Each member of our team is passionate about the role we play in making a positive impact in the community. Learn more about the people behind the passion and what makes them proud to be part of the work we do.
Introducing Catherine
I always dreamt of a career out of creating art. It wasn’t until recently that I was able to realise that dream was even a possibility for me. I graduated from university years ago with a degree in Criminology and Behavioural Studies but have spent most of my working life engaging with the public: volunteering; doing charity work; employments in retail, tutoring, etc. I’ve met a variety of people in my community who have positively affected how I see the world and my place in it. In recent years, I took a big leap and reskilled into graphic design, finding it a perfect fit the moment I stepped foot in the classroom.
Working with the Information Access Group, I feel so lucky to be able to do work that benefits people while also embracing my creative side.
What is your role at the Information Access Group?
I am a graphic designer. My role is to create graphics and images to convey information in a way that is understandable to a
wider audience including people with low literacy levels, First Nations communities and communities where English is an
additional language.
A friend once asked me to explain what I do. I told them sometimes it’s like playing Pictionary with abstract concepts. Other times it’s something much easier, like formatting a 200 page research document.
Tell us about a project you’ve worked on that you are proud of
My first style development was with a new client for a document about how to recognise and escape domestic abuse.
Reading through that document was emotional and poignant. It drove home to me the importance of what we do. This was information that people in violent situations could use to try to stay safe. It’s an issue that I care about strongly, and I am hopeful that the work we did on that document might help someone who needs it.
What do you find most rewarding about the work you do at the Information Access Group?
I am able to put my skills to use to create something that is more than just eye catching. The work I do can help someone access and understand information that they might want or need. Prior to my last year of study, I didn’t foresee this type of work as an area where I could apply my skills.
There’s a lot about accessibility that I did not know going in, and a lot more functionality in modern software to address the need for accessibility. It’s really interesting to learn about.
You joined our team last year after graduating from Chisholm TAFE with a Diploma of Graphic Design. What drew you to accessible design and the work
we do?
Actually, the Information Access Group visited my school in that last year. They showcased the work that they do and I was astounded by some of the statistics regarding literacy and language proficiency in Australia. What affected me most was that, considering the scope of individuals struggling with reading English, there hasn’t been a bigger push until recent years to make sure information was actually accessible to so many people. That there were people out there addressing this problem was reassuring, and I could be a part of it was heartening.
Last year you spent 3 weeks in Peru and Bolivia.
What was that experience like?
That was an experience I wouldn’t miss for the world! Actually I almost did, as our initial travel dates were meant to be in 2020…
Visiting the Amazon finally fulfilled a childhood dream. Though with significantly less quicksand traps and poison arrow tree frogs. There was no shortage of other critters however, from capybaras to caimans, to lizards that fell on our dinner table. Some encounters with wildlife weren’t quite as fun, including an uncomfortably close brush with a bullet ant and a tarantula the size of an Akubra (or so it seemed at the time), who we stumbled upon one night.
The highland cities (one of which, El Alto, was 4,300m above sea level!) were astonishingly colourful and culturally rich. The people I met were not just tolerant of clueless tourists and their bad Spanish, but usually thrilled to educate about their culture and cities. Also, nearly every dog had a jacket. It wasn’t even very cold.
If I was better adapted to high altitudes I would go back in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, my constantly tingling hands and feet attest that I am a sea level person, so I will stick to the lowlands where I belong for now.
We’ve heard you like to get out in the garden. What do you enjoy most about gardening?
Killing agapanthus. They know why.
In some ways it’s an excuse to be outside and get exercise. Fighting back the ever-encroaching agapanthus is an excellent workout (I have learnt that I need thicker gloves however, as the plants have found allies in the bull ants). I also feel a sense of responsibility towards my plants, especially the indoor ones. They make my home and garden feel bright and welcoming and natural, the least I can do is keep them alive!
You have 2 bonded cats, Tom and Holly. Can you tell us a little bit about both of them and how they came to be in your life?
Tom (né Cheeky) and Holly were middle-aged adoptees from the RSPCA. Tom is dangerously smart for a cat and highly food motivated, which makes keeping dinner out of his paws a fun game of one-upmanship that he only loses when he gets stuck in a cupboard.
Holly meanwhile hasn’t had a thought since 2018. Probably from constantly headbutting people. But she’s gentle and cute, and you can trim her claws without being eviscerated so she’s great.
The two were surrendered together and on the adoption notice, it was made clear they were inseparable. This is partially true: he is obsessed with her, she is tolerant of him. It’s true love. They like to take long walks on the lead and eat my indoor plants.
We’ve heard you’re an avid Dungeons & Dragons (DnD) player. What draws you to the game?
Honestly, DnD is the best excuse for hanging out with your friends and eating junk food on a regular basis. It’s immense fun to come up with stories together and get each other out of, and into, scrapes. And when the sessions run long I sketch our journeys in a thick journal, which is great practice but also leaves us with some fun memories at the end.
My longest running character was called Bronan the Brobarian.
You are passionate about community broadcasting and co-host a radio show at your local radio station. Why do you think community broadcasting is an important platform for underrepresented communities?
My radio station is an amazingly supportive environment that fosters symbiotic relationships between those that can provide and those that are in need in so many ways. We like to promote local charities, events and First Nations musicians. They, in turn, use the platform to reach a wider audience. We are often on site in our outside broadcast van, talking to locals, event organisers
and talent.
I’ve been a part of my local community radio station for the past 7 years now. If you had asked me 8 years ago to talk into a mic live on air I probably would have passed out, but now I co-host a show every Friday and have met all sorts of amazing, passionate and talented people. I feel very privileged to be a part of it all.
