In The Arena, the Jonathan Mosen Story Glen Gordon, Jonathan Mosen

Glen Gordon begins this 9-part exploration of Jonathan Mosen's life by asking about his childhood. We learn about Jonathan's family, and the impact of radio from a very early age including his being well-known on radio in Auckland from the age of four. You'll hear a rare extract of one of Jonathan's Christmas shows which he co-hosted aged eight.
We learn how, as a teenager, Jonathan took control of his radio career by audaciously starting a radio station of his own.
But no one's life is without trouble or struggle. Jonathan candidly discusses abuse at the school for the blind he attended, the roots of his interest in advocacy, and we begin a discussion of a mental health crisis he suffered and overcame as a young adult.

As Glen Gordon continues to explore Jonathan Mosen's life, Jonathan describes picking himself up from the depths of despair using a formula that had worked so well for him before. This time, it earned him his first full-time commercial radio gig.
We learn about his first after-school job.
Like many other blind people, Jonathan was fascinated by telephones and the phone system. We learn about some of his phone escapades.
Jonathan talks about moving to mainstream schools with resource rooms, and interactions with blind and sighted peers.
When he wasn't studying or doing his after-school job, he was also in a theatre group.
We learn about Jonathan becoming a Christian, and how and why he is now a confident, comfortable atheist.
Jonathan meets the young woman who would become the mother of his four children.

As Glen Gordon continues to explore Jonathan Mosen's life, we learn about Jonathan the undergraduate at the University of Auckland, and some of his early technology use including the VersaBraille from TSI, the Apple 2 E, the Keynote XL and its companion KeyTerm program that connected him to dial-up bulletin board systems and the CompuServe Information Service with the aid of a modem.
He discusses finding NFB literature on CompuServe and the positive impact it had both on his life and thinking about blindness.
We learn about the beginning of Jonathan's blindness activism in New Zealand.
Radio opportunity came knocking for Jonathan while still at University. He describes putting his studies on temporary hold, then his crazy final year of gruelling work and study.
We look at some of the equipment and techniques that allowed Jonathan to do what he did, including Braille.

As Glen Gordon continues to explore Jonathan Mosen's life, we begin by talking about why it was necessary for Jonathan to quit full-time radio in the interests of starting a family. But their attempts to start a family began tragically.
Jonathan talks candidly about his then lack of domestic skills and what that did for balance in his relationship.
He says being a dad is the single most important thing he's done in his life. We hear some memories from his children; Heidi, Richard, David and Nicola.
In 1994, Jonathan trains with his first and only guide dog to date.
We learn how Jonathan's view of blindness and its impact expanded thanks to his role as a service advisor for the Foundation for the Blind.
We begin exploring Jonathan's role as the Foundation for the Blind's Manager, Government Relations. Jonathan talks about how it was not expected he would be appointed to the role, and the happenstance that helped him land the job.
Jonathan's first campaign was to advocate successfully for a Copyright Act that was to enshrine a principle in New Zealand law that would ultimately be adopted in other countries and form the basis of the Marrakesh Treaty.
He led a successful campaign to change the Juries Act in New Zealand, amid considerable controversy.

Glen Gordon continues exploring Jonathan Mosen's life by discussing the epic struggle for governance reform of the Blind Foundation in New Zealand, another initiative that was to attract international interest. Jonathan was instrumental in ensuring blind New Zealanders took ultimate control of how the Board of the agency was put there. We learn how he became the only person to have led the consumer movement in New Zealand, and chaired the board of the agency, although of course not at the same time.
Jonathan discusses some of the things he is most proud of from his four years as President of New Zealand's blindness consumer organisation.
As well as advocating to politicians, Jonathan has stood unsuccessfully for New Zealand's Parliament twice. We learn the story behind those campaigns.
The cause of Jonathan's blindness, Norrie Disease, also results in progressive hearing loss. Jonathan discusses this journey and its impact on his life.

As Glen Gordon continues to explore Jonathan Mosen's life, we learn about the origins, operation and expansion of ACB Radio, which Jonathan founded in 1999. You'll hear a few rare recordings from the period.