She was busy touching and adjusting the digital voice recording device. The woman’s fingers searched for and matched the cable that would be connected to the hole in the recording device. She experienced difficulties, but did not give up. Many times she tried and found her own way to plug the cable into the device with her finger. After that, she adjusted the distance between the microphone and her lips. Not long after, she started speaking.
“Hi… Greetings of inclusion…Welcome to the inclusion gallery of the Glow In The Dark podcast,” said the woman.
Her name is Stella Putri Juwita, a blind person. Stella is 33 years old. She is recording an audio podcast with her friends, Oki, Rina, and Alif. The housewife’s vision changed completely three years ago. Now she relies heavily on her sense of touch and ears.
“Here you can listen to a variety of educational information, inspiring stories and entertainment topics from different points of view and presented in attractive ways so that it can broaden your insight into the inclusion gallery in Indonesia,” Stella added. She was accompanied and assisted by Oki, a blind colleague, who recorded her voice.
That afternoon, Stella, Oki, Rina, and Alif were taking part in podcast storytelling training at the Mitra Netra Foundation, Lebak Bulus. They gathered to prepare a podcast work in the form of a story. This activity is the result of collaboration between the Mitra Netra Foundation, Universitas Multimedia Nusantara (UMN), and KBR media, funded by the Directorate General of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Culture in Indonesia.
The training aims to support blind people who need access to creative and digital industry. The development of the digital industry, especially audio podcasts, opens up opportunities for people with disabilities to work and voice their aspirations and rights to access employment, education, health and other public services, as per Law Number 8 of 2016 concerning Persons with Disabilities. In addition to the right of accessibility, this law states the right to equality and non-discrimination.
In the training, held from September to October 2023, blind people are trained to package interesting podcast works so that they can compete and attract many listeners.
The training is divided into several sessions to comprehensively equip participants with the necessary skills and knowledge. It begins with an introduction to podcasts and digital audio technology, tailored specifically for blind participants. This is followed by training on using digital audio recording equipment for podcast production.
Participants are then introduced to the various job opportunities available in the Indonesian podcasting industry. After receiving personalized consultation, they delve into the concepts of podcasting and explore topics and texts related to the world of disabilities. The audio stories produced by the participants are then published by KBR media.
All of the 12 training participants were blind. The participants were divided into three groups during the training, each of which was trained to design programs and produce podcasts. Each team also chose and developed different topics for the “Glow in the Dark” podcast. Stella’s group presented stories about blind people’s achievements and other interesting things that they can share. Another group chose everyday topics for the blind, including the positive or negative impact of digital technology on the blind.
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“EIGHT, nine, ten… ooh, I forgot to record it. “Wait a minute!” Stella and Alif’s voices took turns teasing Oki for forgetting to record the voice.
Stella and her group looked enthusiastic. They enjoy the process and excitement of podcast production. Limitations are certainly not a reason for them not to be able to develop. They have ideas that are much more creative and interesting to listen to.
“Ohh no, it’s wrong, what do you think?” Stella suddenly couldn’t remember the words she had to say.
“Hahaha…” Oki laughed, replying to Stella’s teasing.
“Try to remember the words first, don’t rush Stella,” Alif calmed Stella, who was still a little nervous because she rarely recorded.
During the training, the participants experienced several obstacles and challenges. They have to memorise and remember the position of the cable and the buttons on the digital podcast device to record the audio. Then, they have to remember the narrative text that will be used via the “text-to-speech” feature before it can finally be recorded. They also experienced difficulties in editing the sound after the recording process was carried out.
Stella experienced that too. During recording sessions, she often forgets and is not used to speaking while being recorded. Stella admits that she is not very skilled at installing and using digital podcast devices.
“Being newly blind since 2020, I am not used to this yet. When I used the tools, I was already blind, so I had to learn from the start. How to insert the audio cable plug, microphone, or else, I have to touch and focus on it. If I mad mistake to put the cable or jack, it might not produce sound,” said Stella. But she never gave up.
When the clock struck 1.00 PM, Stella and her group friends prepared to end the training. Stella’s hands returned to feeling the podcast equipment and cables in front of her. Limited vision caused her and her friends to rely on their sense of touch. After tidying up all the equipment, Stella and all the Mitra Netra participants said goodbye to go home. They will continue making the podcast in the following week.
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