After seven years as one of the voices of triple j News, Nas Campanella is embarking on a newly created role in ABC NEWS covering disability affairs.
We believe it’s the first time in the Australian media a journalist with a lived experience of disability has held a round specifically dedicated to disability.
Nas has most recently been covering the public hearings into the Disability Royal Commission for ABC NEWS, providing insightful analysis across radio, TV and online. Her work was praised by the Commission Chair in his closing remarks in the last public hearing.
She will continue reading news for triple j before moving into the new position soon.
“Of course I’m sad to be leaving triple j. It has been my home for the last seven years,” Nas says. “I’ve shared some special moments with the audience and they’ve been a huge part of my life.
“But I couldn’t be more thrilled to be taking on the role of Disability Affairs Reporter. I want to provide a platform where the voices of people living with disability are heard. I want to support the disability community to share their experiences the way they wish to tell them. And I want them to feel represented and empowered.
“This is also an opportunity to educate people about the expectations, assumptions and barriers too often placed on people living with disability and I’m very proud to do this with the ABC.”
Nas, who is blind and has a neurological condition which prevents her reading braille, started at the ABC as a cadet in the Sydney newsroom and went on to become a senior journalist and producer. She has reported from regional and metro areas for programs and teams including triple j’s Hack, Audio Current Affairs and ABC Life.
But her work extends well beyond reporting. Nas spearheaded the design of a Disability Awareness Training program for ABC staff and led the development of the organisation’s Disability Editorial Guidance Note.
She has also worked with ABC International Development on aid projects in the Pacific, filing on location for ABC NEWS and implementing training programs for people with disabilities and the UN.
She has spent the better part of a decade working with disability organisations in various capacities, giving her extensive contacts and knowledge of the sector.
