DRIVE NOW October/November 2021

NEW SOUTH WALES news
Get
to Know...
Susan Thompson
Advocacy Advisor, Vision Australia
My work involves supporting people who are blind
or have low vision to address barriers they have
faced in doing something in their lives because of
their blindness or low vision. Sometimes, it is direct
discrimination such as denying them access with a
Seeing Eye Dog. Sometimes an organisation has not
thought of people with disabilities when they have
introduced a new way to do something (such as a
touch screen check-out scanner) or touch screen
information kiosks.
I represent the organisation on a range of
We
asked
Susan...
1. Tell us three things you find
annoying.
• People who don’t do anything in
their daily life towards protecting
the environment.
• People who seem to have no
rational reason for not being
vaccinated against diseases which
can spread and have a big impact
on those who catch them.
• Friends who say “what’s up”
when I call them to say “hello”.
2. If you could be anywhere other
than here where would you be?
I would love to have the experience of
being in space - so I would love to be on
the International Space Station.
3. Flashback to when you were 10
years old. What did you want to be
when you grew up?
I clearly remember setting up
classrooms with chairs, playing teacher,
dressing up as a nurse, and as I got
towards the end of school I wanted
to be a physiotherapist. This meant
going to England to train as there
were no training courses in Australia
that catered for people who were
blind. However, as it turned out, I did
not achieve the end of school, results
needed.
consultation forums including the NSW Taxi Council’s
Disability reference group.
As I am totally blind, taxi travel is an important part
of my link to the community, and I am committed
to working with the taxi industry to continuously
improve the experience for all people who are blind
or have low vision.
Prior to coming to Vision Australia, I worked for
the Australian Broadcasting Authority for 20 years.
During that time, I took a year off and lived and
worked in Anchorage, Alaska for a year.
4. If we went to happy hour, what
would you order?
I love to try out new beers and also love
the cocktail mojito but, these days can’t
handle having hangovers so I probably
wouldn’t drink both these in the same
night.
5. Finish this sentence. On Sunday
mornings, you can usually find
me...
Sitting up in bed with a coffee and a
talking book of science fiction, crime
and detective or good old-fashioned
romance keeping me company.
6. How do you think your
colleagues would describe you?
Forthright, having definite opinions and
being supportive.
www.drivenow-magazine.com.au
October/November 2021
11