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Nastasia Campanella (1988 - ) Newsreader & ABC's National Disability Affairs reporter (ACU student Anabel Mifsud helped to compile this page) Nastasia [Nas] Campanella was a newsreader for Australian radio station Triple J. She was the first blind newsreader to be employed by the ABC.
“Her ability outweighs her disability.” In May 2020, Nas became the ABC's National Disability Affairs reporter.
Introduction When Nas was 6 months old a rare abnormality caused her retinas to tear away from her eyes, leaving her able to see shadows and some light, but little else. She was in hospital for two years having numerous operations to try to help her to see.
Nas has a younger brother who also suffered from the same abnormality. Fortunately for him, however, doctors were able to use laser-eye surgery to restore the damage. In primary school, Nas was diagnosed with a disease: Charcot-Marie-Tooth, after years of struggling to read braille. CMT is a genetic disease which causes a lack of sensitivity in the fingertips, meaning she is unable to read braille. After this discovery, Nas started to learn through listening, using computer programs which translated words on a computer into audio.
A lover of music, radio, and writing, Nas decided to pursue a career in journalism at a young age. (Source: Broadsheet) Education Nas was sent to St Lucy's School for the Blind Wahroonga, Sydney, but the teachers there encourage her parents to send her to a mainstream school, Sacred Heart. When Nas was 10 she was diagnosed with CMT. This made a big difference in her life as she wasn't then regarded as lazy when she couldn't read braille. Nas was introduced to a software program, JAWS [Job Access With Speech] and could then send and receive emails. Her assistant teacher also introduced her to audio books and this open up a whole new world for Nas. In Year 7, Nas started at St Agnes Catholic High School Rooty Hill. Here she had to overcome more barriers - cooking, woodwork and art classes, but with the help of teachers and her fierce independence she was able to participate in these classes. In Year 9, St Agnes allowed her to volunteer for 2 hours a week for 9 months at the local community radio station. With her friend they hosted their own radio program. She loved this opportunity! Nas went to Loyola Senior High School, Mount Druitt for Years 11 & 12. Teachers at the school offered extra help on Saturdays and Nas achieved Dux of Loyola with an ATAR of 95.75 which allowed her to go to university to study journalism. She attended the University of Technology in Sydney with an average of a Distinction. She graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism.
While at university, Nas has to learn to use a cane for
the first time. She also had a full time study load and
Campanella insists she would still
be the same driven personality if she had her sight but admits her
impairment has pushed her to be that bit stronger. Nas experienced many barriers whilst job-seeking due to her visual impairment, however due to her perseverance she was offered a cadetship with the ABC in 2011. She spent her first year doing regional reporting, and news reading in Bega.
“I guess not a lot of people have met people with disabilities, and not a
lot of people are open-minded about what they’re capable of. So I think they
were quite taken aback when someone with no sight walking into their office
and said ‘I want a job, this is what I can do.’”
Nas Campanella. (Source:
Broadsheet) In 2013 Nas joined the Triple J team full-time. Nas produces, writes, sources, and reads the news several times a day. In May 2020, Nas became the ABC's National Disability Affairs reporter.
Experiences & Opportunities
“I became a journalist because it’s
what I love to do but it’s also nice to know I can help break that mould and
hopefully get other people with disabilities employed as well” Nas
Campanella. (Source:
Daily Mail UK)
One of the hardest parts of her job is dealing with incorrect translations delivered by the electronic voice: “you can opt for a male or female voice, faster or slower but it’s hard because the pronunciation is often dodgy. He often says stuff wrong- such as ‘Wag-a Wag-a’ for Wagga Wagga, or ‘Coe-Barney’ for Cobain. I often stumble on cricketers’ and sportspeople’s names.” (Source: Broadsheet)
Nas’s studio is equipped with
strategically placed Velcro patches-allowing her to operate her own panel. Nas is a keen traveller, and says her dream job would be to work as a travel writer. In the past Nas has travelled to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, where she went elephant riding, trekking in the jungle, and swimming in natural waterfalls.
“Using vision as a form of travel is a narrow way of looking at things. You can describe the food you ate, the kindness of the people, the smells around you, and the feeling of the sand on your feet.” Nas Campanella. (Source: Daily Mail UK) Nas is now an Advisor to the Travel Industry and has written several articles about her trips. She also works a a speaker in the education system.
YouTube: Nas Campanella - System
Leadership Day 2016
YouTube:
Nastasia Campanella speech
YouTube: Interview with Triple J
Newsreader Nas Campanella
YouTube: @Triple J Blind Cadet
Links
Travel and the senses Primary Australian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy
Australian
Curriculum General Capability:
Critical and creative thinking
1. In an interview, Nas stated that she loves to travel, and that visuals only play a small role in the entire travel experience. Choose an experience you are familiar with, for example a trip to your favourite beach, and write a descriptive piece detailing what your senses (excluding sight) are experiencing.
2. Share your piece with a partner. Would they go to this location based on your description?
A 3 Minute News Bulletin (developed by ACU student Anabel Mifsud) Primary Middle Secondary Australian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy
Australian
Curriculum General Capability:
Critical and creative thinking Cooperative Learning Activity
1. Go to one of the following sites and select several news stories to be scripted into a 3 minute news bulletin.
2. With a partner, create a news bulletin script for exactly 3 minutes. Rehearse and record your news segment and present it to your class. Don't forget to time your script to exactly 3 minutes. Easy? 3. Consider the following questions:
4. Try reading your script with your partner reading it to you. What did that feel like?
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