Beginning in May 2021, EqUUal Access Online Connections is using Community Guidelines. Through at least July 2021, we are using a set of Community Guidelines currently being used by Autistics United Canada. We have changed them to better meet the needs of our community. You can access the original Autistics United Canada  Community Guidelines at: https://www.autisticsunitedca.org/membership.html.

About Our Community Guidelines

These are guidelines created by members of Autistics United Canada, to establish safer spaces where they work, socialize, and connect. We recognize that guidelines do not fully cover all situations and that no space is perfectly safe for everyone. However, we hope they will help guide our actions, so that we can all build a kinder and more inclusive community.

Our guidelines, like our EqUUal Access Online Connections, are a work in progress.

Community guidelines apply to all EqUUal Access Online Connection spaces. By being in these spaces, you agree to the guidelines.

We encourage everyone to:

• Be open to making mistakes, but also make changes to reduce harm.
• Give space for others to learn and improve.
• Practice accountability and compassion.

Violence is not tolerated and will result in removal from EqUUal Access Online Connections spaces. This includes:

• Harming others with words, threats, or actions on purpose.
• Refusing to listen, make changes, and be accountable to unintentional harm.

If you have a concern about the guidelines not being followed, or have suggestions for the guidelines, you can contact EAOnlineConnectionsGuidelines@gmail.com to work together to resolve the concern.

The Guidelines

1. Practice respect and kindness.

• Treat each other with the dignity and compassion that all humans deserve.
• Listen  to and honor other people’s experiences.

2. Be considerate about other people’s boundaries.

• Accommodate other people’s access needs as best as you can.
• Try to understand and respect other people’s boundaries about their personal lives.
• Everyone has different levels of comfort around sharing personal details.
• Examples of personal questions that some people may feel uncomfortable with include ones about medical history, gender identity, sexual orientation, or racial background.
• Let others share the information they choose to.
• If any person asks to be left alone, respect their wishes.

3. Say your own boundaries.

• Try to practice saying no to requests you feel uncomfortable with.
• This can be very hard for some people. We encourage everyone to try saying their boundaries by saying no, but it is up to you exactly what, when, how, and to whom you say no.
• Let others know about your access needs and what they can do to respect them.

4. Practice anti-oppression.

• This means working together to not participate in racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, antisemitism, religious discrimination, classism, and ageism.
• Avoid making assumptions about other people’s identity, including their gender, race, ability, or sexual orientation.
• We may not know things or make mistakes. It is okay to make mistakes, but we should try to recognize our mistakes and make changes to not hurt others again.
• Practicing anti-oppression is hard. Trying to practice anti-oppression can also lead to cases where we make mistakes, and do end up harming people—and so would have to have to reassess and readjust how to respond.

5. Group conversation.

• This means balancing deep listening and sharing.
• Speak from your own lived experience and listen to others’.
• Respect others’ communication preferences.

6. Use respectful language.

• Use other people’s pronouns (e.g. he/she/they/ze/xe/it). Ask if you don’t know someone else’s pronouns.
• Use the identity labels that others prefer when referring to them (for example, autistic person versus person with autism). Ask if you don’t know which terms to use to describe someone.
• Don’t use slurs (e.g. n-word or r-word) or insults.

7. Ensure confidentiality.

• Any personal or private stories shared in EqUUal Access Online Connections spaces need to stay in those spaces.
• Avoid bringing other people’s personal stories into EqUUal Access Online Connections spaces.
• Do not share anyone’s personal information, including conversations, contact details, cut and pasted messages, or screenshots.
• Be careful about outing others. Some people are open about parts of their identity (e.g. gender, pronouns, sexual orientation, disability status) only to specific people and not to the public.
• If you are unsure what another person feels is private, don’t share; ask for permission first.
• The exception to anonymity are cases where harm or abuse has happened. If you have been hurt or aware of harm being done, please report it.