About usAbout us
Contact details
Media Access Australia
Suite 4.08
22-36 Mountain Street
Ultimo New South Wales 2007
Phone: (02) 9212 6242
TTY: (02) 9212 6242
Fax: (02) 9212 6289
Email:
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About Media Access Australia
Media Access Australia (MAA) is Australia’s only independent not-for-profit media access organisation.
People with disabilities, particularly those who are Deaf, hearing impaired, blind or vision impaired, are in many cases excluded from mainstream audio-visual media, with often profound implications for educational outcomes, workforce participation and social inclusion.
MAA works to improve access to audio-visual media, such as TV, cinema, DVDs and new media, by providing information about technological solutions that make audio-visual media accessible to people with disabilities. These solutions include audio description, captioning and mainstream new media technologies. MAA also supports improvements in media access in Australia towards international best practice by identifying mainstream technological solutions and cost-effective ways to promote and implement them.
To this end, MAA works collaboratively with consumer organisations, Government and industry in Australia and internationally.
Background
Media Access Australia was formerly the Australian Caption Centre (ACC), which was co-founded by Adam Salzer and Alexandra Hynes in 1982. In 2005, ACC sold its commercial operations including captioning services to Red Bee Media, and became Media Access Australia (MAA).
MAA is a uniquely independent not-for-profit organisation, mainly relying on its own investments to fund its activities, rather than donations or commercial operations.
Staff members
Alex Varley, Chief Executive
Alex has been with MAA and its predecessor, the Australian Caption Centre, for 13 years. Prior to that he held senior roles at Sydney Theatre Company, Australian National Maritime Museum and BP Australia. He has a Bachelor of Business in marketing and post-graduate qualifications in town planning, which are surprisingly useful in the world of media access. Alex was the inaugural chair of the communications advocacy organisation Australian Communications Consumer Action Network Limited (ACCAN) and a director of Australian Social Innovation Exchange Pty Ltd (ASIX).
Natalie Collins, Deputy Chief Executive
After completing a double degree in Politics and Media from Swinburne University, Natalie spent 13 years working for Infoxchange. She began her career as the web designer; however her passion for information technology saw her grow to eventually become the General Manager at Infoxchange. Through her fascination with technology, Natalie built on her skills and developed a desire to ensure everyone in society has the ability to access technology. Natalie has extensive experience in project management and business development.
Allayne Woodford, Project Manager
Allayne works mainly on cinema and DVD access at MAA. She has been with MAA and its predecessor, the Australian Caption Centre, since 1999, starting out as the executive assistant to the CEO and gradually moving into project management over time. Prior to joining MAA Allayne worked in various administrative roles within the NSW Ministry for the Arts, now known as Arts NSW.
Chris Mikul, Project Manager
Chris has had over twenty years experience with captioning, and was formerly National Production Manager at the Australian Caption Centre. He is a trained audio describer who oversaw the production of the first DVDs to be audio described in Australia in 2005.
Chris studied Communications at the University of Technology Sydney. He is also a writer and has had several books published.
Mathew Gilliland, Policy and Research Coordinator
Mathew holds a scholarship at the University of Sydney, where he is in his third year of a Bachelor of Economic and Social Sciences (Honours), majoring in Political Economy and Economics. Mathew has a special interest in poverty reduction and social equity, and in improving the lives of others.
Before joining MAA, Mathew was highly involved in the University of Sydney Students’ Representative Council and the National Union of Students, where he was both campus and NSW Welfare Officer, and organised campaigns against student poverty and homelessness. Mathew’s mother died from breast cancer when he was still at school, but he spent a number of very active and supportive years in CanTeen – The Australian Organisation for Young People Living with Cancer, and was elected Division Vice-President.
Dr Scott Hollier, Manager, Major Projects
Scott's work focuses on making computers and Internet-related technologies accessible to people with disabilities. Scott also represents MAA on the Advisory Committee of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the organisation primarily responsible for developing and promoting access to media through technology for people with disabilities.
Scott has completed a PhD titled ‘The Disability Divide: an examination into the needs of computing and Internet-related technologies on people who are blind or vision impaired’, and has a background in Computer Science and a wealth of experience in both the information technology and not-for-profit sectors. Scott is legally blind and as such understands the importance of access at a personal level.
Sarah Pulis, New Media Manager
Sarah has a diverse background in computer science including specialisations in semantic web and accessibility along with four years of marketing and science communication experience in the tertiary sector.
Sarah has completed a Master of Science titled ‘Interpreting the DCMI Abstract Model to support software development for Dublin Core Metadata’ and a Bachelor of Computer Science/Bachelor of Cognitive Science. Her Master’s thesis was completed as part of an ARC-funded project to develope a semantic web application for cultural heritage management, during which she also worked as a developer on that project.
Anne McGrath, Education Manager
Anne works part time as Education Manager at MAA and represents MAA on the Open Web Education Alliance Incubator Group of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
Anne has worked as a primary school teacher in mainstream schools and as an Education Project Officer with the NSW Department of Health, where she worked on the award winning, internationally acclaimed Triple A peer education program. She has also worked for the NSW Department of Education and Training as an Itinerant Support Teacher Hearing (ISTH) and as a Teacher/Consultant in Hearing Impairment for RIDBC School Support Services (Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children).
Anne also currently works part time with the Catholic Education Office, Sydney, as an Itinerant Teacher Hearing, with the Sensory Impairment Program; working directly with students who are deaf and those who have hearing impairment in Catholic mainstream schools
Anne is passionate about inclusion and access for these students. She has personal experience of hearing impairment, growing up with a deaf mother and being hearing impaired herself. Anne uses assistive listening devices as part of her daily life.
Yasodai Selvakumaran, Education Assistant
Anne is assisted by Yasodai Selvakumaran who is a final year Education student at the University of Sydney majoring in Secondary English and History. Her interest in deaf education was sparked late last year after completing her special education practicum at The Shepherd Centre Head Office in Darlington- motivated by a curiosity to see how language developed in young children with a partial hearing impairment. Although she enjoyed her two subject practicums at mainstream schools, Yasodai currently thrives on the buzz of university life; works for the YWCA’s Links to Learning Program at Canterbury Girls High School and has shifted her focus to working in the dynamic nature of education in the non-profit sector.
Belinda Kerslake, Marketing Communication Manager
Belinda has over 10 years of experience in marketing, in a range of sectors including the not-for-profit sector, government and financial services. Belinda holds a Graduate Diploma in Marketing Communication and holds a BA (English Linguistics) from the University of NSW.
Peach Emmett, Online Communications Coordinator
Peach has worked in communications for a number of years, with a focus on working in the not-for-profit sector. As an enthusiastic blogger and social media fan, Peach applies these interests to her professional life. She is currently completing a Master of Arts (Journalism) at the University of Technology Sydney and holds a BA (Performance Studies, Linguistics, English) from the University of Sydney.
Rachel Mulholland, Marketing Communication Assistant
Rachel is currently a scholarship holder at the University of Sydney and is in her fourth year of a Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications). Rachel is also a Department of Education debating and public speaking adjudicator, and coaches the debating team at Strathfield Girls High School.
Angela Tragotsalos, Administrative Assistant
Angela has been with MAA and its predecessor, the Australian Caption Centre, since 1994. Angela is Deaf, therefore has both a professional and personal understanding of access issues.
Board members
Graham Jones, Chair
Helen Crossing
John Losco
Ian Roache
Victoria Rubensohn
Stephen Wall
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