Kinora Community Guidelines

Hello and welcome!

Kinora is a community for people living with disability, and who could be making use of the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). These guidelines are how we do things here. They apply to your username and profile, and your activity within the community as a whole (e.g., posts, private messages). They’re clear, fair and easy for people to agree to. They reflect our shared values and the culture of the community we’re all working to build. We want this to be a safe, respectful, supportive and useful gathering place for members.

Service providers should also note the provider specific guidelines.

Please make sure you read and understand them before creating your account.

If you need assistance viewing or interpreting these guidelines, get in touch with the Kinora team by emailing contact@kinora.com.au and we’ll help you out.

Our Foundational Behaviours

These three foundations are what Kinora is all about. Members should engage with them in mind at all times. We love to see people embracing these foundations and helping empower each other.

Respect

Above all, Kinora is a respectful and inclusive space. We believe in the power of shared conversation to improve lives. Everyone’s journey and experiences are different, so we can always learn from each other.

We’ll disagree and debate sometimes, but we’ll always be respectful of each other as human beings. Be mindful of the words and tone you use in the community. It’s ok to be angry and frustrated, for example, but remember this is a public space that others rely on. Treat others in the community with the same respect and kindness you would expect from them.

Everyone here will have different life experiences, perspectives, beliefs. They will also have a different relationship to the services that support them. Refrain from using judgemental or derogatory terms, and don’t put down or make fun of the views or experiences of fellow members. Respect where they’re coming from and try to learn more.

Support

Membership in this community means signing up to support one another as best we all can.

Support can be practical, such as sharing information or resources. Support can also be emotional, such as letting someone know we've been there too if they're having a tough time. We cheer each other on, share generously wherever we can, and practice empathy.

While peer support is a big part of Kinora, we’re not counsellors or medical professionals. If you need extra support with the NDIS, our Kinora Coaches can help with questions and guidance. You can find out more about Kinora’s Coaches in our FAQs.

Any advice given in this community is general in nature and may not be relevant to your individual NDIS  plan.

If taking part in the community is making you anxious, the best way to support yourself and each other is to breathe and take a step back. It’s ok to post later on, or not at all, if you’re not feeling up to it.

If you have concerns about your mental health you should contact your local GP or health practitioner. If you are experiencing urges to harm yourself, please call the following 24/7 services right away:

Anonymity

Kinora membership is anonymous. This is so members can share openly and ask for help they may be uncomfortable asking for in other settings.

Always honour this anonymity, in your own posts and others. Be mindful about personal or identifying details. Try to remember we all have different comfort levels of what we’re happy to share (and they might change over time). This is a trusted space and we’re each responsible for keeping it that way.

While your identity is anonymous, public parts of the community will be visible to non-members. For this reason, it’s important to never give away information that could identify you.

Remember, anonymity is never an excuse for poor behaviour or breaching these guidelines.

Make sure you read our Privacy Policy so you understand how we manage your information.

Posting in the right place

Before you post, check that you’re posting to the right part of the community. This will help to keep discussions relevant and you’re most likely to get the responses you want.

We might need to move a post or may ask you to share it in a different spot. Don’t be concerned. Our different forum areas keep the community organised and easy to find information.

Off-topic

There are lots of things that can be discussed on Kinora, but it’s important we keep the conversation focused so it can benefit everyone. We want to keep conversations related to the experience of living with or caring for a person with a disability. We may edit, move or remove posts that are off-topic (we’ll usually let you know), and may suggest other places or channels you can discuss them.

Things that aren’t ok

These things aren’t allowed in Kinora:

  • Profanity

  • Cruelty, bullying, harassment or threatening behaviour

  • Intolerance for differences of opinion, belief and perspective

  • Hate speech or discrimination

  • Breaching privacy or confidence by sharing personal information about yourself or others

  • Ableist language and terms that may be seen as derogatory toward disabilities

  • Discussion of medical treatments, pharmaceutical products and vaccinations

  • Providing personalised advice on NDIS plans

  • Offering legal advice to others

  • Deceptive or misleading information

  • Defamation - do not name and shame people or organisations.

  • Impersonating people or organisations

  • Graphic or prohibited content

  • Advertising, promotion or conducting business without permission

  • Research or recruitment without permission

  • Posting material you’re not permitted to share or breaching copyrights

  • Using Kinora for anything illegal

Moderation

The Kinora community is moderated to ensure a safe and healthy space for all our members.

Our moderation team may need to remove or edit posts or content that don’t adhere to these guidelines, or for other reasons not listed here.

We may step in to help resolve a conflict, and we may need to temporarily restrict someone’s access to the community or terminate their account.

You are an important part of keeping Kinora safe too. If you see something you think breaches these Community Guidelines, or needs the attention of moderators, click the Report flag to let us know about it. You can also email us at contact@kinora.com.au with any concerns.

You might accidentally break the rules, and that’s ok. You can let us know right away if that happens by reporting your own post or waiting for a moderator to get in touch. We can always remove content and you can post it again – no worries.

We don’t allow discussion of moderation decisions or about moderators personally. If you have queries about a moderation decision or matter, contact us directly at contact@kinora.com.au.

Your account

Remember, that we ask you to remain anonymous within the Kinora community, however it is necessary for us to ask for some information privately. When creating your username, don’t use your real name or anything that could identify you when you sign up (like your address, birthdate or a pet name).

Members are only permitted one account each. If you’re having trouble accessing your account, please contact us at contact@kinora.com.au rather than creating a new one.

You need to be over the age of 18 to use Kinora. If another person is recognised as your primary decision maker, check with them about creating an account and make sure they’re ok with these guidelines.

You may choose to close your community account at any time, but please note that any posts you made before leaving will remain in the community. If there is something you are especially concerned about remaining public, contact us at contact@kinora.com.au and we’re happy to consider removal if possible.

Location

All Australians who identify with this community and can seek support from it are welcome. We operate under Australia law and are focused on Australian health services and supports. So only Australian residents are permitted to create an account in the community.

 

Service Providers

The following additional guidelines apply to service providers and are designed to enable NDIS suppliers and service providers to engage effectively within the community, support Kinora users and ensure the forum is a valuable, safe space for everyone.

As a provider, we warmly encourage your active participation in the Kinora community. We welcome your insights and experience within the disability community and appreciate your support of these guidelines, our shared values and goals. Together, we can ensure this remains a safe, respectful, supportive and useful gathering place for members.

Be a leader in your area of expertise

As a provider within the disability community, you’re invited to use your knowledge and experience to answer questions, support Kinora users and provide information which benefits the community. You can respond to topics and comments in the forum, share insights and provide general advice and recommendations. You may also wish to start general conversations about the services and support available to NDIS participants or encourage users to share their experiences. However, please ensure that your posts and comments are informative, educational and non-promotional in nature. The Kinora Marketplace (link: https://marketplace.kinora.com.au/) is available for promotion of your services. As a service provider you can register and create a profile, and any potential clients should be directed to your listing there.

Empowering the community

Share information and advice which empowers members and look for opportunities to add value to discussions. We would love you to share experiences, tips, ideas and solutions which are helpful and relevant to members. Remember to be kind, respectful and supportive when engaging with other users, including NDIS participants, carers and other providers. And avoid providing personalised advice on NDIS plans. This community is a place to learn from each other, connect and build relationships.

No advertising or promotional content

Please avoid posting promotional content in the forums. This includes posts and comments which can be considered advertising or promotion of your business, promotional language, revenue-generating activities, and content which informs users of a single solution at the expense of others. The Kinora Marketplace is the space for promotion of your business, where you can discuss tailored services and prices, any potential clients should be directed to your listing there.

Direct promotion of a product, service or event, posts and comments which include links to your website, email or phone number, and repetitive, off-topic or high-volume posts and comments are examples of content which will be edited or removed by the Kinora moderation team. When in doubt, please email contact@kinora.com.au to request more guidance or permission for a post.

Mentioning a product or service

Posts and comments should not be for the purpose of promoting a product or service. You can mention and recommend a product or service if:

  • You are responding to a user’s enquiry and it’s appropriate in context

  • It’s mentioned as one potential solution and does not involve self-promotion

  • If a user explicitly asks for information about your product or service and you’re transparent about your affiliation with that product or service.

  • You have requested and received prior permission to post about your product, service or event.

No solicitation

It’s not OK to engage in commercial solicitation. This includes directly contacting users in an attempt to promote products, services, discounts, surveys or events, and influencing people to shift providers. Kinora members can reach out to service providers directly with questions via the Kinora Marketplace.

To learn more about being part of the Kinora Marketplace, read Kinora’s Service Provider Marketplace Policy here.

Be accurate

Aim to ensure any information and advice provided is high quality, accurate and capable of substantiation. Always avoid misleading information. If you do make a mistake, we recommend openly acknowledging this and correcting it as soon as possible. This will help maintain trust and ensure a great experience for everyone.

Be professional

Always act in a professional manner. When posting or commenting about your experiences, products or services, be fair, constructive and respectful. Don’t name and criticise individuals, organisations, providers or competitors, or post content which might be considered derogatory or defamatory of another provider. Share solutions and services generously. If your own product or service is mentioned in discussion, be transparent about who you work for, who you represent or your interest in the subject. If you are concerned about another provider potentially engaging in unethical behaviour, please flag the content for a moderator to review.

Dealing with feedback  

Acknowledge that there will be a diversity of experiences and perspectives in the community, including with providers. In the event that a member posts feedback about your business/organisation/product/service, don’t respond negatively or defensively or dismiss their experience. Kinora is not intended as a customer service channel and is a place for sharing experiences. If you are particularly concerned about the nature or tone of the Topic/Post or Comment, you can flag it for a moderator to review.

Username and privacy 

Kinora membership is based on anonymity to ensure the safety of our community. Please be respectful and don’t ask for the real name or personal information of any Kinora members unless you are chatting with them privately via the Kinora Marketplace.

As a service provider, it is also worthwhile for you to make yourself familiar with Kinora’s Service Provider Marketplace Policy found here.

Thank you for connecting with Kinora. We’re excited to be growing the community with your support!