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(I) 01 .01 H'9 EAR~i.....~ ORGANUM DECONSTRUCTUM III THE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE R". NBH3J27 ISSN 132042&' PP224"70007~: • BRIDGES BRIDGES BRIDGES BRIDGES BRIDGES BRIDGES Bridges For this feature, we have focused on the bridges we build between the University and the global community We have canvassed space, time, age, race and language to define the ways in which people build paths to better communications. Bridging the Cultural Distance • GRAHAME STEEL The manager of the University's radio Association and th.e Torres Strait Islander visit each student two or three times per station, 2NUR-FM. is keen to involve Media Association on Thursday Island. y~ar. In addition, the students come into the the station in training Aboriginal broad­ He then moved to Sydney, and eventually coUege three times per year, each for a three casters. Before taking up the position last Canberra, to work on the ABC's input week period. If they have to come in for any . year, Mr Grahame Steel spent several years into the development of indigenous broad­ longer than that, particularly those who are with the ABC helping to develop Aboriginal casting nationally. "Although I was based traditionally based, they are allowed to bring broadcasting in North Queensland, the in these cities, I used to spend two weeks of their family with them. Grahame explained Kimberley region of Western Australia and every month sitting out in the remote parts the reasons; '~Social dislocation for Aborigi­ the Northern Territory. In 1985, he was of the Australian bush with groups of nal people is often a frightening thing. You looking for a venue to establish a course in Aboriginal people, some of whom had had can't take Aboriginal people away from broadcasting and journalism for Aboriginal no access to radio at all. At that time, their family for any length of time. The people, because research he had done with {mid-80's], there was no radio in the family is central to their well-being." Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Kimberley and here was I trying to explain After eight years with the program, people said that they wanted a piece of paper to them that satellites were coming, that Grahame felt that it was time his job was to prove they were broadcasters. So the radio was coming, that television was done by an Aborigine, so he recruited Patrick search was on to find an institution coming and the notion of things coming Malone who, took over the position when that was able to provide the "goods" both down from the sky was a bit confusing to Grahame stepped down. "I'm still involved academically and vocationally and also one them. It became clear that we had to do with the course. Last July we had one of the that would be able to cope with strongly something about the ,education and training trainees, Margaret, come here to 2NUR for traditionally based people. The answer was process, because if Aboriginal people three weeks. I'd like to see the station accept Batchelor College, an Institute of Higher couldn't have radio on their tenns, then Batchelor students on work experience for Education about 95 kms south of Darwin. radio was going to destroy them utterly," several weeks at a time. Having Wollotuka To Grahame it is one of the most beautiful Grahameexplained. here is a terrific help. When Margaret was towns on earth. "It's a lovely spot, full of The course took three years to develop here, I held classes in their,building because wonderful poinciana trees; a really idyllic because many people told Grahame that it was an environment that she could relate rural setting," he said. The College was there was no need, as there ,wouldn't be to." established by the Northern Territory enough students. On the contrary, today It's a long way from Batchelor to New­ Government to help provide adult education they turn people away and have increased castle but in Grahame's mind the "distance" to Aboriginal people, particularly those enrolment to 30 per year. The program uses is negligible. "I was involved in something from remote communities. amixed mode delivery where students spend for eight years which was fascinating. Grahame started his work in Aboriginal most of their time in their horne community The experience has left me very strongly radio when he was Manager of the ABC working on their own radio and television influenced by Aboriginal values." in Townsville. During that time, he helped approach, doing assignments that they send set up the Townsville Aboriginal Media back t.o the college for assessment. Lecturers Broadcasting lessons in a bush setting 2 BRIDGES BRIDGES BRIDGES BRIDGES BRIDGES BRIDGES Bridging the Senses • A BLIND TRAVELLER'S FUTURE The concept of virtual reality is opening acoustics display are connected to the of the country's major organisations new doors and visually impaired people maps to produce speech and other sounds for the blind. He also visited Dr Hideo might be the latest to benefit through that are heard through the headphones. To Makino at the University of Niigata, who research being undertaken in the USA. the user, it seems as if the sounds are coming is developing a stereo camera based system Associate Professor Don Parkes from the from a nearby landmark," Don explained. linked to speech devices for the reading of Ecology of Blindness and Audio-Tactile The virtual acoustics display uses direction maps by blind people. 'In the UK, Don Graphics Research Unit has just returned and distance cues such as sound intensity gave workshops' at the Royal National from giving a series of workshops in Japan, to create the impression that sounds are Institute for the Blind National Education England and the US and was deeply coming from a precise location. A micro­ Centre as well as discussing with Rev. impressed by research into virtual reality phone allows the user to select a destination Dr Andrew Tatham from the Royal and virtual acoustics being undertaken at the or add names of the locations. G~ographical Society, a project to assist University of California at Santa Barbara Don said a blind person could navigate a blind travellers on the London Underground. (UCSB). He presented the 10th Annual suburb or university campus by following a Golledge Lecture on the topic of Multi­ moving virtual beacon or by moving Media Cartography for the disabled while at from landmark to landmark, guided UCSB and saw development on a personal by stationary beacons that "speak" guidance system that could assist visually the names of the locations. "Reg impaired people navigate unfamiliar Golledge, who is blind himself, and territory without assistance. the project team are conducting "Reg Golledge is formerly from Dungog some marvellous research which is and is well respected for his work with experimental, but it will be quite a the blind and is a developer of a prototype few years before a feasible guidance system that is largely experimental but system is fully developed," said Don. could have great advantages for the blind," A major part of Don's trip was said Don. ''The guidance system includes an devoted to demonstrations and the audio headset, a head-mounted electronic further development of his NOMAD compass and a backpack containing system, -the world's first electronic electronic gear. The system uses the com­ system that gives visually impaired pass and a Global Positioning System people interactive access to text and receiver to pinpoint a user's orientation pictorial information through the and location and the infonnation is then use of a computer connected touch fed into a computer that can retrieve maps sensitive pad with a built-in speech of the surrounding area." capability. In Japan he introduced the Professor Col/edge displays the experimental navigation system for blind people. "A speech synthesizer and a virtual system to the Nippon Lighthouse, one Bridging the Policy Distance Professor John Hotson, University of because these contractionary moves will which Hotson is Chainnan, has currently put Waterloo, Canada, recently presented a make the depression worse, perhaps even before the US Congress a draft Bill to have seminar here on "New Zealand's Economy increasing the deficit and the rate at which the Government create $300 billion interest in Reality and in New Right Propaganda". debts grow. The solution involves a drastic free to pump into the economy for public Hotson described the worsening social and cut in interest rates and an end to government works whilst providing many jobs for the economic problems associated with the borrowing from private money creators unemployed. Why can't the Australian depression in New Zealand, the Western i.e. private banks, and an expansionary Government do something similar?" industrialised nations and Japan. He talked monetary-fiscal-incomes program to end Hotson asked. "After all, up unto 1984 the of the difference between the claimed results the depression." government was providing loans for the of the ten year old economic rationalist Hotson also claims the present fractional Reserve Bank at only I % rather than at order in New Zealand and what the reality is reserve/debt system is unsustainable commercial rates as at present." - the chronically high unemployment, the because of the "excessive growth of debt Hotson concluded by emphasising that a dismantling of its once proud cradle to grave and interest relative to income with which sovereign government should never, under social security system, and its rising levels to repay". He went on to explain that. any circumstances, "borrow money from of social alienation. Most notable was its throughout recent centuries "real output any private bank".

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