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Eye to Eye

Eye to Eye

Written by: Vision Australia
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About this listen

Tackling blindness stigma in migrant communities. Eye to Eye is a podcast series sharing the stories of five migrants with vision loss.

The episodes are produced in Hindi, Greek, Sinhalese, Arabic and Farsi, and tackle the topics of community stigma, perceptions and the struggles of navigating a new country with minimal or no vision.

Eye to Eye showcases what has helped these people lead independent and fulfilling lives in their adopted country: from learning to walk with white canes, using technology like screen readers and electronic magnifiers to navigating the NDIS and government funding.

Vision Australia also offers weekly in-language social support groups for people with low vision or blindness in these languages:

  • Arabic
  • Greek
  • Vietnamese
  • Mandarin
  • Italian
  • Cantonese
  • Spanish
  • Polish

The groups are free and conducted over the phone.

 Alternative & Complementary Medicine Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • Zhila’s story (Farsi)

    Zhila’s story (Farsi)
    Jan 27 2022

    When Zhila told her parents that she will lose her eyesight completely in 20 years, she was met with denial.

    “They said things like we already had people in the family who had weak eyesight and said my vision is just not strong, but it will get better over time,” she said.

    Denial was better than acceptance for her family.

    Listen to how she overcame the stigma of disability in her community.

    Eye to Eye is Vision Australia’s limited in-language podcast series. It aims to give migrants with lived experience the chance to talk about living with blindness and low vision in an adoptive country.

    The shows are produced in Hindi, Greek, Sinhalese, Arabic and Farsi.

    Interviewer – Hossien Kiamehr

    Interviewee/client - Dr Zhila Hasanloo

    Show notes: Farsi transcript (Download PDF)

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    20 mins
  • Korial’s story (Arabic)

    Korial’s story (Arabic)
    Jan 27 2022

    Korial fled his native Iraq following increasing threats from ISIS.

    Being welcomed to Australia meant he could finally tap into services for his blindness.

    Eye to Eye is Vision Australia’s limited in-language podcast series. It aims to give migrants with lived experience the chance to talk about living with blindness and low vision in an adoptive country.

    The shows are produced in Hindi, Greek, Sinhalese, Arabic and Farsi.

    Inteviewer – Nabil Jacobs

    Interviewee/client – Korial Sora Masho Masho

    Show notes: Arabic transcript (Download PDF)

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    17 mins
  • Tony’s story (Sinhalese)

    Tony’s story (Sinhalese)
    Jan 27 2022

    Dr Baba (Tony) Arifeen Hafis Preena had to quit his job as a GP when his eyesight started to deteriorate.

    Hear how he has coped with his vision loss.

    Eye to Eye is Vision Australia’s limited in-language podcast series. It aims to give migrants with lived experience the chance to talk about living with blindness and low vision in an adoptive country.

    The shows are produced in Hindi, Greek, Sinhalese, Arabic and Farsi.

    Interviewer – Mallika Amarasekara

    Interviewee/client - Dr Baba (Tony) Arifeen Hafis Preena

    Show notes: Sinhalese transcript (Download PDF)

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    15 mins
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