Community Norms

One of the goals of the D Center is to provide a safe and celebratory space for the Disabled and d/Deaf community at UW. In order to accomplish this goal, we ask that every visitor in our space follow our community guidelines. By working together to uphold the community guidelines, we can create a healthy in-person and virtual environment full of Disabled and d/Deaf pride, and keep everyone who enters our space safe.

The following is a working draft of our community norms. This will continue to be a working draft forever, since we are constantly growing and changing as a community.

 

General Community Norms

• Do not be bigoted or post any bigoted content. Any form of ableism, audism, homophobia, transphobia, biphobia, racism, anti-Semitism, islamophobia, xenophobia, or any other form of prejudice will not be tolerated.
• Respect other community members. Whether we are online or in-person, this community is still a public space. Not everyone consents to certain behaviors.
  • You are not entitled to anyone’s personal information, including diagnosis records. Respect others’ privacy and identities as they are.
  • Do not post or discuss graphic descriptions of gore, sexual acts, or other explicit NSFW things.
  • Content or discussion that may be mentally distressing to others is also prohibited. Jokes about suicide, over-sharing and venting about personal issues, and graphic talk about eating disorders are heavily discouraged.
    • Over-sharing is defined as, “the disclosure of an inappropriate amount of detail about one’s personal life.” In other words, please refrain from discussing topics that involves disturbing or private information.
  • If you are experiencing mental health issues and need support, please utilize UW’s mental health services.
• When in doubt, ask politely! Our community is so diverse in experiences of disabilities, hearing levels, and more. We may not always know how to best accommodate people right off the bat. Ask what people are comfortable with and if their access needs are met.
• If you have any questions or concerns, ask a D Center staff member! Please also let us know if anyone is violating our norms or causing you discomfort. We will address the situation and make sure you are comfortable in our space!

 

In-Person Community Norms

In addition to the General Community Norms, here are some specific guidelines for our in-person spaces, such as our office or at events:

• Please wear a mask if you are able! Protecting each other from COVID is one of the ways we engage in community care here.
  • Removing your mask to eat, drink, and communicate in ASL is okay.
  • We acknowledge that not everyone is able to wear a mask, whether it be due to a disability or the necessity of facial expressions when signing. Please wear a mask if you can to protect those who can’t wear masks.
  • We have masks available at the D Center, including KN95s and surgical masks. N95s and KN95s are encouraged, but alternatives are available if you are unable to wear those. A surgical mask is better than no mask!
• Be mindful of the personal space of others. People may not like being touched or being in close proximity to others, and maintaining adequate spacing helps to decrease the spread of COVID and other illnesses.
  • Also, please make space for others if they need it! This includes moving away from an accessible pathway that a wheelchair user needs to use, refraining from interrupting when others are speaking or signing, and so on.
• Feel free to move in way that you are most comfortable, such as stimming, walking around, and so on. As long as your movement is not reducing the access of others, such as blocking ASL interpreters from view, go for it!

 

Virtual Community Norms

In addition to the General Community Norms, here are some specific guidelines for our virtual spaces, such as Zoom rooms.

• No minors are allowed in our Discord server. Only people 18+ are allowed.
• Keep the following questions in mind when conversing in the Discord server or in the chats of Studyverse or Zoom:
  • Is your conversation relevant to the channel? If not, please move to the relevant channel.
  • Is the message you plan on sending relevant to the current conversation happening within that channel or chat room? If not, please wait until the current conversation resolves.
    • In Studyverse and Zoom, questions are okay to ask at any time! Conversational messages, however, should try to adhere to the current topic.
  • Does your conversation seem to only include one or two people and lack relevance to the server? Please move to a personal group chat or Direct Messages.
• Do not spam messages.
• Use Content / Trigger Warnings where applicable. Related to the above norm, we expect community members to preface potentially triggering content with “CW [possible trigger]: “. There are further instructions on how to fully implement a content warning in our Discord server within the norms listed in the server itself.
  • Please remember to tag CWs and Spoiler Block every message that may contain triggering content, not just the first one.
• Please use tone tags where applicable! This helps our neurodivergent friends to read the intention behind messages. Read more about tone tags here!

 

What Happens When You Violate These Norms?

Based on the severity of the violation of these norms, you may receive a number of warnings before being asked to leave the space. We will do our best to consider each situation fairly; mental health crises are a part of life, the occurrence of which should not be solely determinative of your connection to community. However, here is a general outline of how we handle violations:

• Active violations of our guidelines is grounds for removal from our spaces. Active violations include but are not limited to:
  • Usage of slurs and explicit prejudice
  • Adamantly invading the privacy of others and violating personal space
  • Posting graphically violent or sexual images
  • Posing a threat to or harming others in the space
  • And so on.

You will not be allowed in our spaces for at least three months. After a 3 month period, you may ask to rejoin our spaces, with approval being at the discretion of the D Center staff.

A violation after reapplication and approval will result in a permanent ban from our spaces.

• Passive violations of our guidelines will result in a warning from D Center staff. Passive violations include but are not limited to:
  • Microaggressions
  • Misgendering
  • Over-sharing
  • Forgetting content warnings
  • And so on.

A second passive violation will result in a second warning. After a third violation, you will be removed from our spaces.

After a 3 month period, you may ask to rejoin our spaces, with approval being at the discretion of the D Center staff.

A violation after reapplication and approval will result in a permanent ban from our spaces.

 

Again, please let a D Center staff member know if anyone is violating our norms or causing you discomfort.

 

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The D Center, its programming, and amenities are all sponsored by the Husky Union Building, Services and Activities Fee, and the Student Tech Fee.