Between 2020 and 2021, Vision Australia Radio was enriched by the warmth, wit and wisdom of Joy Nuske, a long‑time client of Vision Australia, a devoted member of its Audio and Braille Library and a passionate advocate for the blind and low vision community.
Joy was, quite simply, one of the organisation’s most dedicated readers. At one point, an article celebrated the remarkable frequency with which she borrowed books, a testament to her deep love of reading and learning. Her appetite for knowledge was legendary.
“I remember Joy once asking me to drop off a couple of braille books on the way home, a few years back now,” recalls Jason Gipps. “Indeed it was just a couple, but braille books are large. They spanned the length of my two arms. Regardless, I was happy to deliver them, as I knew they would be put to good use.”
That same passion for reading naturally extended into Joy’s volunteer work with Vision Australia Radio. During the uncertain and isolating early years of the COVID‑19 pandemic, Joy became a key voice behind Food For Thought, a radio program she helped bring to life. The clever, inviting, and perfectly pitched program name was Joy’s own creation.
Jason Gipps played a small part in supporting Joy as she developed and pitched the program, though he is quick to credit Joy for the creative spark. Food For Thought shared curated reading content from a range of culinary publications, featured interviews with blind and other notable chefs and offered Joy’s own practical tips for cooking simple yet delicious meals. These insights were grounded in lived experience. Joy cooked with confidence as a blind woman and wanted others in the community to find that same joy and independence in the kitchen.
Joy’s vision status never held her back. She was a passionate advocate who spoke up when people outside the blind and low vision community didn’t quite understand its needs. Yet she never took herself too seriously. Her humour was as memorable as her advocacy. One favourite story she shared involved accidentally adding Radox bath salts to a dinner dish, having mistaken them for cooking salt. Rather than being embarrassed, Joy laughed. She is always quick to find the silver lining and remind others that mistakes are simply part of learning.
Image caption: Joy Nuske and a Vision Australia volunteer, standing in the Vision Australia store.
As lockdowns took hold, Food For Thought continued to broadcast, adapting like so many others to a new reality. Recording via Zoom became the norm, allowing presenters and producers to stay connected during a time of physical isolation. Though the three hosts all lived in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, social distancing meant broadcasting from their own homes or, more fittingly, their own kitchens.
In between lockdowns, the Melbourne‑based team, Jill Murray, Elisabeth Chen, Joy Nuske, Jason Gipps and audio producer Sam Colley, were able to share a few meals together. Those moments reflected everything Joy stood for: conversation, connection and good food. Sam Colley fondly recalls one particular lunch at an Italian restaurant, where Joy was less than impressed with what arrived on her plate. With good‑natured authority, she let Sam know that he didn’t truly understand Italian food the way she did. Joy, after all, was the expert. Her standards were high because her love of food ran deep. That passion was all about empowering fellow people who are blind and low vision to discover confidence and pleasure in cooking, just as she had.
Joy Nuske passed away shortly after the Christmas break of 2025, aged 83. She leaves behind a legacy defined by curiosity, generosity, humour and an unwavering commitment to community.
She will be remembered for her love of food, her love of books and the many lives she touched through her voice, her advocacy and her laughter.
Rest in Peace, Joy.
