25. The Joy of Tech in Everyday Life

In this episode, Joel and I dive into how technology is transforming life with a disability. From smart homes and voice assistants like Alexa to adaptive tools that make everyday tasks easier, we share how tech is helping build more independence and accessibility.

We also explore how technology supports social connection, and have a laugh over dating apps, group chats and the chaos of online life. Whether it’s reducing isolation or creating new ways to connect, tech is changing the game.

Thanks so much for listening to A Wheelie Good Chat! Your support means the world.

Follow along on Instagram: @awheeliegoodchat | @sam.bamalama 

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Transcript

Speaker 1 0:01

Hey everyone and welcome back to another episode of Really Good Chat where we divulge areas of my life, even the not-so-PG ones. If this is your first time listening, thank you so much for joining and a bit of a backstory on myself. I started this podcast with my friend Joel to break stigma and normalise disability in all forms. So, yeah, hopefully you join for future episodes. So yeah, hopefully you join for future episodes. And, as always, hello and welcome to my co-host, joel, aka the Question Guy.

Speaker 2 0:30

Here to ask the big questions again. Sam, looking forward to it. Yes, back on track.

Speaker 1 0:37

It's been a little while, but you know we have breaks and we come back better than ever. That's the goal.

Speaker 2 0:45

Whether or not we achieve it is different. No, I did enjoy our little episode last time of us asking each other questions. It was good.

Speaker 1 0:51

Yeah, I like it, it was fun.

Speaker 2 0:53

I think back to our regularly scheduled program. Today I'm going to dip back into your life, sam, and talk about some technology.

Speaker 1 1:03

Yes, we thought it was, like Joel said, a bit of a time to kind of get back into what this podcast is about, which is about disability and so forth.

Speaker 2 1:09

Yeah, so I think today we're just going to have a chat around how technology has really helped bridge the gap here, sam, around crossing some of those barriers that you have in your life. We all know that technology is a huge boon. At the moment, we're all loving technology everyone's lives. I'm not going to ask you if technology has made your life better. Obviously it has made my life way better. The fact that we get to do this across an entire country is awesome. Really just want to drill down into some of the key things that you use in your life that you think are really valuable before we begin, we would like to acknowledge the traditional customs of country throughout australia and their connection to land, sea and community.

Speaker 2 1:50

We pay our respect to their elders, past and present, and extend that respect to all First Nations peoples today and in the future. So talk us through, sam, what we got going on over there in Technology Corner for us today.

Speaker 1 2:05

Well, I guess, if we start within my household, being that it is a smart home, unfortunately the people in it aren't too smart. Thank you, that was a joke early.

Speaker 2 2:19

A smart home. I've seen ads for that. People live in smart homes sometimes. Oh no, I think I've seen a movie and it tries to kill the man. Okay, don't worry, I think it's something different. Do a house ever try to kill you, Sam? Is that happening? How smart is this thing? When you say smart house, what do you mean?

Speaker 1 2:34

So basically, a smart home is enhancing my independence, giving me more independence, just with, you know, being able to go outside, you know not having to ask for assistance just to go outside, just simple things like that. I can go outside by asking Alexa. How would you describe Alexa? I guess she's a sorry she. Oh, my God, that's.

Speaker 2 2:58

We're gendering.

Speaker 1 2:59

We're gendering yeah.

Speaker 2 3:01

Alexa, it's a boy's thing. I don't know, I'm older than you. You talk to it. It does stuff.

Speaker 1 3:05

Keep it simple. Love that, yeah, great, yes. So if I just ask Alexa a command, I've got some numerous amount of commands that Alexa does, and yeah so, open the doors, open the blinds, close blinds. Lights on, lights off.

Speaker 2 3:23

Yeah, so you can sort of control your environment just using Alexa, which is massive, right, because I can control my. I don't need Alexa, I don't have an Alexa. Don't send me an Alexa, I don't want one. I'm quite happy living in a dumb house. I'll live in my little dumb house, but I get to control my environment. I think it's great that there's technology here that controls your environment, so it opens the doors for you, right, so you can now, like, have a friend come visit and you could like let your friend in completely independently.

Speaker 1 3:53

that's awesome, exactly, exactly, and it's really cute, like when my um like niece is over little marley, she knows that, um, that's how you get outside, but yeah, so it's pretty cool that you know my little niece knows that's how you get outside, but yeah, so it's pretty cool that you know my little niece knows that's how you get outside.

Speaker 2 4:09

Sam's the gatekeeper. Yeah, you're the one who decides if she comes in or not.

Speaker 1 4:13

Well, I do have that power, but also it's not like the iPhones where you have to have that voice.

Speaker 2 4:19

Okay, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 4:21

Which I guess is a good thing, but also it's like a little bit of a, I guess, another security kind of Question mark.

Speaker 2 4:27

But so you can control a little bit in your house. What else can you control in the house? You've got doors, you've got lights, so that's cool, so you can, like read a book in bed and then you can decide to go to sleep and you don't have to call someone to turn lights off Exactly.

Speaker 1 4:40

It makes such a difference. So, yeah, everything has an app which makes it easier, and then it's always like on my phone, as well as an app for the air conditioner slash heater.

Speaker 2 4:50

Brilliant.

Speaker 1 4:51

Yeah.

Speaker 2 4:59

Great, yeah, right. So again you don't have to call someone in to help just get comfortable, which is not something that most of us would do. That's awesome, and you've already got your phone on you, so it's not like you have to carry around a remote for every single little thing as well. So that's wicked. So this is this what you would call assistive technology, uh, which is like specifically designed for mobility and access, or is this just kind of like mainstream technology that you've adapted into your life?

Speaker 1 5:17

Yeah, it's actually probably like a good question. I guess it is assisting, because you know it's assisting my life, but then also, on the other hand, I do know quite a few people who have some form of Alexa or Google or whatever it may be, in their house.

Speaker 2 5:31

Yeah.

Speaker 1 5:32

So they don't have a disability or want to give themselves more independence. I think it's just, I don't know, maybe a selling point of their house. I don't know, I'm not too sure really. So I think it's a bit of both. Either way, it's really has enhanced my life. Yeah, I'm sure, like when mum's out, I'm sure it gives. Be the lights on, you're not just sitting in the dark.

Speaker 2 5:52

Yeah, If she gets stuck in traffic, or you know.

Speaker 1 5:59

Yeah, that's exactly it. It gives me a lot of independence, which is what I'm all about.

Enhancing Quality of Life With Technology

Speaker 2 6:04

I wonder as well if it's a little bit cheaper, because traditionally assisted technology like this would be really expensive to come and put in your house. I wonder, now that it's mainstream, if it's maybe a little bit more accessible financially that's awesome. I think that's really cool. So there's a you got a few things going on in your house and you said you could, so you open the doors. That's through your app as well. What are they?

Speaker 1 6:22

yeah, app, or I can use a command and get alexa to do it for me. The doors are go doors and if you know that, like, that's like a massive company and I thought it was just, I guess, an assistive kind of thing, but I can't remember where I was. Oh no, that's right, I was in David Jones' change room and they had a Godor Right okay. Yeah, in the accessible change room, and I was like, oh okay, so maybe it's just a company that has lots of doors.

Speaker 2 6:52

So Godor is the brand. It's not a quarter godor, it's a.

Speaker 1 6:56

The brand is godor yeah, it's a special name of a door godor is like a company who install who right, okay, all the doors and you just access through an app.

Speaker 2 7:05

What's it like the maya change rooms that you? Oh, is there a button you press then? Or?

Speaker 1 7:10

yeah, yeah, a button that I press to you know obviously go in. Then there's one on the inside to open it, to go out, yeah.

Speaker 2 7:19

I think I've seen these. I think I've seen these, yeah, and I had like obviously it had this sticker on it for advertisement reasons.

Speaker 1 7:25

I was like oh my God, that's exactly like my door. Oh my God, oh my God, incredible, yeah, small. Thing.

Speaker 2 7:35

I love you got a kick out of that same door. Man, look at the same door. Do you want to tell someone? Yeah?

Speaker 1 7:38

I told my friend who I was with, but she was like oh yeah, yeah, same door. I'm like where's the excitement, please?

Speaker 2 7:44

I'm pretty excited for you. That's pretty cool. Thank you, I appreciate that. Go doors, oh cool. So if anyone's looking for a door, this episode is not sponsored by go doors. They don't know we're doing this. All right, cool, cool. So it sounds like it's really just, it's nothing too out of this ordinary, it's just kind of mainstream things. You kind of pull them together and obviously mainstream devices. I mean we're all using them. We're all massive. How has the advancement in technology over the last say, 10 or so years really increased your quality of life?

Speaker 1 8:17

Honestly, when I think about it, it really has enhanced it quite considerably due to the fact of you know, when I am feeling isolated or whatever it may be, I can reach out to friends. So from that standpoint it is quite important and I'm sure everyone feels like that. If you can't get out of the house because you can't find your keys or you're breaking your foot or wherever it may be, I'm sure everyone can kind of relate to that in some way.

Speaker 2 8:41

Yeah, I think you're probably more isolated for longer periods than most people. I think that's a fair statement to make, sam. You're quite dependent on someone else being able to go out, and I think in times of COVID, where everyone has to stay home, it's people like you who, I think, really suffer from that and really challenged by that space as well. So I can really see how technology has made a difference. I mean, I'm old enough to remember that there was a time if you wanted to go see a friend, you went around their house and hoped that they were home and there was no testing or anything like that.

Speaker 2 9:08

So, and you don't really have that luxury. So I guess technology, just being able to connect with people must be massive for you.

Speaker 1 9:15

Yeah, absolutely, and I guess it's good to kind of like stop and reflect and go. Oh yeah, actually it has been really beneficial in my life and I guess you know we're all guilty of taking things for granted, but you know, and you know, I suppose leading on from having the same contact with people, I guess that comes like another aspect of that is social media and some people go, oh, social media, what's the point? But like, I guess that's kind of like another side of it. Like you know, it's allowed me to keep in contact with friends and people who I don't see regularly because of distance or wherever it may be. Yeah, so I think I'm not saying everyone, but like probably majority, like the older generation, who maybe can't really understand the social media side of things, which is totally understandable. But for I guess, for myself, should I say it has really kind of been a very pivotal point being able to have that connection with people.

Speaker 2 10:08

So is it mostly just kind of like your ability to socialise through these apps that you feel has really benefited you? Are there any kind of other apps? I mean, we talked about how apps control your house, but there's any kind of other spaces there that have helped you with work and career, study, things like that well, what comes to my mind when you said that is dating apps. You're right, yeah, yeah, I was thinking work, beauty. Nah, give me some love.

Speaker 1 10:33

That's what you're thinking yeah, no, I mean good shot, I mean that's fair enough and currently I think for the 78th time this year I've deleted it it's like a bi-weekly thing.

Speaker 2 10:45

At this point, you know, twice a week we delete install delete, install. It's honestly a joke, yeah, but it's okay so I yeah, it's got its dark moments, that's for sure, but overall I mean nice, call it what it is. It's kind of hard to pick up when you have a support worker with you and especially when half the time your support worker is your mum, then it's really hard to pick up.

Speaker 2 11:04

Oh, no, well, thank God, I don't really go out with my mum 10 years ago, yeah, and you're a lot more independent these days as well, but there are people out there as well that need a lot more assistance, and it's really hard to sort of develop a relationship with someone, especially if we're thinking like access issues, which we talk about all the time, but not even be able to get into a venue and meet someone Brilliant.

Speaker 1 11:27

Okay, yeah, that's it.

Speaker 2 11:30

Go Tinder.

Speaker 1 11:31

Or Hinge, you know, but like once again, not sponsored or hinge, you know, but like, not, once again, not sponsored, I don't know them. You know, I obviously utilize a calendar, you know, because I'm very much a scheduled kind of person you are actually. Yeah, you're really organized oh, and I guess the other thing that kind of comes off, that is the banking app.

Speaker 2 11:49

Obviously I have my banking on my phone once again, like everyone's got banking on their phone, I'm sure but still, there's a difference between me just ducking down to the ATM and getting some cash out, and that becomes like a bit more of a mission for you, A bit different than me just jumping in my car and driving down to a bank and you have to be like someone has to take me. I think that's a great one, being able to sort of control your own finances. You know just where you are without having to ask people to help. Agree, why are you laughing at me? What did I say?

Speaker 1 12:16

you're really showing your age with the cash we were talking 2005 technology.

Speaker 2 12:21

Oh, that's what I was thinking, yeah sorry, I keep thinking 2005.

Speaker 1 12:24

Okay, yeah, my apologies, I take it back. So with my job I've actually got an app where you put in your hours for the shift that you've done and then, which is great, like it's really accessible and really user-friendly, which we love. That's really helpful when I do it as soon as my shift over, so you know I don't have to go home and log on to the computer even a career, is now a lot more accessible.

Speaker 2 12:48

That allows you to be more successful at work and get through tasks quicker, which means that you're you've got a better chance of progressing in your career too. So there's sort of I think there's huge, huge, huge impact to technology. So I want you to imagine for a sec, sam, that technology has not progressed any further than it did in, say, 2005. You've got your Nokia phone, we're on, I think we're on Windows Vista, is that right? Are we at XP yet in 2005,? You reckon? I don't know.

Speaker 1 13:16

Broadband you can have either.

Speaker 2 13:17

Broadband, it's not great. Internet, no, smart homes. What do you think your life looks like without these technological advancements?

Speaker 1 13:26

That's probably a good way of phrasing it. I honestly reckon it would be a lot more isolating. I wouldn't be as safe.

Speaker 2 13:33

Probably couldn't be alone in your house. Do you think without that smart home, you ever would be at home alone?

Speaker 1 13:39

Yeah, well, in my previous houses they weren't smart homes, but I was in them alone. That sounds so dramatic. I was in them alone. It would be very obviously very different.

Speaker 2 13:57

I think I would find a way to be safe, to like manage for anyone listening. I'm just watching sam go through a range of emotions here and she's beginning to think about this apocalyptic lifestyle of not having any technology. And then this dawn of realization about how reliant on technology she is, and then this kind of like defiance immediately afterwards on a hypothetical. I will not bow that was a journey that was you really went through it then.

Speaker 2 14:20

Okay, so you think you would be equally as independent just because of your, your gumption and your ability to rise to the occasion?

Speaker 1 14:28

like I probably wouldn't be as independent, but I would like to think that I would kind of like adjust and find a way around. Yeah, to like enhance my life. I think that's the important thing. I'm about enhancing my life. However that may look and whatever technology is in front of me, even if I am a way I managed, some adjustments might need to be made.

Speaker 2 14:51

Whatever that may be, that makes sense so, yeah, you're saying you're not independent because of technology, you're independent because of you, and technology is just one of the tools that you use yeah, I guess.

Speaker 1 15:01

But then when you say like that probably not right hearing that, I'm like actually, no, that doesn't sound right because obviously technology has 100 enhanced my life. But I think it's the side of having you having the drive to connect with people, that's what I was trying to say.

Speaker 2 15:17

Yeah, yeah, I was going to say, like, technology is the tool that you use, but it's you that is creating your independence. Yeah, and if technology was different or didn't exist, you would still find a tool that would work for you.

Speaker 1 15:31

I would like to think I would.

Speaker 2 15:33

Yeah, I think you would. I think you would for sure you would. I think you would for sure. Yeah, I think you got that fire in you that you wouldn't take the easy way out. Do you think that you would survive the apocalypse?

Speaker 1 15:41

oh, absolutely not, absolutely not. Why not? Oh okay, I had actually thought about this one before, because I'm an easy target. Do they eat humans?

Speaker 2 15:51

I don't know, I have not been in one yet, but I'm thinking, you, you can go with your friends, probably.

Speaker 1 15:57

I would like to think they would hopefully take me, but also, on the other hand, I'll be weighing them down. Not everywhere is going to be accessible. Got to think of that.

Speaker 2 16:05

Yeah, that's true, that's really true. You probably have to be carried a lot of the time. Yeah, I don't think your chair is going to get you far no, I don't have to travel. I think in an apocalyptic world you can create a home like the walking dead.

Speaker 1 16:17

Have you seen the walking dead?

Speaker 2 16:18

no, okay that's your thinking, zombies? I'm thinking. Society collapses and we have to fend for ourselves. Different apocalypse, yeah, different apocalypse, your apocalypse? No one survives, no, so in your apocalypse, I also die immediately. I don't think anyone needs a behavior specialist in an apocalypse. I'm not useful.

Speaker 1 16:36

But my question is are you a logistic thinker?

Speaker 2 16:38

I think I've got the smarts to run away early, so I think I'll be running quite a lot. I think I will last as long as my knees will last, and I'm in my mid-30s, so that's not long.

Speaker 1 16:48

I was like how old are you with your knees?

Speaker 2 16:50

Once my knees go. That's it. I think it's going to be all the guys that take steroids.

Speaker 1 16:55

We're going to last.

Speaker 2 16:56

Yeah, they're going to win the apocalypse. I think those guys got it. I think they are apocalypse ready. I think that's what they're doing.

Speaker 1 17:03

Interesting.

Speaker 2 17:03

Yeah, you don't need books in an apocalypse? I don't think, Not early days anyway. Long term, yes. Rebuild the civilization. How did we get here?

Speaker 2 17:12

stay tuned, I will listen back yeah, I think you mentioned the top of the episode that I think we all really take it for granted. But I think you know technology is this amazing thing really that has has really helped to change lives. Nothing, it's not really a controversial statement here. You're looking at me like there's a good I'm gonna drop a bomb. I think we all love technology. I think it was just interesting exploring how technology has really enriched your life. As someone who lives with more barriers than other people might do, I think that's awesome. The end that was it.

Speaker 1 17:41

I absolutely agree and if you are still listening and you're waiting for some epiphany, that we've had just a general chit-chat conversation of how it's been enhancing my life.

Speaker 2 17:52

Go, go Dawes and go technology.

Speaker 1 17:54

Obviously, without technology, we couldn't record this podcast, yeah.

Speaker 2 17:58

So enjoy. I don't know if we would still be friends without technology.

Speaker 1 18:03

Yeah, honestly like maybe.

Speaker 2 18:05

Maybe, maybe we'd send each other letters.

Speaker 1 18:07

Maybe it's kind of giving a bit prison vibe, isn't it?

Speaker 2 18:10

Isn't it? Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking.

Podcast Promotion and Gratitude

Speaker 1 18:16

I love you, sam, when I get out, so I hope you enjoyed this episode on technology and got to be more of an insight into how beneficial it's been to my life. If you want to stay up to date with the latest, follow our Really Good Chat podcast on Instagram and if your platform that you're listening on allows you to leave a review, that would be so much appreciated.

Speaker 2 18:34

Yeah, we got one, let's double it. Let's get to two baby, let's get to two.

Speaker 1 18:39

Yes, treat us well. Please Make sure that you're following the podcast, because that really helps us out. And, as always, thank you so much to my co-host, joel, for the laugh in this episode.

Speaker 2 18:51

It's been a giggly one, always a pleasure, sam.

Speaker 1 18:57

Thanks for having me on, and that's all for this episode. Everyone Stay safe.