From Vision Australia. This is talking vision. And now here's your host Sam Colley.
Hello, everyone. It's great to be here with you. And for the next half hour, we talk matters of blindness and low vision.
The first time I went to an audio described event was to Phantom of the opera. And it was a long time ago. A very long time ago. I really liked it so much. I was sitting in my seat crying because it was such a good experience. I don't cry every time I die now, but I do believe that a good audio description adds so much to an event for those of us who can't see.
Welcome to the program! This week we hear from a couple of audio description users who have a lot of positive things to say about the audio description at the Vision Australia Carols by Candlelight after attending the 2023 iteration, and you'll hear from them very shortly, so make sure to stick around to hear from Janine and Michael. Then
after you hear from Janine and Michael. I'm joined by Keith Mcvilly, who's here to tell us all about an upcoming consultation, which is taking place over the next week and a half, for people to have their say about disability registration standards. I hope you enjoy this week's episode of Talking Vision. Starting off the show this week, I
speak with a couple of Carols by Candlelight. Attendees who headed along to last year's carols with their own audio description devices for them to follow along in real time with the event as it played out. Their names are Janine Sardo and Michael Jaynes and they join me now. Janine. Michael, welcome to Talking Vision. Thanks so much for your time.
Thank you Sam. Thank you.
Janine, I'd love to start with you and get your experience with audio description at the carols in 2023. So what was that like to be at the ball with them? The audio description.
Was really quite exciting for me to be at the bowl. Um, we had very good seats up near the front, very near the front. So Michael and I and some other people actually met in the city, and Michael knew the way to the bowl, so that was all fine. We were instructed where to get our audio description receivers and that all went well. Then we made our way down to the front, to the seats and they were such good seats, which was really good. You felt really close and really a part of the event.
Okay. And Michael, what was your experience like?
Yes. This is the first time I've been to Carol's or had been to Carol's. I'd watched it on telly for 50 plus years, so I was quite excited and curious. And as Janine said, our seats were right at the front, so there was some toing and froing of camera people and so forth, which occasionally jumped across in front of us. But generally it was a wonderful experience of being so close and so much in what was going on. And it was The concerts are great on telly, but nothing
beats being there in person. So it was, it was really exciting from that point of view. We were very fortunate. It poured rain, our seats were under cover, but it started just after we got there and it concluded just before we left. But I certainly feel for the people sitting further back who would have got very, very wet. And I commend them for their courage in sticking it out. But it was a wonderful concert with great performers, so I enjoyed it immensely.
I'm keen to get your review or your feedback or whatever word you feel appropriate as to the audio description itself on the night. And Janine, what did you sort of enjoy the most from that side of things while you're at the carols.
Having the blanks filled in of what was happening that you couldn't hear, and at some stages the music was it was an overpoweringly loud, but it was loud. But there were lots of things happening as well that the audio describer told us about. And it's just good to know about these things and just have some more information. So I listened to the audio description all the way
through the concert, which was really good. And as well as Michael said, there were backstage or front stage things happening that wouldn't have gone through the television or didn't get mentioned on the audio description either. But, you know, that was quite interesting to see how they put together the show a bit, because there was talking a bit to the acts and stuff like that, but everything that could have been described was described very well, I thought.
And Michael, what were your thoughts on that and your experiences as, you know, somebody with, um, quite a bit of vision. There's still and I can relate to this as someone in the similar boat, quite a few details that you miss out on because they're quite small or they're over in the corner of the screen, or you can't quite make them out as well as possible, but the audio description, I guess, fills in the gaps, as Janine says, in that way.
Yes. Um, so you are correct. I do have what I consider fairly useful low vision. So I am legally blind. And my overall use of audio description, which I've only used a few times, but I've used it at musicals and plays and at carols. So it's sort of different types of events, is that if I'm sitting in the first few rows of any concert or event, I think I've got a reasonably good grasp of what is going on, but it just adds those extra little bits. You know,
someone's moved from here. The set has changed. These people are moving around as they sing those sorts of things that you may get most of, but you just probably don't know what you're missing out on until those gaps are filled in.
That's it. And especially when there's things like text or numbers or signs or anything like that, that's the big part where you need a bit more assistance with those sort of things. So I think that's where audio description comes into its own for me personally. But as we've said, it's quite different for everyone and it is very important
to have these sorts of things at live events. So, Janine, I'll come back to you and just get your perspective on why having audio description at live events like the carols is so important.
Well, it just tells us the things that we don't know if you can't see them. I couldn't see the stage. And so it told me a lot about what was happening on the stage. And also it just really makes the event much more accessible. And I do tell this story. The first time I went to an audio described event was to Phantom of the opera, and it was a long time ago, a very long time ago, and I really loved it so much. I was sitting in my seat crying because it was such a good experience. So, uh,
I don't cry every time I die now. But I do believe that a good audio description adds so much to an event for those of us who can't see it or can't see it very well.
And Michael, what's your perspective? What do you think it is so important for not only yourself and Jeanine, but so many other people out there in the blind and low vision community who do head along to live events like it's not just the carols, but the theater. As Jeanine mentioned there.
I'm only an occasional attender of events, but the thing I would say, Sam. And yes, it is getting away slightly from carols, but the same sort of principles apply. I remember going to see Come From Away a year or two ago, where there were very basic sets, but the sets shifted multiple times during the show, and a lot of that was done with, I think, trick lighting
and photography and similar things. The fact that the audio describer was able to say, well, the shift is just automatically and seamlessly shifted from sitting in a cafe to being on an airplane. It really just helps set the scene a bit more than you would get otherwise. And the other one I would mention is I saw and I forget the name of the play, which is terrible.
Melbourne Theatre Company with Justine Clarke doing Julia Gillard. I think it may have been just called Julia, and that was only two people on stage for the whole performance, but there were quite a few little props used and to be able to get the audio describer to say, well, you know, now there's item X on the stage or she's doing this or has picked up this really added to the experience where you may may lose that at other times at that performance. The seats I was in
weren't near the front. They were probably two thirds of the way back in the theatre. So adding that little bit of extra really, really just added something to what you would have got otherwise.
It's really interesting to hear that you've had those experiences with theatre, but as we know, there's quite a few more things appearing on TV these days. And, you know, have you both been enjoying TV shows with audio description on, you know, channels like ABC and SBS but also, you know, streaming platforms now have it as well, don't they?
I only enjoy it on ABC and SBS don't do any streaming. Oh yes, I have a couple of Netflix at friends places and I really do like it for the theater. I have done it in cinemas and that could make the difference whether I go to the cinema or not. Having audio description I'm a very big fan of audio description in the cinema.
Michael, what about you? Do you, um, watch a few things on TV?
With experience of using it myself. But from the interactions and discussions I've had with other blind and vision impaired people, it is obviously a really, really important thing to allow blind and vision impaired people to participate in all aspects of media, So it's not arguable. It's a given that these services must be provided to allow the same, well, close to the same access to all sorts of visual performances.
And I guess that's where Vision Australia comes in with their involvement with the audio description, doing all that work in the background to make it a seamless experience for the audience. You know, things like ensuring the audio description signals clear and it's got good coverage across the bowl regardless of your seat position, because you want to make sure that no matter where you are, you do get great coverage, even if you're further back and hopefully not
in the rain. But sometimes those things do happen. But I understand that this year, the way that they have set it up, you can tick a box to say, oh, you know, yes, I require an audio description device. And so when you show up at the bowl, they show you over to the booth where the devices are available, and people can get set up that way. How has that sort of thing for you? Last year, Jeanine and Michael,
what was the situation there? How did you sort of go about getting your audio description device, and was that quite seamless?
Yes, for me it was, yes. And I think for Michael, I was probably with him. Yes. They as soon as we came in, we said we've got to get our audio description receivers. And we were shown exactly where to go. And it was all very, very well organized, I thought.
Michael, did you have the same experience?
Yes. I would agree with Jeanine. We, as I said, we'd met up with always. Jeanine said we'd met up before a group of us. But as soon as we got to the entry to the bowl, we said, this is what we need to do. And one of the staff or volunteers on the front gate at the bowl bone showed us to the store or caravan where we needed to pick up our AV receivers, and that was
all pretty seamless. And then we trotted off to our seats and just remembered to deliver them back at the end, because I don't think it would have gone down that well if we forgot to give them back.
Certainly not. But, um, it is easy to pick up an audio description receiver on the way in. And as of this year, and I'm sure it was the same in past years as well. A similar situation at some on the left, past the main gates at the cloakroom, and the audio description team have also ensured that all of the ground staff at the front of House of the carols are aware of where the ad receivers are,
should any audience members make an enquiry. And just to wrap up some info for how to book for tickets this year with audio description if people out there are interested in heading along to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. You can get a live audio description of what's happening on the stage. It's delivered through receivers that we've discussed previously, so these can be booked at the time of purchasing tickets by following the prompt on the Ticketek webpage or
over the phone at one 301 3300. That's one 301 3300. Now it's free of charge and it can be booked when you're ordering your tickets under audio Description receiver. If you also would love to listen to the radio, you maybe can't get to the bowl or you can't get to a TV, but you'd love to listen on Virgin
Australia Radio. You can absolutely do that. We'll be providing a separate commentary of the night's events alongside audio description for those listening at home, the audio description commentary will extend further to painting a picture of what's happening in the space and how attendees are reacting to performances on stage. Now.
That program will air live across the Vision Australia radio network from 8 p.m. in Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and regional Victoria, but you can also access it on the Vision Australia Radio website at VA radio.org that's VA radio.org or through the Vision Australia library. I've been speaking today with Michael
and Janine. Attendees of the 2023 audio described Vision Australia Carols by Candlelight at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, sharing their experiences with audio description at the Bowl and looking forward to another Carols by Candlelight in just a few weeks time. Thank you so much for your time today. Great to chat with you both.
Thank you Sam.
I'm Sam Culley and you're listening to Talking Vision on Vision Australia Radio. Associated stations of Reading Radio and the Community Radio Network. I hope you enjoyed that conversation there with Janine and Michael. If you missed any part of that conversation or you'd love to hear it again. Talking vision is available on the Vision Australia Radio website. Just head to RVA radio.org. That's RVA radio.org to check it
out there. Or you can find the program on the podcast app of your choice or through the Vision Australia a library coming up now. I speak with Keith Mcvilly, member of the Disability Worker Registration Board of Victoria, who are currently conducting public consultation on disability registration standards, which will finish on the 13th of December. So to have a chat all about this, I'm very pleased to be joined by Keith right now. Keith, welcome to Talking Vision.
Thanks very much for your time.
Thanks very much for the invitation to come on, Sam.
Firstly, Keith, could you tell us a little bit about the commission and the board and their role in assisting the disability sector in Victoria?
Yes. So the Victorian Disability Workers Commission and the Victorian Disability Workers Registration Board is a first of its kind in Australia, and it was set up under the 2018 Safeguarding Act here in Victoria, and it's designed to provide a mechanism to register those providing support to people with disability.
Okay. And Keith, what is Victorian disability worker registration.
Right. So the registration scheme, it's a voluntary scheme at the moment. And it offers an opportunity for the disability workforce to measure themselves against a set of standards to be registered. And through that registration, be able to communicate to people with disability as their clients that they are a person who is knowledgeable in the field and who is going to practice safely.
Mhm. Okay. And Keith, does this consultation and these standards have anything to do with NDIS registration by any chance?
No. Our scheme is quite independent of the NDIS. It relates only to the workforce here in Victoria. Mind you are based on a recent study at RMIT. We've got over 155,000 plus disability workers working across Victoria every day, and our scheme applies only to Victoria.
And why are you conducting a public consultation on these standards for disability worker registration?
Yes. Well, the Act of Parliament under which the scheme operates enables us to set standards of practice. And soon after the scheme was established across 2019 and 2020, we entered into a process of establishing some standards for registration, and we feel that the time is now, right after 3 or 4 years, to go back to the community and to ask people with disabilities, their families and indeed
disability workers. Whether these standards are the right standards, whether they're clear about what the standards are and whether there are any other standards of practice that we should be setting to ensure that people with disabilities can be confident that they have a safe workforce.
Certainly. And if people are interested in having their say about the registration standards themselves, what do they need to know about the standards before they perhaps jump in and give their feedback?
Yeah, well, at the moment we have three standards that anybody registering as a disability worker needs to be measured against. The first of those standards is a criminal history check. And this is very similar to the NDIS criminal history check. And that's really about making sure that we have safe
practitioners in our workforce. The second standard is a standard around English language proficiency, and that's about ensuring that our workforce can read the documentation that they need to read, that they can communicate with their colleagues and with other people across the sector. And the third standard, which is the most recent standard that we set up, is a
continuing professional development requirement. And at the moment, that is set at ten hours of continuing professional development in any one year period.
And Keith, let's just dig down into why this consultation is so important and what benefit it can serve for both the Commission and the wider disability community.
Well, the Commission and the Registration Board is there to serve people with disabilities and to ensure that they are receiving competent and safe services, and we really want to hear from people with disabilities about the standards that they expect of their workforce. We want to know what people with disabilities are expecting of their workers, and that will
be the basis of setting the standards. And I suppose on the other side of the coin, we want to hear from the disability workforce to know what standards are important to them as a group of professionals in our community and what they would like they and their colleagues to be measured against when it comes to safe and competent service provision.
And how can people participate and provide feedback in this consultation?
Right. Well, there are a number of options. Of course, there is the detail on the Victorian Disability Worker registration website, and you can get to that website at the dwc.vic.gov noew. And that will take you to the home page and you'll find the consultation material on the website. You can email in comments to consultation at DWC dot vicovu. Or please feel free to pick up the phone and phone the board on Melbourne 95951044.
And just a couple of final details. Keith when does the consultation close?
So the consultation will close on the 13th of December, which will allow us some time over the Christmas period to go through the material, and then we hope to have the results.
Of.
The.
Consultation.
Up on the website early in the new year, and any change to the standards that come out of the consultation will be in place for the next round of registrations late in 2025.
After the consultation period does close, what are the next steps?
Right, so the next steps will be for the Commission and the board to review the suggestions that people have made. And then we will fold those suggestions into a revision of the existing standards. If people are looking to additional standards to be set, we will certainly be considering setting additional standards, and then we will publish those standards on
the website so they're clear for everybody to see. And those standards will then come into play for the next round of registrations in September 2025.
Well, I've been speaking today with Keith Mcvilly, board member of the Disability Worker Registration Board of Victoria, who are currently conducting public consultation on disability registration standards. And this is wrapping up on the 13th of December. So you've still got quite a bit of time out there to have your say. So get in touch with the YWCA and give your feedback. Okay. Thank you so much for your time today. Great to catch up with you.
Thanks a lot, Sam, for your interest. And I'd really encourage people to check out the standards on the website and to get their feedback in. This is really all about making sure that people with disabilities are receiving safe and responsible services.
And that's all the time we have for today. You've been listening to Talking Vision. Talking vision is a Vision Australia radio production. Thanks to all involved with putting the show together every week. And remember, we love hearing from you. So please get in touch any time on our email at Talking Vision. At Vision australia.org that's talking vision all one word at Vision australia.org. But until next week it's Sam Colley saying bye for now.
You can contact Vision Australia by phoning us anytime during business hours on one 308 474, double six. That's 1300 847 406 or by visiting Vision australia.org. That's Vision australia.org.