Code of Conduct

Make Things Accessible has inclusivity as its core principle, we welcome contributions that promote or enhance inclusivity or participation in the digital world, built environments and physical products. Inclusivity is about all people, irrespective of individual differences and we expect all contributors to be respectful of others at all times.

These guidelines aim to support a community where all people should feel safe to participate, introduce new ideas and inspire others, regardless of:

• Background
• Family status
• Gender
• Gender identity or expression
• Marital status
• Sex
• Sexual orientation
• Native language
• Age
• Ability
• Race and/or ethnicity
• Caste
• National origin
• Socioeconomic status
• Religion
• Geographic location
• Any other dimension of diversity

This Code of Conduct outlines our expectations for all those who participate on our website, as well as the consequences for unacceptable behaviour.

We invite all those who participate in Make Things Accessible to help us create safe and positive experiences for everyone.

A supplemental goal of this Code of Conduct is to increase meaningful collaboration by encouraging participants to recognise and strengthen the relationships between our actions and their effects on the wider community.

Intentional, positive action is essential to avoid replicating within our community the many forms of inequality that exist in greater society. For this reason, we outline in this Code of Conduct expected behaviour as well as prohibited behaviour.

The following behaviours are expected and requested of all website contributors:

• Contribute in an authentic and active way. In doing so, you contribute to the health and longevity of this accessibility focused community
• Exercise consideration and respect in your speech and actions.
• Attempt collaboration before conflict.
• Refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behaviour and speech.

The following behaviours are considered harassment and are unacceptable on our website:

• Violence and threats of violence.
• Incitement of violence towards any individual or group, including encouraging a person to commit suicide or to engage in self-harm.
• Derogatory comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, neuro(a)typicality, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, or socio-economic status.
• Ableist, ageist, homophobic, biphobic, transphobic, sexual or sexist language and any other forms of language intended to harm any persons
• Use of expletive language
• Posting or threatening to post other people's personally identifying information (“doxing”).
• Deliberate misinformation
• Deliberate misgendering or use of “dead” or rejected names.
• Unwelcome sexual attention. This includes, sexualized comments or jokes.
• Deliberate intimidation, stalking or following (online or in person).
• Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behaviour.
• Other forms of derogatory language

Unacceptable behaviour from any community member, will not be tolerated. Anyone asked to stop unacceptable behaviour is expected to comply immediately.

If a community member engages in unacceptable behaviour, the website administrators may take any action they deem appropriate, up to and including a permanent expulsion from the community without warning. We may remove your name and contact details from the website by anonymising your content, and all access permissions may be permanently revoked.

If you are subject to or witness unacceptable behaviour, or have any other concerns, please notify the conference conduct team as soon as possible by emailing info@makeThingsAccessible.com.

Additionally, website administrators are available to help community members by providing any evidence to relevant law enforcement or to otherwise help those experiencing unacceptable behaviour feel safe.

If you feel you have been falsely or unfairly accused of violating this Code of Conduct, you should notify the admin team by email at info@makeThingsAccessible.com with a concise description of your grievance. Your grievance will be handled fairly and respectfully.

We expect all community participants to abide by this Code of Conduct at all times when contributing to our website – as well as in all one-on-one communications through any public contact details.

This Code of Conduct and its related procedures also applies to unacceptable behaviour occurring outside the scope of our website when such behaviour has the potential to adversely affect inclusivity and/or affects the safety and well-being of marginalised groups or individuals.

Code of conduct modified from Mozilla and Mozilla’s ViewSource