Ethics Guide 🛡️✨

Protecting everyone who makes this work possible

Our Sacred Law of the Commons

People first, research second. Always and forever.

We're building tools to help people thrive, not studying them like specimens in a lab. Every person who shares their story, every 🧙 Mage who contributes wisdom, every 💚 Healer who gives feedback, every community member who trusts us with their experience deserves respect, privacy, and dignity.

Think of this as our community's protective magic—the spells that keep everyone safe while we adventure together.

🔒 Protecting the People Who Trust Us

The Unbreakable Rules of Our Forest

1. No Labels, Ever—People Are Not Categories - Never call people "disabled users," "normal users," or any other label that reduces them to a condition - Use "people who..." phrasing: "people who experience vestibular challenges," not "vestibular patients"
- Skip medical jargon unless someone specifically uses it to describe themselves - Remember: every person is a whole human with complex experiences, not a walking accessibility case study

2. Consent is Sacred Magic - Always ask before quoting someone from forums, social media, or communities - Get clear permission before sharing screenshots that include usernames - Honor when people say "no" or want to stay anonymous—no questions asked - If someone changes their mind later, remove their content immediately (no guilt trips)

3. Privacy by Design—Invisible by Default - Anonymize everything unless someone specifically asks for credit - Scrub usernames, handles, and identifying details unless explicitly okay'd - Don't play detective trying to connect posts to real people - Store personal data like treasure—secure it well and delete it when the quest is complete

4. Community Respect—We're Guests, Not Conquerors - Don't treat communities like "research subjects"—they're our wise advisors and partners - Give back to communities that help us (share findings, tools, resources) - Follow community rules and understand their culture before exploring - Never extract value without contributing value in return

What Respectful Practice Looks Like in Action

🌟 Excellent Approach: - "Community members shared that high contrast modes triggered headaches during long browsing sessions" - "A developer in our survey mentioned struggling to integrate accessibility tools into their workflow" - "Forum discussions revealed common patterns around color sensitivity that we hadn't considered"

⚠️ Definitely Don't Do This: - "Disabled users complained about contrast issues" - "@username123 from Reddit said accessibility tools are garbage" - "Vestibular patients can't handle certain color combinations"

🤝 Protecting Our Fellow Adventurers (Contributors)

Your Rights in Our Commons

We guard your: - 🕸️ Privacy: Your personal info stays locked away unless you choose to share it - ⏰ Time: Clear expectations about quests and no surprise deadlines - 🏆 Work: Proper credit for your contributions and discoveries
- 🛡️ Safety: Protection from harassment, trolling, or inappropriate contact - 🗝️ Autonomy: Right to step back from any project, anytime, no explanations needed

What Our Community Provides

🌟 Support Network: - Clear maps (guidelines) and supply kits (templates) - Mentorship from experienced adventurers - Feedback that builds you up, never tears you down - Recognition and celebration of your contributions

⚖️ Conflict Resolution: - Clear process for handling disagreements - Neutral mediation when conversations get heated - Zero tolerance for personal attacks or discrimination

📜 Proper Attribution: - Your contributions get credited properly - Choice to use your real name or an adventurer pseudonym - Right to remove your name if you decide to leave a project

📋 Research Standards (Our Quest Guidelines)

Before You Start Any Investigation

🧙 Mage Wisdom Check—Ask yourself: 1. Does this actually help people? Not just advance knowledge, but genuinely improve lives? 2. Could this accidentally harm someone? Even with the best intentions? 3. Do I have proper permission? From everyone whose words/experiences I'm using? 4. Am I approaching this with respect? For communities, individuals, and their lived experiences?

Data Collection Ethics (Gathering Information Responsibly)

When exploring and collecting wisdom: - 🌐 Public ≠ permissible: Just because something is posted publicly doesn't mean it's fair game for research - 🎭 Context matters deeply: A casual comment in a support forum isn't the same as a formal interview response - 👶 Age matters: Extra caution with any content from adventurers under 18 - 💚 Vulnerability matters: Be especially gentle with mental health, medical, or crisis-related content

In your research contributions: - 🔍 Acknowledge what you don't know: Gaps in knowledge are as important as discoveries - ⚖️ Avoid overgeneralization: Don't assume small samples represent entire populations - 📝 Show your work: Explain how you gathered information and reached conclusions - 🌈 Include diverse voices: Don't let one perspective dominate the story - 🪞 Be transparent about bias: We all have them—acknowledge yours openly

⚠️ Red Flags and Storm Warnings

🚨 Stop Your Quest and Reconsider If:

Someone seems to be in crisis or serious distress
You're working with minors without proper protections
Your research could identify specific people against their wishes
You're venturing into medical/therapeutic territory (we're builders, not healers)
Communities or individuals are expressing discomfort with your approach
You catch yourself making sweeping assumptions about entire groups

🤔 When Uncertainty Strikes:

⏸️ Pause the research expedition
💬 Consult with fellow adventurers or community elders (maintainers)
🗺️ Consider alternative paths forward
🛡️ Always choose protecting people over advancing research

🚨 Calling for Help

If You Experience Problems:

👹 Harassment or inappropriate behavior: Alert the community guardians (maintainers) immediately
⚖️ Ethical concerns about research: Raise them in the relevant GitHub issue for community discussion
🕸️ Privacy violations: Report them privately to project maintainers
🔥 Unsafe situations: Your safety comes first—step back and report when you're secure

How to Reach Us:

📋 GitHub Issues: For non-sensitive ethical questions and community discussion
📧 Direct Contact: [Include contact method for sensitive issues]
🎭 Anonymous Reporting: [Include anonymous reporting method]

🎯 Special Territories (Extra Care Required)

💚 Working with Sensitive Subjects

Mental health, medical conditions, trauma, accessibility challenges

📋 Extra consent required: People should clearly understand their experiences might be shared
⚖️ Know our limits: We're builders and researchers, not therapists, doctors, or counselors
⚠️ Content warnings: Include them when discussing potentially distressing topics
🔗 Resource sharing: Always include links to appropriate professional help

🌍 Cross-Cultural Expeditions

When adventuring across different communities and cultures

🎭 Cultural sensitivity: What's welcoming in one culture may be offensive in another
🗣️ Language bridges: Ensure understanding isn't lost in translation
⚖️ Power dynamics: Be aware of differences in privilege and access between communities
🏡 Local wisdom: Always include voices from the communities you're exploring

👶 Working with Young Adventurers

Anyone under 18 requires extra magical protection

👪 Family consent: Required for any direct interaction or information gathering
🏫 Institutional approval: May be needed for research in schools or youth organizations
🎭 Extra anonymization: Remove any details that could identify a young person
📚 Age-appropriate communication: Ensure materials are understandable and never exploitative

📚 Learning Resources for Your Ethics Journey

For New Adventurers to Ethics:

[Basic Research Ethics Principles]
[Consent in Digital Research]
[Disability Community Guidelines]

For Experienced Ethics Explorers:

[Digital Ethnography Best Practices]
[Participatory Research Methods]
[Accessibility Research Guidelines]

🔄 Living Wisdom (This Guide Grows With Us)

This ethics guide evolves as our community learns and grows. If you encounter situations not covered here, or think something should change:

🎫 Create an issue with the tag ethics-question
💬 Share your concern - what happened and how we could do better
💡 Propose solutions - your ideas for improvement
🌱 Help us grow - your experience makes this guide better for future adventurers

✨ Our Ethics in Action (The Daily Practice)

🌅 Before Any Research Quest:

✅ Clear purpose that genuinely helps people
✅ Proper consent from everyone involved
✅ Privacy protections woven in
✅ Respectful, dignity-preserving language

🏞️ During Your Research Adventure:

✅ Ongoing consent checks (people can change their minds)
✅ Community respect and giving back
✅ Transparent methods that others can follow
✅ Honest acknowledgment of what you don't know

✅ Proper credit and attribution for everyone
✅ Sharing findings back with helpful communities
✅ Secure handling and deletion of personal data
✅ Openness to feedback and course corrections

🌊 Always and Forever:

✅ People's dignity comes before everything else
✅ Community benefit over academic achievement
✅ Transparency about methods and limitations
✅ Respect for individual autonomy and choice

Remember: Good ethics isn't just following rules—it's about building trust, showing respect, and ensuring our work genuinely serves the people we're trying to help. It's the magic that makes our whole community possible.

Questions about ethics? Create an issue tagged ethics-question and our community will help you figure it out. Better to ask and be sure than to accidentally cause harm.

Protecting dignity, privacy, and community trust—because accessibility research should be accessible and safe for everyone 🌈🛡️✨