Policies & Constitution

The Alliance for Neurodiversity and Disability in GLAMR Professions Australia’s (ANDPA) Constitution sets out the rules that govern our association. This is complemented by policies that also guide our actions.

Throughout these policies, ‘we,’ ‘us,’ or ‘our’ refers to the Alliance for Neurodiversity and Disability in GLAMR Professions Australia (ANDPA) community of volunteers, employees, organisers, and Committee members.

If you attend any ANDPA events, or participate in an ANDPA project, we consider you to be part of the community. By taking part in any ANDPA event or project, you agree to uphold and promote these policies and the Code of Conduct.

Our Code of Conduct is based on several other similar policies, including the Open Knowledge Foundation Australia Code of Conduct and the newCardigan Code of Conduct & Anti-Harassment Policy.

This is a living document and may change at any time.

Last amended: 01 November 2023.

A note on language and identity

Identity first and person first language are used interchangeably throughout this website, documents, and policy. ANDPA respects individual choice in how someone chooses to identify, acknowledging that the disability community is an evolving space and is made up of communities and individuals with diverse identities, cultures, and lived experiences.

ANDPA holds a holistic and inclusive understanding of disability and neurodivergence, acknowledging the variance of conditions and identities these may encompass. This may include, but is not limited to, neurodivergence, chronic illness, psychosocial disability, neurological conditions, mental illness, d/Deaf or hard of hearing, sensory disability, vision impaired/blind, cognitive/intellectual disability, and physical disabilities.

ANDPA recognises that peoples’ language and identities may overlap across different types of disability and neurodivergence and that people’s experiences of disability often intersect with other identities, experiences, and social characteristics. This can lead to overlapping and increased exposure to discrimination and marginalisation. For example, race, ethnicity, culture, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, socio-economic status, or refugee or asylum seeker background, among others, may have an intersectional impact on many people with disability.

ANDPA acknowledges the impact and the complex relationship of these social identities and the systemic and structural injustices that surround them. Our organisational strategies, policies, and operations aim to take an intersectional approach. We recognise the intersections of different inequalities, the heightened impact these have on people with disability, and the need for ANDPA to integrate this understanding into its principles and practice.

A note on defining professionals

ANDPA defines “professionals” broadly as people who are engaged or qualified in a profession. Members do not need any credentials, qualifications, or training, or to be currently working or employed. If you consider yourself to relate or belong to a GLAMR profession or field (regardless of your role, position, or employment type or status), you are welcome to become an ANDPA member.

If you are questioning whether you belong, chances are you do. Welcome aboard!

Accessibility Policy

ANDPA aims to be an accessible community for a diverse range of people, and we will make adjustments wherever possible to remove barriers to full participation.

We strive to provide equal access to our programs, resources, events, and online presence. Our website and resources aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

We welcome and appreciate your feedback on the accessibility and usability of our website, resources, events, and programs via the Contact form.

Copyright policy and disclaimer

Copyright

Except as permitted by the copyright law applicable to you, you may not reproduce or communicate any of the content on this website without the permission of the copyright owner, unless otherwise stated.

The Australian Copyright Act allows certain uses of content from the internet without the copyright owner’s permission. This includes uses by educational institutions and by Commonwealth and State governments. For more information, see http://www.copyright.com.au and http://www.copyright.org.au. 

ANDPA gives permission for its members to copy and communicate content in which ANDPA owns copyright for their own use and for use in their organisation. We may at times republish some of our content under a Creative Commons licence, so always check the terms of use of individual resources.

We may change these terms of use from time to time. Check before re-using any content from this website.

Logo

ANDPA’s logo may not be used without prior written permission from us.

Disclaimer

The material published on this website is intended for general information only and is not legal advice, medical advice or other professional advice. Any opinions expressed in this material do not necessarily represent the views of the ANDPA.

While care and consideration has been taken in the in the creation of ANDPA’s materials and this website, we do not warrant, represent or guarantee that the material published on this website or elsewhere is in all respects accurate, complete and current. To the extent permitted by law, we exclude any liability, including any liability for negligence, for any loss or damage arising from reliance on material on this website or associated content. .

ANDPA is not responsible for the content of any third-party website to which links are provided from this website. Any links to websites are provided for your information and convenience only. ANDPA does not endorse or control these websites and cannot guarantee that material on those sites is in all respects accurate, complete and current.

Code of Conduct

The Alliance for Neurodiversity and Disability in GLAMR Professionals Australia (ANDPA) is an environment where everyone is welcome. We are a diverse community from a wide range of backgrounds, interests, and lived experiences. To ensure that everyone has an enjoyable and enriching experience, please bring a spirit of respect and friendly inquiry to all your interactions at ANDPA.

This includes not engaging in any behaviour that is ableist, racist, sexist, ageist, transphobic, homophobic, queerphobic or sizeist. Members and participants should not disclose another person’s disability, sexuality, or other personal information without their permission. This extends to screenshots of digital conversations.

We are dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, education, ability, physical appearance, body size, ethnicity, or religion.

By participating in ANDPA event and maintaining ANDPA membership, you agree to:

Be welcoming. ANDPA is a community that welcomes and supports people of all backgrounds and identities. People from all fields of inquiry are welcome.
Be respectful. Our community comes from a range of backgrounds and experiences. Listen and support others to learn. Respect everyone’s right to privacy and self-determination. Do not claim to speak for others or certain groups you may identify with. Be particularly careful discussing sensitive issues or disclosing personal experience. Members, guests, and speakers have the right to define their own experiences themselves. How they define their experience may be different from how you define yours.
Be kind. Be careful in the words that you choose. Do not insult or put down other members or guests. Endeavour to make your language inclusive.
Be forgiving. People sometimes make mistakes. Please assume that members and organisers are acting with the best intentions. If you choose to engage with people regarding something you feel is inappropriate or unfair, aim to be diplomatic, understanding, and forgiving.

Let us know. If you’re not sure about something or have a concern, feel free to ask an organiser or Committee member for advice; we’re happy to help.

Safe and inclusive spaces

ANDPA aims to build a values-based culture found on values of Community, Pride, Belonging, and Leadership. These are grounded in principles of respect for lived experience and authenticity and inclusive leadership.

To create safe and inclusive spaces for our members we expect participants at ANDPA events to engage in mutual respect for others. This includes a willingness to learn from and listen to others and to exhibit behaviour that is supportive of their physical and psychological safety.

Photography / video / audio recording policy

Please do not photograph or record ANDPA members, participants, or speakers without their explicit permission.

We will sometimes photograph and/or record (audio and/or video) invited speakers at ANDPA events, to enable us to share the sessions online. If you ask a speaker a question during the session, this may be included in the recording. If you wish to a have audio and/or video recording of yourself edited out before it is made publicly available, please speak to an ANDPA organiser and we will do our best to accommodate your request. Note that audio/video may occasionally be transmitted live.

If you do not wish to be photographed or recorded, please let the organisers and event participants know. Your wishes will be respected.

If someone indicates that they do not wish to be photographed, respect their wishes. If you have a photo that someone is uncomfortable with, work together to ensure everyone’s rights are respected, either by deleting or cropping the photo/s, editing videos, or blurring the person out beyond recognition.

Reporting / blogging / social media

To aid free discussion of sensitive issues, some meetings and events are hosted under the Chatham House Rule, held ‘off the record,’ or may have other privacy specifications stated. This aims to contribute to a trusted environment where members feel safe to share and discuss.

We welcome all ANDPA community members to join conversations on various social media forums in line with any privacy specifications stated at events or meetings. Events that are open to both Full and Associate Members may be covered by the Committee or organisers through live-posting or blogging. We remind attendees that the Code of Conduct and other policies extend to online interactions associated with ANDPA.

Comments made on social media may be republished with attribution (for example retweeting or embedding of tweets in blogs). If you wish to attribute an opinion or statement to an individual in a long-form piece, please verify with that individual that they feel you have written an accurate representation of their view.

Anti-harassment policy

ANDPA is dedicated to providing a safe, accessible, inclusive, and harassment-free experience for everyone at our events and in our online spaces. We do not tolerate harassment or discrimination of community members in any form. Attendees violating these rules may be cautioned, expelled or banned from ANDPA events and forums at the discretion of the Committee.

Detailed policy

Harassment includes, but is not limited to:

offensive verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race or ethnicity, religion, or other personal attributes or identities
unwelcome comments regarding a person’s lifestyle choices and practices
sexual images in public spaces
deliberate intimidation
stalking or following
threats of violence or incitements to violence against an individual
violating any ANDPA policy
sustained disruption of talks or other events
sustained attacks on someone’s project, work or idea
inappropriate physical contact and invasions of personal space
unwelcome sexual attention.

Sometimes a comment one person thinks is innocuous is quite offensive to someone else. If someone tells you they find your language or comments offensive, please take that on board graciously.

If we ask participants to stop any harassing behavior they are expected to comply immediately. Any ANDPA member can issue a verbal warning to a participant that their behaviour violates the community’s anti-harassment policy. A record of complaints received and warnings issued will be maintained to enable any repeat offenders to be identified.

If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the organisers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender, or in extreme cases, expelling or banning them from ANDPA events.

In case of harassment

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact an ANDPA Committee member. If you are being harassed by an ANDPA volunteer, organiser, or Committee member, please contact someone else you trust from the ANDPA community, preferably a Committee member, as soon as you are comfortable doing so.

ANDPA organisers will be happy to help attendees contact police or crisis services, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe. We value your attendance and will do our best to take care of community members.

Please note, while we take all concerns raised seriously, we will use our discretion in determining when and how to follow up on reported incidents and may decline to take any further action. All concerns will be recorded.

We expect participants to follow these policies and guidelines at ANDPA events and online forums.