Acknowledges and pays respect to the people of the Woiwurrung and Boonwurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin nations on whose Unceded lands the SYN office and studio stand. SYN media respectfully acknowledges their ancestors and elders past, present and emerging. SYN media also acknowledges the traditional custodians and ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where our content reaches and on which SYN partner organisations stand. Sovereignty has never been ceded.
It always was and always will be Aboriginal land.
So today we have an interview with Andy Poetschka , who uses she/her pronouns, has Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy and uses a walking stick to get around. She lives on the central coast of New South Wales, has a bachelor's degree in communication majoring in journalism from Newcastle University. His passion for radio has her own show called Thank andie it's Friday on her local community station, Coastal FM 96.3. Her dream is get into the commercial sector one day. So you.
Yes. Nice to meet you.
And you have a bachelor's degree in communication majoring in journalism from Newcastle University, Australia. And you also work in radio and you have your own show called Thank Andy, It's Friday on the local community station. Most of them.
Yes, that's right.
And you plan on going into the commercial sector one day? Yes. So you have community radio and have your own show on local station. Tell us about your show and what you love about it.
So my show, it started when I was about 14, when I moved to the Central Coast from Sydney and I didn't have any outlet. So basically I started volunteering at the station and did all the training and then eventually I got into doing. Thank you, Andy. It's Friday, which is basically it's pop culture based. The station was very sort of easy listening, but after 6 p.m., which is when my shift is it caters to different audiences. And so mine, my show is basically pop culture based.
It's about, you know, the newest emerging artists, things that are, you know, top 40, so celebrity news movies, you know, things that people sort of 18 to 35 would really enjoy. And above that as well. I just love it because it allows me to be creative. And, you know, they my listeners know I have a disability, but I don't talk about it too much and I can just be myself. And and that's a really great thing. It's just me connecting with people on a really personal level and just
having fun. I get to go to I go to concerts and sort of, you know, take a few photos and review the concert and talk about what's going on in the world. And I just really love it.
And it says, you know, well, this is a community radio show you're doing, but it says you wish to go into the commercial sector one day. The commercial sector, of course, is not as friendly as a lot of community broadcasting as I have found out. And I had actually been knocked back a few times. Do you find the commercial sector is going to be a very big jump for you? Do you think the commercial sector is
going to be accessible? Do you think they're going to put in what they can to make it accessible for you and to take on your skills?
I would really hope so. I've done a couple of like work experience things. As you know, as a result of uni, I went and did a work experience in Newcastle at a commercial station. I think it will be a big jump. I think it will be difficult and I'm not really sure whether they will. Hopefully they will make it accessible, but if they don't, I'm happy to really fight for it because it's been a dream of mine for the last ten years to eventually get into
the commercial sector. It's not going to be easy. It's going to be really hard. But you know, I'm no stranger to adversity, so I'm happy to keep fighting to get what I want. I would like to be eventually.
And so in the commercial sector, where do you actually wish to be? What would be your absolute dream and goal? What would be the ultimate role for you in the commercial sector that would bring you? You've done it.
My ultimate goal would be on would be breakfast radio and being one of those personalities. I mean, I am one of my absolute idols is and Marciano in the radio industry and to be able to, you know, have a show of of me and a couple of other people just bouncing things off each other and having a really great time, you know, it's going to be early hours.
But the absolute ultimate dream would be breakfast radio and having people wake up every morning and tuning in, as well as a little bit of a pep in their step for the day. That would be my absolute dream, really.
And do you think that your disability has created barriers to get there?
And I think it has it has created barriers in in life. I'm not entirely sure if it has created barriers in the radio industry. I think there will be because I think as applying for any job, there are times where people see my disability before they see the brains and the rest of me um m Yeah, I think that probably will be. I can't really pinpoint what
they what they are. I think it'll just be a matter of seeing, you know, the person as opposed to the disability, which when it comes to jobs, in the past I've struggled, I've struggled. But I think, you know, the radio industry is very difficult for anyone to get into, you know, able bodied or disabled. So will my disability make it harder? I think it will be it will make it harder. But I'm again, still really willing to fight to get there, essentially.
So you have cerebral palsy and a passion about being a voice of the community. What do you want other people to know?
Well, cerebral palsy. I want them to know that it doesn't mean that people with cerebral palsy can't live very fulfilling lives. I was always taught to, you know, be treated. I know the word normal isn't really a thing anymore, but, you know, to approach life as, you know, if you can't do things one way, you can do things another way. And, you know, just because we have cerebral palsy doesn't mean we don't have the same aspirations, the same dreams as
as an able bodied person. You know, we can still be loved. You know, we can still have meaningful relationships and partners. And we are very employable. We want to work. We want to contribute to the community. And if we want help, we'll tell you, you know, but but we are regular people , you know, on the inside. Just because our bodies may not work the same way as everybody else's, we can still live very fulfilling lives and
do whatever we want to do. We just may have to find a new way of doing it to get around our limitations, essentially.
So my Internet, my thing just unplugged. So accessibility in the media industry is a very big topic. And you're specifically going into radio, which a lot of people think to be a dying industry. How would you view radio as an industry that is probably not going to be around in the next maybe even ten, 20, 30 years?
I, I think I understand why they think it's dying, but I think it's more of a changing industry as opposed to dying. We may not do it the same way in ten, 20, 30 years, but now we have podcasting. I think I think it's changing from the sort of analog, for lack of a better word, into the digital age. So we have Spotify, we have podcasting, we have, you know, lots of different avenues to go on. And, you know,
a lot of radio's they have apps to access. You know, for my radio show, for instance, I have a lot of people who are in Sydney. And so when I listen to you, but I can't get you when I say, you know, go to go to the apps in or any sort of radio app, I think I think it's changing, but I don't think it will ever die because, you know, advertising is still going to be a thing. So people are going to still need voiceovers. They're still going to need people to voice their ads. Music is something that
will never, ever die. And and topics that need to be talked about are not going to die. So people are still going to get behind a mic. It just may not be in a studio or in the traditional way that we that we know it. I think, you know, I think it's changing into the digital age. But is it going to die? I really hope it won't. And I don't think it will. I think it's just going to change into a different being, for lack of a better way of putting it.
So how do you feel about the accessibility of the media industry as a disabled young person? Do you find that the media industry is accessible to you, particularly the radio industry?
The radio industry? I feel is very at the moment it is accessible. In especially in the community sector, you know, I was always welcomed and I always feel like when I get behind that, Mike, I can be myself. I can see how the media industry, you know, it can, it can, it can seem like it isn't accessible. And I think there are there is there are improvements to be made, But I think we'll get there. I think I think every industry has has parts that are inaccessible.
But I think especially with the digital age and there's so many different ways that people can can access it. And I think I think because especially people don't see my disability because they just hear my voice, whether it be I think, you know, I wanted to be in the TV industry when I was younger. I think that would be a more difficult industry to get into because
I am disabled and I walk different. And you know, there are parts of me like I look a little bit different when I walk and I think that would freak people out a bit if I jumped on the TV on the TV. I would love to see, you know, a news anchor or a, you know, reporter or something who who did have a disability because that was something that I always wanted to do.
Have you ever considered going into maybe podcasting or voicing voiceovers or something that is lost similar skills to radio, but not actually radio?
Yes, I have. I would love to do. But I've actually done a couple of commercials for for my local community station that I that I have my show on. And I have done a couple of courses in voiceover. I think podcasting is fabulous. I would love to do that. That's something that I just have to get the courage up to start doing, essentially. But I would love to do that.
So I'm also in community radio and I have been for about four years now. I have attempted to break into the the commercial and public funded broadcasting for the ABC and SBS and also some commercial shows like KISS and the whatnot. Every time I've attempted, I actually have not been able to get a job. I had one graduate job that I tried, but I didn't get into it. Even though the actual media major is not radio or media at all, it's actually theatre.
Oh, that would be awesome.
Yeah, that's also another industry that I feel much like. Radio is also changing a lot and has been sort of making itself more appear more accessible, but in reality is still preferencing people who are not disabled. A lot of jobs now ask for accessibility requirements and in my opinion that is just a big thing to say, oh, disability accessibility and then just going to throw away application. That's how I feel. We actually do these interviews completely live.
Oh wow. Do you do live broadcasting or do you do pre-recorded broadcasting mainly live?
I mean, if I know that I can't be there one night, then I might do a pre-record. But very rarely will I do a pre-record. Most of the time I will do live. But I'm also part of I thought this might be cool too. I'm part of the show. I'm I'm a guest on a show that is dedicated to use and disability on on the station as well, which that's pre-recorded, but my show is predominantly live.
Do you feel that pre-recorded broadcasting is going absolutely change the landscape because during the pandemic almost all the shows were pre-recorded. Do you think that that is something that you believe should be kept? I found pre-recording much more accessible for a lot of our guests and also convenience as well, because they don't have to come to the studio at a certain time. They can do it in their own time and should not go with their schedules.
I think I think it makes it more accessible. And it also probably would make the guests feel a bit more comfortable. I know when I've been a guest on shows, if I know it's pre-recorded, then I go, okay, I don't have to justify my mistake. Then I don't have to stress as much, but I really enjoy live as well. So I think that that I think that, you know, I really wish that I hope that that live is kept as well. But during the times that we're in, you know, if you'd asked me this three years ago,
I would have said live is 100% better. But in the climate that we're in, I think pre-recorded is is a very valuable asset to to have and it does make things a lot more accessible. I'm not a big fan of it myself in terms of my show because I'm terrible at audio editing. But, but it does make things a lot more accessible and, and, you know, probably makes the guests feel a little bit more comfortable and the people presenting as well. But I think it will
be kept. I think I think it will be kept, especially with the climate working with isolations and garbage that kind of stuff. I think it's very useful for things like that. But then I also really enjoy live as well. So I think both of them have their place.
So when you apply for jobs, your disability is a visible disability. So people, you know, you walk into the job interview, people can tell that you are disabled, but someone like me, I if I wanted to, was I personally said it was there to be a visible disability. There is no doubt about it being visible. It is. I'm very personal on that issue of being what disability? If I were to have kept the secret walk into job interviews would is completely change my life. It'll be
a completely different people wouldn't even know. But I don't really feel safe keeping it under wraps. I think that it is important for me to tell people that I have skills. I just don't feel comfortable going around perpetuating the idea that autism must be kept secret. How do you feel about going into job interviews? You tell people that you have autism or do you keep it a secret?
Um.
Okay. Tell people you have cerebral palsy or do you keep it a secret?
Well, I, I tend to tell people straight away simply because, I mean, you can say it straight off. So so I mean, I'm very lucky to be in the current job that I'm in because I'm very, you know, I'm very accepted. And and, you know, that didn't really it wasn't an issue. But I have had job interviews in the past where people have looked me up and down and I write and I put it on my resume. So it's not staring them in the face. But when I come up to the job interview, you know, they'll
see it. And then I will say, you know, okay, you know, you've noticed that I have a walking stick. This is because I have cerebral, cerebral palsy. And it it you know, it doesn't stop me. My brain is still very switched on. I'm very intelligent. But I wanted you to know I have cerebral palsy because, you know, when people first meet me, they can be quite confronted. And I have had people kind of there was one job interview I had years ago that I walked in and the guy looked me up and down and I
wanted to walk straight out because his reaction was, Oh. Oh, okay. You know, he was really shocked. So. So I don't put it on my résumé. Because I don't feel like I should have to. But when I have a job interview, I will say straight up, unless it's unless I'm applying for something in the disability sector, which I have done before, that I will put on my resume. Look, I've had lived experience with disability as I have CP. So it's
so it actually becomes something that is beneficial for the job. But, you know, I don't put on my resume, but when I go in there, I will briefly touched on it. I don't talk about it too much because I don't want it to be the only thing they se. But that's the issue that I've had in the past, that people, once they, you know, they think my résumé and my
cover letter is great. And then I get there and they see me and they sort of you can tell that they're internally having a little bit of a panic because they've obviously never employed someone with a disability before, and I don't know how to handle it, which I really wish that would change because we are very willing to work and very willing to go above and beyond and
do the job. And we're intelligent people. So, you know, that's something that in the employment sector, I think that that needs to become more accessible.
I like to boast that I have a the Bachelor of Arts and Monash University, amazing theatre, and then also in history and also in Minored in German. I am probably more qualified than most able bodied people and that's all I want to say to the world.
That exactly, that's the thing. When they, when they wanted to chuck in sort of a maccas job years ago, and I'd sit there and go, I have a bachelor's degree in communications, I'm probably more qualified than most of the other clients. You're like, you know, give me a job that's going to stimulate me and and help me use my brain, you know, because I want to use it and I want to work and I want to make a difference in the world. And I'm finally in
a job where I could do that. But it took a long time to get there because people just was like, okay, she's got a disability. We'll put we'll put her in a, you know, call center or a Macca's Job job or a drive thru job or a shop assistant or something. And I'd sit there and I'd go, I've studied for years at university. I've done all the courses. You know, I, I have a lot of qualifications and I want to make a difference. Look, a meaningful difference in the world.
I don't want to just fade into the background and I never have, you know, ever since I was a kid, I always used to be in the spotlight on the stage, doing theater, doing singing, doing whatever. But that. Dream of being in theater or an actress. That would be another thing that I've always wanted to do. But then I thought, okay, well, they're not going to fit that if you get it. If you if you get anything at all, they're not going to film you below the waist because of the
way you walk. And that was something that that I had to come to terms with. There's no I think there was one of my friends was like, well, there's no place for people like you in in theater or in in film. So I went to radio instead. But I really wish that they they would even like they would have, you know, more actors and actresses that that were disabled, you know, just so that we could. We could act and do all the things that we wanted
to do. I didn't think I was good enough talking about this, but I just thought about it from when I was a kid and I wanted to do all these different things. And then I had to come to terms with the fact that there's no way you're going to be doing that because of what you've got, really. So I really wish that it would be more accessible.
I've got two stories that I'm probably going to share. This one is when I was you know, when I did drama, this is about it is as an elective. They actually forced everyone to do it in year seven eight at my school, which that's a good idea. My school had brains at some point and we had this horrible
drama teacher, which no one liked. And I actually was only there for it because the really good drama teacher who is a legend also made some sort of leave long service and she'd been at that school for a very long time. So she I guess this drama teacher said to the three people who are disabled in that class. She just asked all of us and said, You shouldn't do this next year. You shouldn't do it. It's just too hard feeling like it's not really necessary. Like I
don't want to be. You're not the judge of my body, so I'm not to you. If I choose or not choose to do a class is your responsibility to make it as accessible as you can. And I think hopefully she wasn't even the teacher next year. So it wasn't really an issue. But it's like I now have a major in drama and I'm probably going to have honors in it next year. I'm already more qualified than this person, so.
Another story was that when I was in, we went to the Britain for Holiday Ground 20, and I think it's about 1516 when it happened and was Stratford upon Avon and went to the Royal Shakespeare Company, the British, and we went to see Othello and one of the lead actresses in it was she only had one arm. And I was like, That's a disabled actress. The physical difference. I'm here, one of the famous theaters in the world.
I was like, Maybe I can actually pursue theatre. Maybe you actually can do all these things like pursue drama. And I mentioned upstream the schools let me do drama the next Semester. Because it was like just saying that just changed the way I thought about theatre. And then I go to university and half the people in my class have autism, and it's like, I've actually never told anyone at my high school that I had autism until university. And I was like,
Maybe I can actually do this. Maybe it actually that difficult.
That. I love that story so much, and I think that it would be awesome to have more people with any disability, but especially a physical one that you can see, to see that it can be done. You know, because I had to I remember being young, kind of wanting to be an actress, you know, when you're seven, eight, nine, ten years old, I want to be an actress. I want to be a singer, I want to be all this. And then I thought, no one's going to you know, I can't do that because because I have a physical
disability and I still want to do something creative. So I went into radio and I that's become my my dream. But I remember when I when acting was my dream and I was like, well, I can't do that, you know? And I did do drama until year 12. I loved I loved being, you know, I did love that. But yeah, it's it's difficult when you have people telling you you
can't do something. And I'm always one of those people that as soon as someone tells me I can't do something, it makes me want to do it even more.