Making Airwaves has a new group of people with disabilities every 8 weeks, all of whom participate in the entire 8 week process which starts with the radio basics, learning how to brainstorm concepts, and what makes up a radio show. It ends in 2-3 recording sessions where translate into a half hour broadcast that is listened to live with all participants inviting friends and family to listen while having a “broadcast party”. It’s a truly unique and amazing opportunity for this severely under represented sector of the community to have a voice and be involved in community radio, a platform for all members in the community.

The Making Airwaves Project gives an underrepresented sector of the community a voice and a chance to be heard. Community Radio is all about representing the area and people from which it broadcasts allowing all people in the community a chance to have their voice heard. So often people with disabilities are spoken ‘for’ instead of having the opportunity to speak for themselves. Making Airwaves aims to break this pattern of communication and allow people with disabilities to have a direct way of addressing what is important to them.

Making Airwaves also increases participation in community radio by allowing a marginalised sector of the community to have a voice. There are often obstacles in the way of having a person with an intellectual disability volunteering in a radio station but Making Airwaves has made it possible for these people to end up partaking in day-to-day community radio tasks.

Making Airwaves has been made with the assistance of Windgap, Eastside Radio 89.7FM, The Vincent Fairfax Foundation and the Community Broadcasting Foundation.