The University of Queensland’s School of Journalism is conducting preliminary research into equity and accessibility within the Australian media landscape and news based media products for audiences with disabilities. They hope that it will lead to a bigger study that will enable the media sector to better understand, work with and tailor media products for people with disability as media consumers, journalists and media makers.

Does your media outlet have people with disability in a media making role?
Does it provide any media/services specifically for people with disability?
Are you a journalist or media maker with disability?

Please contact Kate Walton for information or to participate: [email protected] or phone 0403 668 520 by Friday, 30th May 2008.

This initial research has a very quick turn around and will ask the following questions:

1) Does the organisation employ (volunteer-paid) journalists/media makers with disability? (eg. radio announcer that is vision impaired) Yes/No

2) If yes, how many people with disability does your media outlet employ (volunteer-paid)?

3) If yes, what media products do they produce? (print, radio, print, TV, convergent media/online/web – articles, vodcast, podcast etc)

4) What services and strategies does your organisation provide to enable the disabled community to consume and or engage with your media products? (eg. provide Braille version of a newspaper)

5) Can you suggest any other avenues, organisations, people or information that could be helpful in this research?