Heather Lawson was invited to participate in an interview for a podcast program which was two minutes long with John McKenna – “So.. podcast”.
It was published on Friday 3rd April 2020. It is called “social isolation is not new to us”. The episode featuring her is episode number 13. There is an Auslan translation of the podcast below. Enjoy!
Here is Heather’s transcript:
Hi everybody, my name’s Heather. I live in Victoria, Australia, and I’m deaf and blind. I use sign language. You can hear a man’s voice at the moment; he’s my interpreter. When I heard about the coronavirus it stopped me from travelling on train and taxi, and other forms of transport. I used to visit friends and go to a gym, and go swimming, but now I’m stuck. It’s very difficult.But, what I do, I try and think positively. I have to change my plans, set up a new routine, and I’ve brought a lot of things with me, like board games, a computer, a phone with a braille display. I’ve brought gym equipment, and a box of clay for pottery. I’ve also got a braille book from Vision Australia. I love my cat also, whose name’s Champagne. I’m here, and I’m slowly settling in to a new environment. It’s new for me. At times it’s frustrating, losing my way, but I try and speak openly with my sister to make sure that everything is smooth around me. I’ve stayed in contact with friends, family and colleagues on SMS, email, Messenger, etc, etc. Sometimes I’ll go for a walk with my sister; we go walking through the countryside looking at the green hills. We try and take different routes each time. It’s very relaxing. I want to say thank you, be safe and look after yourselves. Thank you.
Here is the Auslan translation of the whole podcast: