Canberra’s Radio 1RPH is concerned for its future with a quarter of its budget, $38, 000 set to disappear when the ACT Government hands disability funding to the Commonwealth in July as part of the NDIS.
 
Radio 1RPH provides news and other information for the blind and people with other disabilities and has been running for the past 30 years.
 
It claims an estimated 10% of people in the Canberra Region (30,000) are print handicapped.
 
1RPH is a non-profit organisation, run by volunteers with two paid employees.
 
The station’s President, Lorraine Litster told the ABC,
 
“This is very urgent for us because we have two paid employees, and [if we lose them] we’re not going to be able to run at all.”
 
Liberals MLA Vicki Dunne moved Wednesday’s motion in the Assembly to guarantee funding for the radio station.
 
She told the ABC, “For the want of $40,000 … [1RPH’s] future is going to be in jeopardy.
 
I think that it ​shows the poor priorities of the members of this Assembly.”