Our Board

James Manders – Chair

Mr James Manders is a former investment banker with nearly three decades of experience in leadership roles across global financial markets. He currently manages a global advisory  boutique and has held a number of advisory roles on various company Boards, working overseas as an Independent Director with a focus on governance and regulatory investments.

Mr Manders has leveraged his position in the financial services industry to increase awareness of the needs of people with disability in the workplace, advocating around diversity, inclusion and employment – critically through its core intersection through technology and innovation. He has lived experience of disability, with lifelong hard of hearing and gradual loss of vision, and holds a unique view on how society embraces the challenge of tolerance and acceptance.

Taking a leadership role in digital community media that aims to transform how the disability sector engages in tailored content, Mr Manders is currently a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and Independent Advisory Council for the NDIS. He is a non Executive Director for DEC Housing Ltd. Previously Mr Manders has served as a member of the Disability Advisory Council for Elections ACT,  Council Member – Retina Australia, ACT, – ACT Brumbies Commercial Services Advisory Group, Vice President – Radio 1RPH and Board Member – Blind Citizens Australia.

Conrad Brown – Secretary

Conrad Browne is the Manager of the Vision Australia Radio Network and Audio Department, which comprises of 11 community radio stations across Australia and the Vision Australia Audio Production and Audio Description departments. These services are designed to directly address the information needs of people with a print disability, particularly those who are blind or have low vision. Conrad’s career background is in media and advertising, previously working for JOY 94.9 and at Fairfax, Text Media and various community and student radio stations in Australia and New Zealand. Conrad has been a member of the Board since 2016.

Chris Corcoran

Chris Corcoran is the Manager of Reading Radio in Brisbane. Focusing on ‘Empowerment through Information’, the station delivers a range of programming that meets the needs of our Brisbane audience, particularly those with a print disability. With over 15 years of experience in Community and Commercial radio across a range of roles, his passion is in connecting with the community. Outside of work, Chris loves to travel; write, and is a keen cyclist, once even riding a folding bicycle around California.  He has a lazy bull terrier named ‘Rafa’ and can often be heard cursing on Brisbane streets when his dog refuses to walk. He is best contacted after his morning coffee. Chris joined the Board in 2023.

Graeme Craig

Graeme has worked in the Disability sector for the past 30 years in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Australia. From beginnings as a service provider in blindness and low vision services he has worked for the past 20 years in management and senior management roles. Currently he is the General Manager for National Programs at Vision Australia. A strong believer in the importance of accessible information for those who are blind or have low vision he is an enthusiastic supporter of community radio for this purpose. He is proud to be a Board Member and a representative for VA Radio Perth (6RPH).

Chris Edwards

Chris Edwards is a manager and director with extensive experience across the human services sector. He has specific expertise in disability inclusion and improving organisation performance in service delivery.

Chris is currently the Director Government Relations and Advocacy for Vision Australia. He has performed a range of strategic and operational management roles for Vision Australia and has previously worked for Nous Group, a leading Australian professional services firm.

Chris’ current board appointments include non-executive director of Aruma, and his prior board appointments include non-executive director positions with The Tipping Foundation Ltd, Retina Australia (Victoria), and Disability Attendant Support Service Incorporated (DASSI), including two years as Chair of DASSI.

Chris is a Seeing Eye Dog handler and works in partnership with his Seeing Eye Dog, Eva.

Jason Gipps

Jason has been involved in the community broadcasting sector for 18 years, starting as a volunteer at Melbourne’s LGBTIQA+ community radio station with a passion to promote local queer musicians. From 2007 to 2018 he worked in a sponsorship and audio production capacity and became the longest running staff member within the organisation.

Jason is currently Vision Australia’s National Audio Business Development Consultant and in this time has worked extensively to generate revenue opportunities for members of the Radio Reading network and create platforms for people with print disability to share their lived experiences. With a strong focus on diversity and inclusion, Jason also managed an online radio station ‘Asian Pop Radio’ to promote the Asian arts and entertainment industry to local communities.

Barry Melville

Since October 2021 Barry Melville has been the General Manager of Radio 2RPH, the Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong-based multi-platform radio reading service for those with print disabilities and a range of other people with particular information and entertainment needs.

By his own account, his work is a source of personal delight and he derives deep satisfaction from serving the community.  Spanning four decades, his career has encompassed broadcasting, policy reform, advocacy, communications and community engagement.

Highlights include working as Senior Policy officer at the Communications Law Centre during the broadcasting regulatory reforms of the 1990s, General Manager of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia in the early 2000s, Government Relations Director at Jackson Wells in the mid-2000s before serving for 5 years on the Digital Switchover Taskforce  in the then Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy as Director of Industry Engagement.

Barry joined the Board of Disability Media Australia in December 2024 and the Board of Community Digital Radio (Sydney) Pty Ltd in 2021. He previously served on the Board of Metro Screen and the Consumers Telecommunications Network in the 1990s.

With a heartfelt dedication to delivering equitable community outcomes, Barry is committed to analytical rigour, evidence-based research, problem-solving and innovation.

Paul Price

Paul is totally blind, and has been since birth. He has been volunteering at Reading Radio Brisbane since April 1999. He is currently a technical producer one day per week, and fills in on other days when required. He also undertakes on-air shifts when required. Paul has had involvement with DMA since 2004, as delegate and Independent member of the board. He was elected Vice Chair of (the former) RPH Australia in 2018. Paul has a Bachelor of Information Technology at Griffith University, and a Certificate 4 in I.T. Client Service. He has a cat named Jill, and in his spare time, Paul likes to go camping and four-wheel driving with his wife.