This document discusses how family support workers can use social media to connect with and support families of children with disabilities. Some key suggestions include: - Sharing information about workshops, resources, experiences and knowledge through platforms like Facebook, blogs and webinars - Connecting by asking and answering questions, and sharing stories about struggles and successes - Providing online support and emotional connections when in-person meetings are not possible, through private and moderated social media groups - Directing people to experts and community organizations who can offer additional support and connection opportunities

1. Social Media for
family support workers
Aaron Johannes
aaron@spectrumsociety.org
@imagineacircle

2. Flow of our Fun Day
• Parking Lot Questions
• What do we know?
• What do we wonder?
• Why is this important?
• Some social media starters…
• Defining how we are present as people with
disabilities, families, supporters, organizations and a
movement
• Start With Hi / Support Networks for Self Advocates
Workbook
• Parking Lot Questions

3. Social Media:
where will we get the time?

4. Think of it as not as “more”
but as doing things differently

6. Here Comes Everyone!

7. Lee-Anne Ragan: let’s assume we’re
smart enough and we can do this…

8. The hardest part to get used to:
endless newness…

9. Facebook is easiest, then instagram

10. Social Presence: why it matters
Aaron Johannes Jules Andre-Brown

11. Social Presence
• Profile pictures
• Disclosure – even where
you are on a map…
• Open-ended questions
that invite participation
• Icons to signal “it’s a
joke” or “I’m okay”
• #Foodporn! (instagram)

12. Lee-Anne: focus on one thing
at a time, find a mentor

18. Research: A tiny percentage of a tiny
percentage of a tiny percentage…

19. Research: A tiny percentage of a tiny
percentage of a tiny percentage…

20. Research: A tiny percentage of a tiny
percentage of a tiny percentage…

21. www.101friends.ca
blog / newsletter / links

22. www.101friends.ca
blog / newsletter / links
Publications
and mission
 - Books for
sale: social
enterprise
- We control
this conversation

23. www.101friends.ca
blog / newsletter / links
Publications
and mission
 - Books for
Our messages: sale: social
- People with disabilities enterprise
are great citizens
- There is hope
- Research and - We control
information is available this conversation
- Reflection is good
- People can make
friends, get jobs, have
fun

24. www.101friends.ca
blog / newsletter / links
Publications
and mission
 - Books for
Our messages: sale: social
- They can and do write enterprise
books
- They can and do lead
- Staff need support too - We control
- There are great this conversation
agencies out there
- Agencies can change
- We hope for
partnership

25. Those messages went out
to 37,027 people

26. Since Feb 25 2012…
we reached more than 100 countries

27. During a week in May 2012
1,800 people on blog
1,200 on facebook

28. Total Hopeful Messages
• Blog
• Enewsletter (Mail Chimp)
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Slideshare
• www.spectrumsociety.org
• www.spectrumpress.ca (store)
• www.101friends.ca (projects)
• www.imagineacircle.com (me)

29. Good Planning Is Possible

30. LinkedIn Influence Map

31. Feb 2013

32. What are they talking about?

33. What do people with disabilities want
to talk about?
• jobs
• Supports
• Equality
• Relationships
• community

34. “disability employment”

35. “people first self advocacy”

36. The “R” word

37. Here Comes Everyone!
Only true if we are present.

39. 33,332 “likes”

40. The “Wall of Awesome”

42. Rick Smith is my hero 

43. Staying Safe

44. • Aaron Johannes-Rosenberg
• hey all - for family support workers (who support families with children with disabilities) - how do you think they
might use social media to connect? what's your good idea for me to copy your answers into my presentation :)
• Top of Form
• NS freenode irc #wrongplanet autisim chat it is awesome CONNECT
• AK A story a bout my struggles and addiction but now I look healthy SHARE STORIES
• CG advertising - workshops, online webinars, groups, resources, sharing experiences, knowledge, ideas and beliefs
(eg. inclusive communities,human rights), etc. SHARE INFORMATION
• Barb Fowke arron are you watching the super bowl who is playing do you
know?????????????????????????????????????????????????????
• Aaron Johannes-Rosenberg Nope but it's about football
• EH I find that social media is good for sharing information but when they need to connection for emotional
support, nothing beats face to face and a cup of tea! the barrier to meeting with others is always time and child
care. but I do have some families that are starting to use social media (FB) to ask questions. SHARE INFORMATION
/ ASK QUESTIONS
• SN · Friends with EH
• A friend of mine commented on this so forgive me while I chime in. I am in Kenora and we have a closed site for
Mom's. No one can see this site and you must be invited in order to join. It is so great. Moms are really honest
about their questions and their answers. Many of the members have children with different issues but so many of
us have had similar experiences with our personal or work lives. The key to this site being so successful is that we
all feel safe asking and answering questions. I agree that face to face is better but when you are at home, feeling
all alone and needng help or support, this type of group can be amazing! SHARE INFORMATION / CONNECT /
QUESTIONS
• EH you're right SN about having support when you need it. I think the big difference for us here is that we aren't
as remote and there are services, groups, etc. A group I know tried to do an online support group but it never got
off the ground. Not sure why; perhaps because there are so many other ways to connect (they all rec'd
1:1services)? Facilitators may need to be a different skill set? SUPPORT WHEN YOU NEED IT
• FB Talk to Karen De Long. KAREN DE LONG
• MT Events, community locations with radical hospitality, connection ideas,
friendship/transit/practicum/employment building ideas, research reports, comparing notes (confidentially),
supporting parents/caregiver ideas, inspiration, etc. INFORMATION / SUPPORT
• SP Call me would love to chat…

49. Parking Lot Questions?