Roar Disability Youth Radio on Coast FM 963 will broadcast its first Roar original radio play created by Vanessa Mbeve with the first segment premiering on July 7, 2025.
Pop culture shapes how we see ourselves and others, yet in books, movies, and TV shows, characters with disabilities are often sidelined, misunderstood, or missing altogether. In New South Wales, where approximately 18% of the population lives with a disability, the lack of authentic representation in mainstream media is alarming, especially considering the wealth of culturally rich, untold stories waiting to be shared.
This gap inspired Vanessa (pictured above) to create and produce Ever-Lasting: The Tess Valley Diaries, a show that moves beyond the overused narrative of simply “overcoming obstacles.” Instead, this groundbreaking audio drama explores the rich, complex life of a person with a disability, on their own terms, covering themes of career ambitions, love, and friendship. Tess Valley, a disabled model, recounts the events that changed her life and led to her becoming a model through a radio interview with Hayden Summers on the Central Coast. Her journey is made even more eventful by the presence of her partner, friends, siblings and parents.
Vanessa said:
“Ever-Lasting: The Tess Valley Diaries” is here to change the way we tell these stories. We are invited into the world of Tess Valley through a walk down memory lane, framed as a sit-down interview. From the very start, the audience is made aware that she is a divisive and complex figure, as shown in lines like: “Depending on who you ask, she’s either the kind of person who reshapes the narrative and breaks the mold, or, for some, someone who’s willingly played into the role of an inspiration for able-bodied audiences a role that many see as reductive and patronizing.”
After July 7 the radio play will air further fortnightly segments with Vanessa adding:
“I hope that when someone listens to the show, they can relate to the characters in some way.
It’s not just a source of entertainment, it’s about representation, empowerment, and making sure that voices that have long been ignored are finally heard.
The show would not have been possible without the support of Coast FM 963, Sarah Warry, Brandon Macmillan, and the star of the show, narrator James O’Brien.”
James said:
“I hope the radio play ‘Ever-Lasting: The Tess Valley Diaries’ inspires and encourages everyone living with a disability, not just in NSW but throughout Australia, to create and share their stories with the world, whether through film, radio, or any other form of media.”
Vanessa Mbeve is a New South Wales-based writer with Cerebral Palsy, passionate about exploring social dynamics and sharing her unique perspectives through her writing, both fictional and non-fictional.
Main image from left – Brandon Macmillan, James O’Brien and Angus Hamill in the studio – images supplied