did interview her a few weeks back. So if you wish to listen to that interview, please do go to your favorite podcast platform and look for the show there. 

We'll also be chatting with Shaleah, an African American woman who has faced systemic barriers firsthand. She'll be sharing her experiences and how her faith plays a role in keeping her strong and positive. Because sometimes the world throws obstacles our way, and faith is the only thing that's keeping us going. So whether you're celebrating International Women's Day by lifting up the women in your life, advocating for change, or just treating yourself to an extra shot of coffee such as myself, do stick around - this is a show you don't want to miss.

02:49 Anne

Thank you so much. Lizzy, thank you for having me here today.

02:52 Lizzie

So the reason that I wanted to get you on the program... well, you approached me when I initially put out the feelers about this show for International Women's Day, and you led me to a very interesting Ted talk that you'd done. And I was so captivated and moved by the story that you told and what you had to say. So talk a little bit about where you grew up and... your moving from Malaysia to Canada.

03:17 Anne

So my family immigrated from Malaysia to Canada when I was just two years old. And my parents, you know, they worked really hard and they were really proud when they were finally able to buy their first home here. And it was home in a picture perfect neighborhood. It was just a few minutes walking distance to the local school, and my parents just wanted us all to belong and be part of a community.

03:43 Lizzie

So did your moving from Malaysia to Canada have anything to do with your vision impairment or, like lack of accessibility in Malaysia for you?

03:51 Anne

No, I wasn't diagnosed until adulthood with my vision loss, but growing up I had always worn glasses since I was three years old.

04:01 Lizzie

And how did people act towards you? Because, like, obviously not everybody wears glasses. So already there, there's a difference between you and other people. And how did the people around you react to that? 

04:13 Anne

I was called names when I was a kid, so with my vision... struggles - I wear those Coke bottle thick lenses and I would be called Four Eyes. I was short, so I would be called names because I was short. And then also because of my culture, I was also called names as well. So it was a real struggle. And then going through school, I just didn't do as well as probably my brother and sister did, and they wore glasses too. And so my family never questioned further my vision loss and being new immigrants to the country, we just went along with things, uh, you know, not making any fusses or noises and of course.

05:01 Lizzie

Yeah. And in the TED Talk, you also told the story you opened with this really moving story about having rocks thrown through your window. So just tell us that story. And what led to this and what were the repercussions afterwards?

05:19 Anne

Yes. So at the time in my school community, there were only two Chinese families, one Japanese family and one Southeast Asian family. My brother is about three years older than me, so by the time he was in school, he was constantly bullied. As an Asian kid, me being a youngster, I didn't really know what was going on, and I remember distinctly when I was about three years old and I was sitting in one of the rooms and I was just playing on the floor in the carpet, and I remember feeling that warm sun on my back, and there was a window that overlooked the street. 

And then suddenly the glass just shattered and there was a rock beside me and terrified, I just ran from the room. You know, when you're young, you don't question where you belong or when differences are pointed out. It's until someone tells you that you don't belong. This moment. That shattered glass was my first real introduction to being seen as other. And those rocks were just a one time thing. It happened over and over again. Our home, our place that was supposed to be our safe haven, was a target, and I was just too young to fully understand why. But I felt it. I felt the unease, the fear, the constant reminder that we were seen as outsiders and that rock wasn't just a piece of stone. It was a message. A message that said that you don't belong here. And I already felt like I didn't belong because of my visual impairment. 

And then adding the cultural background was another layer, and I didn't know anyone who looked like me who had a disability. I didn't see representation in the media, in my community, or even in my old reel circles. And even though my parents had raised us very westernized, it's still ingrained in the culture that disability isn't something that is talked about. And in fact, disability is seen as being broken in the culture.

07:24 Lizzie

So as you grew up and these differences kept getting pointed out, what impact did your not belonging or not having a sense of belonging have on your like your mental health and just the way that you functioned daily?

07:40 Anne

I became very quiet. I became extremely shy. I would go days at school without even speaking, and I wouldn't even raise up my hand to answer questions. I was always the kid on the report card that said, you know, I would do much better if she could participate, but I never did. I just didn't want to draw any attention to myself. I already felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb. You know, people kids would get I would get picked on, you know, be picked on last for sports. I wasn't even good at math or good at piano - the the things that an Asian kid is expected to be good at. And I really struggled with that. 

And then as I moved into my teenage years, there were more Asians immigrating to Canada. But I felt even more of an identity crisis. I was too Asian to be fully accepted as Canadian, but I was too Canadian to fit in with the Asian people. So I felt very lost. Life may throw these things at you, but you are the author of your own story. You can rewrite your life and you can turn the page on that chapter. And so that's what I did. I really just dug deep into myself.

08:58 Lizzie

So how was it that you found Instagram and how did that lead to you using that platform to promote accessible and inclusive brands?

09:09 Anne

My phone was a lifeline. I needed it to order groceries, things like that. I still like shopping, so I'd be scrolling, and I noticed that website in accessibility was a huge issue. And then the pandemic hit and it became even more of an issue. And I really realized, like, what can I do to help make a change? And with the pandemic, small businesses were also struggling. So I thought, you know what, I'll go on Instagram. I don't know anything about social media at all, but I knew that Instagram is a visual medium and I really wanted to challenge it. 

I wanted to show that we can make it as accessible as possible. We can create accessible content, and I can use that to support small businesses as well, because I still like to shop, I still shop, and then I would tag the small business and then I would like post a photo of it. And it actually turned into very healing for me. And because I looked at if I create a post, it's one day a week I can get up. I'll take a shower because it was so hard to do that at the time and you know, to curl my hair or put on some makeup and then take a photo and then I'd rest. And then the next day I might write a caption, and then I'd rest, and then the next day I would, you know, post and then, you know, engage on social media. And that helped me to get some sort of purpose. 

And that was just one small thing that I did, but it became a snowball effect. People started to notice and suddenly the sighted community was interested in the accessibility brands were interested in the accessibility, and I was showing up, and that's when things really changed for me. And it was this particular moment when a young girl from another continent reached out and said, I've never seen anyone that looks like me using a white cane. And that, to me, was the moment I realised how important representation is, how important it is for me to show up and keep doing the work so that we can create ripple effects of change. 

I've had a number of community members, followers who have followed me very quietly, and they were in that point of I need to use a cane, but I'm afraid to use my cane because of the stigma. And just watching me go out and just be unapologetically me. I'm swinging my cane and then dressing up. It gave them that that push to say, Yeah, I can do this too. And it doesn't change anything more about me. I'm still me. And my motto right now is like, if people are going to stare at me, I'm going to give them something good to stare at. So I have a very, you know, I will just go out there and walk, walk it.

12:09 Lizzie

What would be your message to other women that are going through similar crises? Maybe not, you know, in terms of vision loss, but maybe with their cultural identity or their faith or anything. What's your message to women?

12:25 Anne

A message would be, I think, to, you know, any person that's out there who feels like they don't belong, whether it's because of disability or cultural identity or both, I really want them to know: you are not alone. And I know what it's like to feel different, to feel like you have to shrink yourself, to fit in, to wish you could change the very things that make you you. Just to be accepted. And for many years I tried to stay quiet. I didn't want to stand out as the only Asian girl in the room. I didn't want to be noticed for struggling to see. I just wanted to blend in and be invisible. 

But here's what I wish someone had told me back then, is that the things that make you different are actually the things that make you powerful.

13:21 Lizzie

What an insightful conversation with Anne Mok. It's inspiring to see how she's using her platform to make brands pay attention to accessibility issues in Canada. 

Now, before we jump into our next interview, let's take a moment to appreciate just how far we've come and how far we still have to go when it comes to gender equality. Did you know that the first International Women's Day was celebrated in 1911? That means we've been at this for over a century, and yet to this day, no country has achieved true gender equality. But progress is being made slowly but surely. For example, in 2023 women held approximately 29% of leadership positions globally, which is better than it has ever been. 

But when it comes to pay equity, the global gender pay gap is still estimated at around 20%, which means that on average, women earn $0.80 for every dollar that men earn. This shows that we've made significant progress, but we've still got some way to go. One of the biggest factors that influence a woman's ability to succeed is systemic barriers, whether it be workplace discrimination, unequal access to opportunities, or social expectations. These challenges can shape a woman's entire journey. 

That brings us nicely to our next guest, Shaleah, an African American woman who has faced systemic barriers head on. And today she shares her story. What's truly inspiring is how she stayed strong throughout it all. Faith plays a major role in her life, giving her the strength and resilience to keep moving, even when it seems that all of the odds are stacked against her. Shaleah, welcome to Studio 1. It is so good to have you here.

15:25 Shaleah

Thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited to be interviewing with you.

15:29 Lizzie

Growing up as an African-American woman with a vision impairment, how did your cultural background shape your experience?

15:38 Shaleah

My culture is all about like dancing and how one looks and appearance, and I think the way that it shaped me is unlike so many people with vision impairments that I've encountered in the past, I actually, like, am really very self-conscious about my appearance. So even when I'm dressed not very fancy, I take it very seriously that everything matches, that everything is presentable, that my hair is done because my family cared and I was the only blind person in my family. And because they cared, I had to care even if I couldn't see what I was caring about. So I think that's one of the biggest things. 

Another way that I believe being an African American woman shaped my experience as a blind person is I had a higher appreciation for music - because music is such a huge part of my culture. I mean, a huge part of my culture. And if you turn on the radio, you'll hear a lot of us on the radio. It doesn't matter what country you're in, you'll hear us, because music is such a big way that we express ourselves. So from a very young age, I was singing, I was making music, I was writing songs. I was deeply entrenched in the music business.

16:51 Lizzie

What was your family's attitude towards your blindness, and did they encourage your independence, or was there some hesitancy about what you could achieve?

17:01 Shaleah

My family was all about my independence, especially my mom. She found out I was blind at first. She got really upset. She was devastated. And then she got over it because my family's very much God-centred. We're very big on on Christianity. We love God. We love Christ. And my Mum told me this story before that when I was about six months old, they tried to do a surgery on my corneas to give me a transplant, and they told my Mum it wouldn't work because of the glaucoma in my eyes. I have a condition called Peter's Anomaly, which basically culminated in glaucoma and cataracts in my eyes. And my eyes were a little misformed. 

So my father side stepped out as soon as he realised I had this disability, but my mom was very much involved. My grandparents were very much involved. My Mum's sisters, my aunts, they were very much involved. So when I told her that they couldn't fix my eyes and I would just be blind, she said first she cried and then she heard a voice that said, Don't cry, she'll be fine. I've got you and I've got her. And she told me that she knew without a doubt... and this was before she became like a huge believer... that it was God talking to her not to worry, be still and have peace, she said, And I'll be darned if I didn't just suddenly have peace. I was just filled with peace. 

She was like, and and I knew you would be okay because, like, I was worried about you doing normal baby things like rolling over or walking or. But I did all of it. I rode bikes, I did everything, you name it, like I was a very normal kid. I was such a normal kid that when my Mum sent me to the blind school, they called her freaking out, saying that I didn't know I was blind. 

18:36 Lizzie

Yeah, and I love the fact that you were able to have a normal childhood in that sense as well. Like you are able to participate in the same things as other kids growing up.

18:45 Shaleah

Yeah, I played with kids who could see.

18:47 Lizzie

In some cultures, disabilities can carry stigma or misconceptions. Did you experience any of that either within your family or community, and if so, how did you navigate it?

19:01 Shaleah

Not until I got older, not until I became an adult, because I wanted to be in the work industry. I wanted to, you know, have a job and make a difference and encourage change in the world. That was always something I wanted to do. I wanted to do music, but I also wanted to work. The stigma was kind of twofold for me because out in the community, if I walk into an interview, I have to use a cane. The first thing they think before they even speak to me is liability. 

The problem with first impressions is no matter how well I dress, no matter how nice I look, no matter how cute I am and how bright my smile, I'm blind and I can't hide that. And that is the first thing people see. I have an impeccable resume, but I walk into an interview with a cane in my hand and it's Oh no, she's blind. Oh, no. What do we do? And of course, they can't say We can't hire you because of your disability. They say things like, We found someone better suited for the job. But you said I was perfect for the job. And in my family, it was, You're not even trying to get a job. 

Now I went and I got employment training. Okay. I trained on how to interview. I did an externship. I mean, I have done all of the things that it is possible to do to make sure that I am as prepared as possible to be in the workforce. It is not my fault these people call me in and then change their mind when they see this cane. I'm having a hard time getting a job because these people think I'm a liability. They're calculating the cost of screen readers and fancy special equipment, not knowing or even asking about programs like the Vocational Rehabilitation rotation program which is designed to cover that cost and cushion that particular liability so that they don't have to worry about that stuff. 

The vocational rehabilitation program is designed to make sure that we get into work. That's the part that's really irritating is it's like, Okay, you've got all these great programs and we're not ungrateful for them. We're just saying, why don't you tell the employers so that they know they exist?

21:03 Lizzie

Were there any specific expectations placed on you as a blind woman that differed from what other women in your family were expected to do?

21:13 Shaleah

I always felt pushed a little harder than my siblings. I always felt like more was expected out of me, especially when it came to education. Maybe that's because she recognised that I would need to prove myself more once I got in the world, I don't know, but I always felt that, education wise, she placed way more importance on my grades and my schooling and all that, than she did anything else. If I said I wanted to do music, she gave me that. But there was a sort of If clause. If you don't get good grades, you lose your music lessons. If you don't bring home a good report card, no more piano lessons. 

So I felt pressured a lot more than my siblings probably did. My siblings say that my Mum gave me more attention. I say to them, You don't want the attention and time I was getting, because what I wanted from her was physical affection, and what I got from her was push, push, push, push, push. Do I appreciate the music lessons? Absolutely. They shaped me into who I am. They gave me the skills that I've got. I'm not saying I'm ungrateful for any of it, because I love the fact that she poured so much into me. I feel very much like there's this huge divide between me and my siblings now because of how hard she pushed me, and I don't know how to close that gap. 

That's the kind of thing you got to work on when you're younger. And I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't know how to do that. I was the big sister, and I had no idea how to be a big sister, because that wasn't what I was being taught.

22:43 Lizzie

As someone who is balancing multiple passions - music, ministry and entrepreneurship - how do you manage your time and energy?

22:52 Shaleah

I don't. Honestly. I recently had a chat with my Mum who I live with at the moment. She's been helping me raise my little girl, and one of the things she pointed out to me is that I don't manage my time and energy as well - or at least I wasn't until I started going to church again. I'm finding more motivation to do things and more energy, and I'm finding it easier to manage just because I have that community that I can lean on now that I didn't have before, for one. But I think now the answer would be, I pray. And I lean very heavily on my Saviour and I let him guide me, because if I don't, I will try to do everything and then I will burn out, which I have done before.

23:40 Lizzie

How has your faith shaped the way that you see your disability? Because it's very easy to ask, Why Me?

23:48 S4

Oh yeah, it is. God has always been a very big and very important part of my life, and because of that, I never really had time to say Why Me. Not about the blindness. My Why Me was about other things, life experiences, and even then, coming out of them and being on the other side of them. Now I can say, Okay, this is Why Me. I know that even things that seem devastating and heartbreaking and terrible and tragic, there's always a positive, there's always a good that comes from it. And as long as I can be patient and get through the trial, then when I'm done with that, I'll feel and see and know the blessing, and then I can spread that with I can share that with others. 

And I love evangelising. I love sharing my testimony. I love sharing the good news with people. I love, love, love doing it.

24:39 Lizzie

What are some of the biggest challenges you faced as a blind woman pursuing higher education and entrepreneurship?

24:47 Shaleah

So I've been trying to pursue higher education since I was in my early 20s. One of my most recent difficulties is there's a school that I'm trying to go to here. It's a Christian college called Grace College, and they have a rule that if you're over the age of 25, they need you to live off campus. I can't live off campus. And this college is in a really rural area, right? So they don't have public transport. There's no Ubers, there's no Lyft. So how am I going to get around from my off campus apartment, which I will have to rent to school every single day? 

And so I'm rallying for them to make an exception for me as an accessibility accommodation, a reasonable accommodation for accessibility under the ADA, which is the Americans with Disabilities Act, to allow me, even though I'm 36, to live on campus in an on-campus apartment so that I can get around.

25:42 Lizzie

International Women's Day celebrates the achievements of women. So who are some of the women that have inspired you on your journey?

25:52 Shaleah

Ooh. Let's see. My Mum is at the top of the list. I've watched her struggle through a lot of things, from relationship troubles to job things. She was a bank teller. She was a real estate agent. She was a loan officer. My Mum was a black Barbie. 

26:10 Lizzie

Wow. That's amazing.

26:11 Shaleah

She's done a lot of really cool things, and I have just enjoyed watching her just jump right in, feet first. No shyness. No fear. She's just like My babies need to be cared for. I need to care for them. So if I got to try a new job to do that, then I'm going to do it. She was always my very first role model. Some of my other role models were actually people that I watched growing up, like Whitney Houston. I admire her career. I admire her singing voice. I admired her personality. She deserved to be honored. 

Beyonce is a pretty big role model and influence for me, but I also love Tasha Cobbs Leonard and her absolute joy and love for God. My Granny, I admire her a lot too, because she's a strong black woman who takes good care of her husband, has dementia now, and she's been taking care of him and I just admire her faith. She taught me all these wonderful little phrases that I lean on.

27:10 Lizzie

That's a wrap for this week's show. A big thank you to Anne and Shaleah for sharing their stories with us. And of course, a big thanks to you for listening. You can find the podcast of this program, including some extra content on Apple, Spotify, Google, or your favourite podcast platform.

On next week's show, Vision Australia Radio is once again conducting its 100K Your Way fundraiser. We'll be talking to a mum and volunteer about how she plans to get her 100km. But between now and then, please do get in touch with the show. Whether you have experience of any of the issues covered on this week's episode of Studio 1, or if 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. 

You can contact us via email at studio1@visionaustralia.org - that's studio number one at Vision Australia dot org. You can search for us on your social media, whether that be Facebook or Instagram at VA Radio Network - we want to hear from you. Bye for now.

28:18 ID

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