Code of Ethics

A white woman sitting in a theatre on red chairs wearing a headset and holding up her smartphone. Next to her is a white cane with a red handle.

At The Global Disability News Network, we are committed to truth, accessibility, and authentic representation. We know journalism has the power to shift narratives, fight ableism, and create change. Our Code of Ethics reflects these values and applies to everyone who contributes to our website — writers, editors, producers, and collaborators.

1. Integrity

  • We report with accuracy, fairness, and transparency.
  • We verify facts and sources and clearly distinguish between news, opinion, and sponsored content.
  • We prioritize lived experience and expertise equally.
  • We disclose conflicts of interest, particularly in stories involving advocacy, activism or partnerships.
  • We respect the privacy, dignity, and consent of everyone featured in our reporting.

2. Accessibility

  • All content — written, audio, and video — is created with accessibility in mind from the start. This also counts for our collaborators’ content.
  • We provide alt text, captions, transcripts, descriptive audio and accessible file formats for all of our own content.
  • All our collab content fulfills basic accessibility standards as outlined on our Accessibility Standards Site.
  • Our website was created and is maintained by experts regarding digital accessibility. They constantly test our digital platforms for screen reader compatibility and navigational ease.
  • We are dedicated to learning from disabled users to improve accessibility standards long-term.

3. Representation

  • Nothing about us, without us: We commit to telling stories by and with disabled people, not about them.
  • We challenge typical stereotypes around disability. 
  • We ensure diversity within disability representation, including intersectional identities such as race, gender, sexuality, and class.
  • We prioritize authentic voices: Stories are led or co-led by disabled journalists whenever possible. This being said, we do appreciate our allies a lot and believe every journalist should learn how to produce authentic disability stories. We welcome pitches by allies, too.

4. Hiring & Collaboration

  • We actively hire and collaborate with disabled professionals at all levels — not only as subjects or consultants, but as decision-makers and creators.
  • Our staff is disabled-led and we prioritise hiring people from marginalized backgrounds, particularly with disabilities. 
  • We offer flexible and accessible working conditions to remove barriers to participation.
  • We partner only with organizations that align with our principles of inclusion and respect.

5. Accountability & Growth

  • We are human and make mistakes. Therefore, we welcome feedback and correction requests from our community.
  • We recognize that accessibility and representation are ongoing commitments, not completed goals. We like to keep learning and improving.
  • We review this Code annually to ensure it evolves alongside the communities we serve.

6. Equity & Non-Discrimination

  • We do not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or exclusion based on disability, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, or socioeconomic background. Obviously.
  • We work to dismantle ableism and other intersecting forms of oppression within journalism and media industries.
  • We foster an inclusive, respectful, and safe environment for our staff, collaborators, and audiences.
  • We hold ourselves accountable for addressing harm when it occurs and for continuously improving our practices of equity and inclusion.

7. AI Policy

The Global Disability News Network presents news by and for global citizens with disabilities in an ethical and authentic way. Artificial intelligence (AI) is now being used around the world in many capacities, some of which increase access for disabled people. However, we want to reassure our audience that AI is not creating any full stories for The News Network. 

We allow use of AI for research, editing, and transcripts, but the final published story will be created/written by an actual person. For example, if one of our contributors – whose first language is not English – uses AI to edit their story to confirm it is in readable English, that is permissible.  

On our social media platforms, The News Network does not use AI to create content such as videos, graphics, or text, although it may be used for such purposes as writing transcripts of video and audio content.  

Our Deaf reporter, Rikki Poynter, explains here how to use AI to get an accurate transcript of video content that greatly benefits people who need transcripts to access information. 

To be transparent, we acknowledge the grave environmental impact of the world’s AI data centers on available water and electricity. We will continue to monitor the recommendations of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, which gives a roadmap for sustainability and equity as AI use becomes part of information dissemination worldwide: Rising Emissions, Depleting Water and Vanishing Land—UN Scientists: AI Is Threatening Natural Resources for Billions.

Image Credit: Andi Weiland | Gesellschaftsbilder.de