Greater reach of the printed word

For some people, reading the morning newspaper is a pleasure they will never get to experience.

When radio for the print handicapped (RPH) was developed in 1978, the visually impaired were finally able to access print media aurally through their airwaves.

Radio for the Print Handicapped NSW, or 2RPH, was founded in 1983 and now reaches an estimated one hundred thousand listeners per week, from the Hunter Valley down to the Sutherland Shire.

Staffed by roughly 200 volunteers, 2RPH delivers pure RPH, reading every word in a story including title, author and page number.

People with cochlear implants, those learning English as a second language, commuters, truck drivers and shift workers are among those who tune into 2RPH because they find it difficult to access or understand print media.

But the elderly, who may struggle to hold a newspaper because of physical disabilities or visual impairment, are the key demographic.

With Web2TV, an internal television channel for residents of aged care and retirement villages, 2RPH will have the ability to reach more listeners in this age bracket.

With a flick of their remote, residents will be able to stream 2RPH live through their in-house channel, and have the newspaper read to them from their lounge or bed.

2RPH project officer Mona Omar said the station is now in the beginning stages of forging a partnership with Web2TV.

“We’d love to expose RPH to a wider audience by extending the reach of 2RPH further within aged care homes,” Ms Omar said.

Web2TV director Ben Hannemann said the inclusion of 2RPH radio will further enhance the offerings of Web2TV, particularly for the visually impaired.

“More residents now have access to the Herald, The Daily Telegraph and The Australian,” Mr Hannemann said.

2RPH station manager Nicci Lindemann said 2RPH offers all of its audience members the opportunity to aurally access some very good journalism, without interference or comment.

“Our content is strictly not editorialised. It’s the pure written word,” Ms Lindemann said.

She said the station is unique from other news broadcasters in the variety of publications that it offers.

“As well as reading from the daily newspapers, we have roughly 40 magazines we read from every week that cover any kind of interest group, from gardening and pets to economics and politics.

“One of our previous chair persons, who was blind himself, said the station was his ‘window on the world.’” 

Image: a 2RPH presenter prepares for broadcast. CONTRIBUTED.