Code of Conduct

 

We adhere to a Code of Conduct to keep FWD-Doc a welcoming, on-topic, inclusive, intersectional, and engaging group that serves disabled filmmakers. When we use the term ‘disability/disabled person’ in this document, we are using the social model of disability that also includes d/Deaf, HOH (hard of hearing), chronically ill, neurodiverse people, those with mental health conditions, and all people who wish to self-identify under any additional term. 

This Code of Conduct is a reflection of our values in practice, and we expect anyone interacting with FWD-Doc in these spaces to adhere to it. This Code of Conduct is a breathing document, which may change and be updated as warranted.

  • Respect our mission. FWD-Doc is a global, intersectional community of disabled creators and allies working in media to build a more inclusive, accessible, and equitable entertainment industry. We cultivate and champion disabled media-makers, and we elevate stories by, for, and about disabled people. 

    Our roots are in independent documentary film, and our long-term vision extends to the broader entertainment and creative industries through many forms of storytelling.

  • Stay on-topic. This is a group dedicated to filmmaking by disabled people. We welcome posts about documentary and narrative projects by or about disabled people, and we welcome job postings and grant / event / workshop opportunities intended for our community, as long as they are made fully accessible. Only promote courses, crew, or people who you have had personal experience with (this is you vouching for them to your peers). All self-promotion and fundraising posts should be limited to a project with which you are directly connected or that is directly connected to "filmmaking by disabled people." While posts about D/deaf and disability issues are important, we ask you to consider if those kinds of posts are best made on other pages so as to not clutter the page so much that more film-specific posts might get overlooked.

  • Be kind and respectful. FWD-Doc fosters a kind and respectful environment for productive discussion, free from bullying or trolling. Insulting or bullying will get you banned from the group without prior warning. This includes respecting the pronouns of all members. 

  • Prohibit marginalization. FWD-Doc does not tolerate hurtful language, discrimination, abuse, marginalization, or insulting behaviour on the grounds of gender, ethnicity, religion, background, skin color, religious belief, sexuality, gender identity, socio-economic class, caste, disability, or age. FWD-Doc prohibits sexism, racism, colorism, homophobia, biphobia, interphobia and transphobia or hostility, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, fascism, age discrimination, ableism, as well as other and/or intersectional forms of discrimination.

  • Recognize intersectional space. FWD-Doc is an intersectional space. “We are committed to intersectionality, which encourages solidarity, highlighting that all struggles for freedom from oppression are interlinked and that they can all benefit by acknowledging, respecting and interacting with each other. By working together we can all begin to strengthen the fight against oppression in general.” Please see Intersectionality Toolkit for more info.

  • Commit to accessibility. Ensure your posts are accessible and always include image description and/or alt text, and captions and AD where appropriate. Ensure events you are hosting are accessible. All industry events that you want to invite our community to must be live captioned and/or sign language interpreted in the appropriate language (ideally both). We recommend that speakers at your events include visual descriptions, pronouns, and land acknowledgments when they introduce themselves. Please review FWD-Doc’s Toolkit and Engagement Pack for more info.

  • Limit advertising. FWD-Doc prohibits spam or advertising that does not pertain to the focus of the group. However, if you are D/deaf or disabled and you have services that you want to promote to the group, you are welcome to post about your offerings periodically. The same holds true for services that promote accessibility (captioning or audio description, for example) in our projects. Occasional technology advertisements such as adaptive keyboards or products that help us in our filmmaking lives are acceptable. 

  • Join the community. FWD-Doc welcomes all members to engage with this community, introduce themselves and their work, and post information, opportunities, thoughts, questions, and conversations focused on disabled filmmakers and filmmaking. Allies are welcome. Please join us. 

  • Celebrate yourselves and other disabled filmmakers. FWD-Doc celebrates disabled filmmakers, the work they create, and our community. FWD-Doc works as a unified voice to the industry advocating for authentic representation, accessibility, and opportunities for disabled filmmakers.  

  • Contact hello@fwd-doc.org if you believe you’ve witnessed or experienced a violation or have suggestions for improvements. FWD-Doc is a collaborative space, and we value your engagement. We will work to assess the situation and respond quickly.