Is Scope Disability Friendly anymore?
Comments
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Please do not insult my intelligence by suggesting I misunderstood your meaning. I did not. It is just this kind of comment that causes friction on the forum.
I have now said all I need to say on this subject and will not be commenting further on this thread.
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I feel the same regarding comments made to be by @baller
I will also be leaving this discussion.
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I am not questioning your intelligence, and I am sorry if it came across that way. My intention was simply to clarify what I meant, because the discussion had moved toward workplace legislation, which was not what I was referring to.
My point was about Duty of Care and Safeguarding principles, which many members naturally draw on because of their professional backgrounds. These principles focus on preventing foreseeable psychological harm, and several members have reported that the community has affected their mental health. That is why I believe clearer guidance would help everyone feel safer and more supported.
As you tagged me, I felt it was only polite to clarify my meaning. I will leave it there as you have requested.
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We have had to remove some comments as they were targeted at another member. There have already been several reminders about the conduct we expect in this discussion, and I’d like to issue a final reminder:
If anyone else wishes to share feedback, please avoid naming or criticising other members in this thread. If you have concerns about specific interactions, please report them directly so we can review them fairly.
This applies to all members. Attempting to skirt the rules through indirect references or careful wording that still targets other members is not appropriate and will be treated the same way.
Any further breaches may result in stronger action being taken.
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It upsets me to see members upset as i know you all have good intentions at heart and have been so supportive on the forum to me and many others hope you are ok
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why has my comment gone?
people need to know if you care about people mental health, then leave them alone
every one needs to stop picking on people because they dont write as well or you dont agree with them, writing better doesnt make you smarter or right
you can be a jerk by telling someone to bog off, but you can also be a jerk by picking on there words an talking them in circles because you have to be right or think you know better
words still matter even if they are flowered up and fancy
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I'll not say much more lest my words get misconstrued.
What I take away about being a member of this forum is that you need to abide by the House rules, but the Scope team will always use their discretion in dealing with any issues.
It would be naive to think that the Scope team don't get to know us, & our intent (as well as anybody can), but the main thing is that this is a safe & civil space for everyone.
All sorts of things have been brought up in response to rubin's query even tho new members, different ways of communicating, 'Ranks,' etc., don't seem to be a part of the problem from what other members have said.
When the Scope team have noticed, ''a rise in comments that, while sometimes ambiguous in wording, can come across as passive-aggressive, sarcastic, or needling'' as mentioned on p3 of this thread, together with saying, ''dismissive reactions, sarcastic responses, or comments that undermine others’ contributions are not acceptable'' then members are not imagining the problems they've identified.
Safety & safeguarding I appreciate are a very integral part of this community.
I think we are all mindful that our disability community has members with many & varied problems; I think we are all agreed that everybody matters equally, something the Scope team uphold, & I have therefore been saddened to see some of the comments in this thread.
I believe we all want to work together to keep this a safe & supportive community.
@Adrian_Scope - may I make a couple of suggestions:
- I think something like this used to be in the House Rules - ''Please be careful what you say. Not everyone shares the same sense of humour!'' - might it be helpful to add something like this back in?
- I think there had been some discussion previously about the use of the word 'Ranks' as it might be construed that one member seems 'more important than another.' - It had been said that perhaps the use of the word 'Levels' might be better - personally I would do away with them altogether if a way of enabling a member to edit their posts could be obtained by other means; I don't know what others think.
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I've seen it happen on other forums that member "hack" their post counts/ranks to feel more important.
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Although I was not going to comment further on this thread, I feel I have no choice when a classic example of passive aggressive behaviour is directed at me.
To start any post with a sentence and I quote "I'll not say much more lest my words get misconstrued" adds nothing to any thread.
To follow this up with and I quote " All sorts of things have been brought up in response to Rubin's query even though new members, different ways of communicating, "Ranks" etc don't seem to be part of the problem from what other members said" is a nonsense.
Communication has been mentioned on nearly every single page and how members might not understand how what they write impacts others.
Rubin's original question was "Do you find Scope non-friendly, toxic and not disability friendly"
As far as I can see all responses are showing where other members have identified why they think this might be.
Members should be working together for a safe and supportive forum for all.
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I told myself I would not return to this discussion as it is not the sort of thing I like to get involved in.
But reading through the last few posts, it feels like the disagreement may be less about opposing goals and more about how people are interpreting each other’s comments. A few of the points being made are actually really similar and it feels like we all share the same vision of a supportive and welcoming place, but they’re being heard as criticism rather than shared concern…
@Bluebell21, for what it's worth, I genuinely don't believe @chiarieds comment was directed at you specifically. I think the highlighted sentence was said out of worry, not as a dig at you or anyone else.
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I agree. I also think genuinely working towards a safe and supportive forum includes taking a step back to reflect; being kinder and less willing to be critical of others' well-meaning, good intentions could help.
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Thank you @Santosha12, I think maybe it is easier to see when at a distance from the disagreements.
I still think @OverlyAnxious summed it up perfectly with this: "I do wonder how people don't realise they're doing it. And of course it makes me wonder whether I do it without realising as well.
Just on a final note, I often see that two people feel attacked on here because they've both misunderstood each other."
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On the other hand i have met some wonderful wonderful people who i class as friends ive learnt alot especially reflection as said here stop stepback think where as before i was always on the attack personally a lifetime of defending myself also feeling stupid as my spelling bad reading messages so fast like i skim over posts and pick out words if i dont reread i can react but has also been moments of feeling ambushed but truly im grateful for all support advice guidance at some real low points in my life i feel i belong somewhere strange feeling at first but i started to respect and cherise this forum really invalueble a kind word correct information breaking topics down so i umderstand them theres still humanity in the world
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Ps never forget wonderful Albus his calming ways really taught me alot still think of Albus alot and hope hos sister family friends are ok Albus was a beautiful soul
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I don't want to get involved in the wider debate, but I just wanted to stop in to say that the site really misses Albus, and so do all of us :(
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Thank you @Emilee - I was only trying to sum up what I felt & thought about this discussion, & you read me correctly. Thank you @Santosha12 for your kindness too; I appreciate you both.
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Misunderstandings happen, but they do not explain repeated behaviour across multiple threads. When the same kinds of replies keep appearing, such as sarcastic remarks, dismissive one‑liners, or emojis that shift the tone, and they consistently have the same impact, that reflects a pattern rather than a simple misreading. This thread has itself demonstrated, as it has unfolded, the very dynamics that members have been describing across the forum.
Members have said openly that these interactions have affected their mental health. That is clearly more than a misunderstanding. If everything is reframed as “we all just misread each other,” the concerns raised here risk being softened or overlooked.
We are a pan‑disability forum, and several members have described feeling discouraged or unsafe because of the atmosphere. That warrants careful attention. Recognising patterns is not about attributing blame. It is about ensuring that the environment remains safe, accessible, and supportive for all members to participate safely.
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There are different ways and reasons for people to feel unsafe posting. For me, it is the knowledge that no matter what I post, someone will come along and twist my words against me. Instead of just sharing their own opinion, there seems to be a need to reinterpret the words of others to prove why they are “wrong”, have framed things “incorrectly”, or are “overlooking” other people's concerns.
Some people may not like one-liners, emojis, or trying to laugh things off, but many people have also tried to express that they do not like passive-aggressive essays, being preached to, or being “corrected”, no matter what they say.
If we are talking about creating a space where people feel safe to participate, that should include allowing people to express themselves in different styles without having their words repeatedly dissected or reframed.
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I am sorry to hear that some replies in this thread have felt harmful to you, and I take that seriously. You have not said that anything I wrote was passive aggressive or preachy, but if any part of my posts contributed to how you are feeling, I would appreciate it if you could point to the specific wording. That would help me understand your perspective and reflect properly. If you would prefer not to do that publicly, and if any of my posts have felt offensive to you, you are welcome to ask the moderators to review them instead.
I know my posts tend to be longer. That is simply the way I communicate and process information, and it is how I participate meaningfully in discussions. I do appreciate you sharing how it comes across, and I will keep that in mind.
At the same time, I think it is important that we stay focused on the concerns Rubin raised at the start. Several members have spoken about bullying, toxicity, and people leaving because they do not feel safe here. Those are serious issues, and it is very alarming to read that some behaviours have actually damaged members mental health.
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Could the moderators please confirm whether the concerns raised here were taken into consideration internally. I am not asking for a public statement or detailed explanation, I would simply like to understand whether the feedback prompted any internal review, or whether it was treated as a routine discussion.
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