Terms and conditions – Disability Inclusion Initiative

Terms and conditions

Use of our website, participation in our advocacy campaigns

Welcome to the Disability Inclusion Initiative (DII). These Terms and Conditions of Service (“Terms”) govern your use of our website, participation in our advocacy campaigns, registration for educational programs, and any other engagement with our services (collectively, the “Service”). The DII is committed to championing the rights and opportunities for individuals with disabilities by fostering a culture of inclusion, and these Terms establish the legal framework for our operational relationship with you. By accessing or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you disagree with any part of the Terms, you may not access the Service.

Our full contact details are: Email: info@dii.lat. Mailing Address: 3512 204TH ST SW APT H201, LYNNWOOD, WA 98036-6888 US. Please direct all legal or terms-related inquiries to our legal department via email, referencing this document in the subject line. This extensive document is structured to cover the general legal relationship between you and DII, the specific rules governing program participation and content submissions, and the detailed disclaimers of liability inherent in advocacy work.

1. Acceptance of Terms and Amendments

Your access to and use of the Service is conditioned upon your acceptance of and compliance with these Terms. These Terms apply to all visitors, users, and others who access or use the Service. By continuing to use the Service after the Effective Date, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to these legally binding conditions. The DII reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to modify or replace these Terms at any time. Should a revision be material, we will endeavor to provide at least 30 days’ notice prior to any new terms taking effect. What constitutes a material change will be determined at our sole discretion, but major changes will typically relate to data use, subscription fees, or fundamental changes to user rights. You are responsible for reviewing these Terms periodically for any changes. Continued use of the Service following the posting of any changes constitutes acceptance of those changes.

2. Accessibility, Reasonable Accommodations, and Universal Design

The DII is deeply committed to accessibility as a fundamental right and a core operational principle. We strive to ensure our website and digital services conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA. However, if you encounter any technical barrier preventing access to any part of our Service, you agree to promptly notify our Technology team at tech@dii.lat, providing the specific URL, the barrier encountered, and the assistive technology used, so we may address the issue swiftly. This notification process is a mandatory step before seeking any legal remedy related to web accessibility, allowing us the opportunity to cure the deficiency.

For participation in our Educational Programs, Webinars, and In-Person Events, we are dedicated to providing reasonable accommodations under applicable law. When registering for any Service that requires your presence or active participation, you must request any necessary accommodations (such as sign language interpretation, captioning, or accessible materials) in writing, with sufficient notice, typically a minimum of ten business days prior to the event date. The determination of what constitutes a “reasonable accommodation” will be made by DII’s Education team, in consultation with the individual, balancing the request against undue financial or administrative burden, in compliance with the spirit and letter of the law. Failure to request an accommodation with sufficient advance notice may limit our ability to provide it. You agree that DII is not liable for issues arising from accommodation requests made without reasonable notice.

3. Intellectual Property, Content Use, and User License

The Service and its original content, features, and functionality are and will remain the exclusive property of the Disability Inclusion Initiative and its licensors. Our trademarks, trade dress, and intellectual property may not be used in connection with any product or service without the prior written consent of DII. This includes our logos, program names, and slogans.

DII Educational and Advocacy Content

We provide extensive content, including toolkits, policy briefs, and educational materials. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, DII grants you a non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use our public educational materials strictly for non-commercial, informational, or personal advocacy purposes. You may not modify, copy, distribute, transmit, display, perform, reproduce, publish, license, create derivative works from, transfer, or sell any information obtained from the Service for commercial gain without express written permission from DII’s Partnerships team. Educational use within a school or non-profit is generally permitted, provided DII is clearly credited as the source. Reproduction of our content for the purpose of creating derivative, non-accessible materials is strictly prohibited and constitutes a material breach of these Terms.

User-Generated Content (UGC) and License Grant

Certain parts of the Service, such as forums, campaign story submissions, or comments sections, may allow you to post, link, store, share, and otherwise make available certain information, text, graphics, videos, or other material (“User Content”). You are solely responsible for the User Content that you post on or through the Service, including its legality, reliability, and appropriateness.

By posting User Content, you represent and warrant that the content is your own, and you grant the DII a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, and transferable license to use, reproduce, modify, publish, and distribute that User Content in connection with our mission and the operation of the Service. This license specifically includes the right to use submitted User Content (such as personal advocacy stories submitted to the Advocacy team) for aggregated reporting, research, and public-facing awareness campaigns, though identifiable personal information will only be used with separate, explicit written consent, as detailed in our Privacy Policy. You agree that DII is under no obligation to use, host, or display any User Content you submit.

Content Standards and Prohibited Uses

You warrant that your User Content does not violate the privacy rights, publicity rights, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights of any person or entity. Furthermore, you agree not to use the Service:

In any way that violates any applicable national or international law or regulation.
For the purpose of exploiting, harming, or attempting to exploit or harm minors in any way.
To transmit, or procure the sending of, any advertising or promotional material, including “junk mail,” “chain letter,” “spam,” or any other similar solicitation.
To impersonate or attempt to impersonate the DII, a DII employee, another user, or any other person or entity.
To engage in any other conduct that restricts or inhibits anyone’s use or enjoyment of the Service, or which, as determined by us, may harm the DII or users of the Service or expose them to liability. This specifically includes any content that promotes ableism, discrimination, hate speech, or violence against individuals based on ability, race, religion, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic.

The DII reserves the right, but is not obligated, to monitor, edit, or remove User Content at any time and for any reason, without notice.

4. Accounts, User Registration, and Termination

When you create an account with us, whether for a volunteer portal, a dedicated learning management system, or a recurring donation platform, you must provide us with information that is accurate, complete, and current at all times. Failure to do so constitutes a breach of the Terms, which may result in immediate termination of your account on our Service. You are responsible for safeguarding the password that you use to access the Service and for any activities or actions under your password.

You agree not to disclose your password to any third party. You must notify us immediately upon becoming aware of any breach of security or unauthorized use of your account. You may not use as a username the name of another person or entity or one that is not lawfully available for use, a name or trademark that is subject to any rights of another person or entity without appropriate authorization, or a name that is otherwise offensive, vulgar, or obscene.

Termination and Suspension

The DII may terminate or suspend your account immediately, without prior notice or liability, for any reason whatsoever, including without limitation if you breach the Terms. Upon termination, your right to use the Service will immediately cease. If you wish to terminate your account, you may simply discontinue using the Service or follow the formal procedure provided in the account settings. All provisions of the Terms which by their nature should survive termination shall survive termination, including, without limitation, ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, indemnity, and limitations of liability.

5. Disclaimers, Limitation of Liability, and Indemnification

No Legal or Medical Advice

The content provided on the DII Service, including all policy briefs, educational materials, and advocacy news, is intended for informational and general advocacy purposes only. The DII is not a law firm, nor is it a medical institution. The information on this site is not a substitute for professional legal advice, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You must not rely on the information provided as an alternative to advice from a licensed attorney, doctor, or other qualified professional. For all individual legal issues, you must consult with a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction. For all medical and health-related concerns, you must seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider. The DII expressly disclaims all responsibility and liability for any damages or injury caused by your reliance on information obtained from the Service.

Warranty Disclaimer

Your use of the Service is at your sole risk. The Service is provided on an “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” basis. The Service is provided without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, or course of performance.

The DII does not warrant that the Service will function uninterrupted, secure, or available at any particular time or location; that any errors or defects will be corrected; that the Service is free of viruses or other harmful components; or that the results of using the Service will meet your requirements or expectations. We make reasonable efforts to maintain the security and operational integrity of the Service, particularly in light of our commitment to accessibility, but technical failures or third-party interference remain an inherent risk of digital services.

Limitation of Liability

In no event shall the DII, nor its directors, employees, partners, agents, suppliers, or affiliates, be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including without limitation, loss of profits, data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses, resulting from:

Your access to or use of, or inability to access or use, the Service.
Any conduct or content of any third party on the Service.
Any content obtained from the Service.
Unauthorized access, use, or alteration of your transmissions or content.

This limitation of liability applies regardless of the legal theory, including breach of contract, tort (including negligence), or otherwise, and whether or not we have been informed of the possibility of such damage.

Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the DII and its licensee and licensors, and their employees, contractors, agents, officers, and directors, from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs, or debt, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney’s fees), resulting from or arising out of a) your use and access of the Service, by you or any person using your account and password; b) a breach of these Terms, including any violation of the Prohibited Uses or the Content Standards detailed herein; or c) your submission of User Content that infringes the rights of any third party. This indemnification clause is intended to protect DII from liability arising from misuse of the Service or breach of these Terms by our users.

6. Governing Law, Dispute Resolution, and Accessibility of Legal Process

These Terms shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Washington, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of those rights. If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable by a court, the remaining provisions of these Terms will remain in effect.

Dispute Resolution

Any legal controversy or claim arising from or relating to the Service, excluding disputes related to intellectual property and certain statutory claims, shall be settled by binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) in King County, Washington. Any such controversy or claim shall be arbitrated on an individual basis and shall not be consolidated in any arbitration with any claim or controversy of any other party. This provision is mandatory and waives your right to pursue a claim in court or have a jury trial.

Accessibility of Legal Process

In recognition of our mission, the DII commits to ensuring the legal dispute process is accessible. If a user with a disability initiates arbitration, DII will bear the reasonable costs of any necessary communication accommodations (such as ASL interpretation, accessible document conversion, or specialized technology) required for that user to participate fully in the arbitration process. The user must provide a request for such accommodation to our legal contact at least twenty-one business days prior to any scheduled arbitration proceeding. This commitment does not extend to the user’s own legal representation costs, only to the necessary accommodations required by the arbitration facility or process.

7. Specific Terms for Donations and Financial Transactions

All donations and financial transactions conducted through the Service are final. While DII is committed to the ethical use of funds, and receipts for tax purposes will be provided, we generally do not offer refunds on donations. In the rare event of an error in processing or a duplicate transaction, you must notify our Partnerships team within 48 hours of the transaction at partnerships@dii.lat to request a correction or reversal. DII is not liable for errors made by the donor during the transaction process. Recurring donations may be cancelled at any time through your user account or by contacting our Partnerships team directly.

8. Entire Agreement and Contact Information

These Terms and our Privacy Policy constitute the entire agreement between us regarding the Service and supersede and replace any prior agreements, whether oral or otherwise, regarding the Service. Your use of the Service is an explicit acknowledgement of this entire agreement.

Should you have any questions about these extensive Terms, or if you need to formally communicate a legal or privacy concern, please contact us using the dedicated channels below:

General Inquiries and Feedback: info@dii.lat

Mailing Address for Formal Legal Notice: Disability Inclusion Initiative, 3512 204TH ST SW APT H201, LYNNWOOD, WA 98036-6888 US.

We thank you for taking the time to review these Terms and for your commitment to working with the Disability Inclusion Initiative to build a more inclusive and accessible society.