The web address is: http://www.disabilityforum.org.au/
The focus of this community is to provide a support network for people with disabilities. The website allows people who have a disability to freely exchange information and learn from other people's experiences through a discussion forum.
The services provided by the disability forum is mainly the discussion forum. Various topics are discussed ranging from social chit chat to travel experiences and aids for disabilities. The website also has a range of different upcoming events and workshops listed for those who may be interested. There are articles and links on the website about peoples different experices of disability and information about disability.
The site is very interactive in the way that it provides the forum where people can talk about a huge range of topics that suit their specific need. Posts on the forum are not formal and you can put as many posts on the website as you want.
People contributing to this community may be seeking many different things. One reason people may contribute is because they are seeking understanding and help about their condition. Hearing other peoples personal stroies of how they have managed their condition often provides hope for people newly diagosed with a disability. The disability forum also provides a means of social connection for people with a disability, a place where some of their questions can be answered and also the website can offer people the opportunity to find out more about their condition.
A few of the different topics that are being discussed include:
- Disability support services at your place of study
- Travel Opportunities for people with disabilities
- Worldwide accessable washrooms
- Share tips on your custom fit clothes
Some ethical issues may arise with the use of this online community. The site has no ability to check if everyone who is contributing has a disability, people could be making up information. As it is an informal forum there is no ability to check the reliability of any information. Anyone can join the site and post information that is not relevant, the creators of the website will need to be continually checking for spam and people misusing the website.
The benefits of this online community include the ability for people with disabilities who are unable to get out of their homes to communicate with other people who are in a similar position to them. They have the ability to talk to people from all around the world, with a traditional community this would have not been possible at all. Another benefit is that the site can provide people with a large amount of beneficial information. The community can also foster understanding and unity between people who have similar conditions.
One of the downsides to this online community is the ability to misuse the priviledges of the website and mislead other people. Online communities may also give people a delusional reliance on a virtual world. The validity of the information is also questionable as anyone can post information on any topic they wish.
However the community does provide a great means for people with disabilities to communicate with a wide variety of different people from many different walks of life.
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