Independent Living Services Simcoe County

Welcome to Independent Living Services of Simcoe County & Area’s Facebook Community! Opinions expressed on the ILS Facebook page do not necessarily reflect those of the organization.All users of the ILS Facebook Page MUST adhere to the following 'House Rules." What It’s All About: The purpose of this Facebook page is to help build a friendly, safe, and healthy online community to support one another by sharing news, information, and experiences about living with a physical disability. We want to provide a platform for meaningful conversation about living independently with dignity in your community. Whether you have lived experience with a disability, are a friend or family member of someone with a disability, or are interested in creating inclusive, accessible communities, you are encouraged to listen to one another, add value, and contribute to the conversation. All posts and comments are welcomed and will be moderated on a regular basis to ensure they follow the ‘House Rules.’ Any unacceptable or offensive comments will be removed. House Rules: What We Expect from You 1. RESPECT one another & honour the spirit of the site. Be sure to think before you comment so that you bring value to the conversation and not monopolize ongoing exchanges. We’re here to share, build trust, and be responsive to one another. Strive to reflect the interests of other users of the site. 2. Use GOOD JUDGEMENT. Using social media to vent about or embarrass anyone, any organization or any business is unacceptable and unprofessional. We all experience frustrations when we face barriers in life but this site is a place to support each other and work together to find solutions. 3. Be yourself and BE RESPONSIBLE for what you write. Make it clear that the views you express are yours alone. Transparency is important. 4. Be ACCURATE. Even though your posts may be based on your personal opinion or experience, do your research and check your facts. Anything you write is considered to be print and you are beholden to libel laws so make sure you have adequate references. Be sure to check that your links are correct and safe! 5. Always PROTECT PRIVACY of individuals. Never reveal confidential information about an individual without their consent (this includes family members, friends, support workers, colleagues, neighbours, or clients). Generally, names of other people will be removed from posts by the moderator. What You Can Expect from Us: The ILS Facebook page will provide a platform for communication between people with physical disabilities in and around Simcoe County, and engagement of the public interested in accessibility and the work of ILS. Our moderators are members of the community who will help keep the conversation flowing and on track with the page’s purpose (see above). They will use their judgement to maintain a respectful place for comments and information sharing. Moderators will privately warn any members that are acting in a way that does not respect the House Rules and, if the behaviour does not change, will quietly remove them from the group. Understand that ILS reserves the RIGHT TO REMOVE any content deemed to be inappropriate in ILS’ sole opinion &/or block users that have posted messages that contain: o Vulgar language, o Personal attacks of any kind, o Offensive comments that target or disparage people with special needs, or of any other minority group, o Comments that fringe on the privacy of clients or families, staff, providers, volunteers, partners or others, o Comments that damage the reputation, or are libelous against any of the above, o Spam or repeat postings, o Comments which are off-topic, or promoting unrelated events, o Comments of a commercial or a partisan nature, o Comments advocating illegal activity, or o Comments that are known, or suspected, to be infringing upon copyright or trademarks. To Sum it Up: We hope this Facebook page builds community awareness about living with a disability and shares information about the supports and services available to live independently and participate in the community. Ultimately, we hope to share resources and stories to help build more accessible communities that support and inspire people with physical disabilities or limitations to live dignified, productive, and independent lives in and around our community.