learning difficulties: Please note and understand

[Frankie]

This thread is now being moved to general chat.

Please could we ask that people with difficulties which are going to affect their posting PM the moderators..... as we we can then look into how we can help you comply with the rules wherever possible and where we need to make allowances... When PM'ing a mod please be specific about your disability and how it will affect your posting.

Thanks.

[I-FANCY-Alf]

could some1 put a link to the new place

[Frankie]

This is the new place.... and the link has been left in the original forum.

[bornlippy]

This thread is now being moved to general chat.

Please could we ask that people with difficulties which are going to affect their posting PM the moderators..... as we we can then look into how we can help you comply with the rules wherever possible and where we need to make allowances... When PM'ing a mod please be specific about your disability and how it will affect your posting.

Thanks.

Im sorry, but is that really necessary? is it that much of a problem that people with disabilities must run it by admin?

Do people really have to let it known, just to take part in a forum?

I dont think you are trying to discriminate, but i do think it is out of line to ask people with disabilities to PM you about it.

Good on you to nata, belle4life and all you other brave people for having the guts to share

I wish I was as brave as you!!

xx

[Ryan]

The problem comes if your "disability" means you are in someway unable to comply with the rules wholly. Now I don't have either enough knowledge or particular interest in disabilities to be able to detail what the ins and outs of each condition entails and the rules are not usually about a few mispelt words here or there, or some poor grammar here or there. I often miss out words out of a sentence because I'm not concentrating enough and then read it how I intended it. However, a forum is communication in the written form and therefore if the post becomes so illegible that it does actually break the rules or their disability means that they can't struggle to adapt their behaviour to the forum environment, then the preset position has to be they are not bothering or they're doing it to wind us up.

To join this site you agree to a set of rules and leeway is given in those rules to suit certain circumstances, but to gain that leeway we need to be aware that you want leeway and why, because it's otherwise assumed you can fulfil the rules set out up on joining the site. (It should be noted that a disability does not necessarily give you immunity from the rules). If you have a disability, but it doesn't cause a problem in agreeing to any of the rules, then we don't need to be made aware of it.

[bornlippy]

If you have a disability, but it doesn't cause a problem in agreeing to any of the rules, then we don't need to be made aware of it.

you shouldnt "need" to be aware of it either way.

If people have a disability, and WANT to share with admin so they can be offered assistance, then by all means, they should.

But people shouldnt have to let known their disability to someone over the internet to participate in chat if they dont want to. Their choice, not yours.

Im not trying to be rude here, i just believe its inappropriate of admin to ask such a thing of people with learning difficulties.

[Ryan]

Yes, nobody needs to post that they have disability, but if they do have a disability and don't wish to share it, they will have to accept that they will them be treated like someone with no disability. For instance poor grammar would be looked on as a choice to not follow a specific rule, rather than an inibility to.

[Foxy]

It's never been the case that we've made people share disabilities - at the end of the day it is ALWAYS up to the individual whether or not they choose to share and we would never put pressure on people to share anything they don't wish to.

However, a board with a membership this size has to have rules put in place to keep it running effectively and given that (as Ryan has stated) our primary motivation here is communication, we have to put rules in place to ensure that the communication runs as effectively as possible. If someone has a disability which would make it difficult for them to comply to our rules they are welcome to tell staff members (that being admins and mods) in the strictest of confidence purely so that we can give leeway on some of the rules. However, we don't force anyone to do this. What we do is make disabilities as accomodated as possible but we're not mind readers and those who choose not to tell us can only be expected as any other other member would.

[I-FANCY-Alf]

BORNLIPPY.....UR A LEDGEND THANK YOU FOR SAYIN WHAT WE ALL FEEL.......

LOOK IN MY OPITION PLL WIT LEARNIN DIFICUTIES,PLL WHO FIND IT EASYIER TO WRITE IN CAP, PPL WIT BAD SPELLINS SHUDNT HAVE TO LET ADMIN KNOW.. THE MEMBERS THEY CONNECT WIT THREW POSTS IS WHO RELLY MATTERS... AND IF WE WANT O LET PEOPLE KOW THINGS THEN WE SHALL BUT ONLY IF WE WANT.....

LIKE WHAT ARE U'S GONNA DO DELTE SOME1S ACCOUNT IF THEY CHOSES NOT TO TELL U FOR CRYIN OUT LOUD THIS FOURM IS FOR EVERY1 AND IM SURE NOT EVERY1 IS COMFORTABLE SHARING THERE PERSONAL STUFF OVER THE NET...ME PERSONLY I DNT CARE BUT THATS ME

BY THE WAY IM DSLEXIC

[Foxy]

First of all I'm not entirely where this "what we all think" mentality has come from, only you and one other person has expressed similar wishes.

It's been quite clearly outlined in this thread the reasons why we ask people to let us know of disabilities, and that we force no-one into telling us things they don't wish to. I'm sure if some of those people who had told us of their disabilities spoke up though, you'd come to realise this arrangement is a positive thing and that it's helped many members both comply with our rules and have an enjoyable experience on the board.

The facts of the matter are these: we have a set of rules and we will not be changing them any time soon. The non-text speak rule and a grasp of basic SPAG, as well as not posting in caps is something we strive for in order to make the board a tidier and more ledgible place. By notifying us of a disability we can give a certain amount of leniance to some of the SPAG rules for example. By opting not to tell we can assume this is because you do not wish your disability to define you or change perceptions of you as a poster etc.etc. which is both absolutely fine, and absolutely your perogative - but by opting to be a 'regular' member (for want of a better phrase) you must expect the rules to be applied to you as they would any other regular member. If we didn't allow people to tell us their problems and give them leeway, we'd be accused of being anti-disabled - we are not discriminating by being asked to be told, we are doing it to help.

If however, this is an attack on our SPAG rules, I have always maintained the opinion that, if you don't like the rules here, you are not obliged to post here. They've been working for us for years and those concerning SPAG, caps posting and non text will certainly not be changed in the near future.