News

Blind volunteer helping other vision-impaired locals

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 04:15:00

A Mildura man who lost his sight as a child is part of a team that provides a fundamental service for local people who are blind or have low vision.

Michael Fridey, 51, is a volunteer panel operator for Vision Australia Radio Mildura 107.5FM.

The self-proclaimed computer nerd doesn’t let blindness stop him from airing the local news programs, which reach an audience of about 5000 people every day.

Mr Fridey is one of six people who volunteer at Vision Australia Mildura and access the organisation’s blindness and low vision services. They provide administration and peer support, run recreational activities, and work in radio.

At nine years old, Mr Fridey had a pushbike accident that changed his life.

“The wind blew me off my bike and I landed on the road, and my glasses cut my retina,” he said.

“I had a little bit of sight in one eye for 20-odd years, and then I lost it all in 1997 – glaucoma in the end.”

Mr Fridey has been a Vision Australia client since the 1980s, and has accessed the organisation’s day programs and technology and mobility services in Geelong and Mildura.

His experience as a client and a desire to work motivated Mr Fridey to join Geelong’s team of volunteers, and after moving to Mildura in 2010 he soon became a volunteer at the local centre.

Mr Fridey’s main job was shredding paper, but he always wanted to become a technical operator.

“I had done some voluntary work on the radio in Geelong, but I used to have to announce, which I didn’t like,” he said.

“About 18 months ago, I got the chance to join the radio team and learn how to operate the panel.

“It mightn’t sound thrilling to some, but I love the technical side of radio and much prefer being behind the scenes.”

Mr Fridey said panel operator trainer Liesma Berzins, who has volunteered at Vision Australia for almost 20 years, devised a new way for him to put programs to air.

“It took me a while to get the hang of things because there’s a lot of things you have to turn on and off and slide here and there, but it’s easy now,” he said.

“I can’t do it the normal way people do – I have to use a computer with a talking program on it – but it all comes out the same way.”

Mr Fridey said he couldn’t get a paid job in radio unless a station had the right facilities, but he enjoyed volunteering doing something he loved.

“For people in the community who can’t read the papers, I’m helping to provide an essential service,” he said.