Sending a positive message
Katrina Zimich raises awareness about FASD and how to be safe online.
Katrina Zimich scrolls quickly through the messages on her Blackberry. “I’m always scanning my page,” she says. She keeps a close watch on the questions and comments that appear on FAS Angels, the public Facebook page she launched in February to raise awareness about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). “I definitely want to put a good message out there,” she stresses.
The outgoing Richmond resident is very comfortable using social media to connect with friends on her personal Facebook page. She’s also an enthusiastic advocate who speaks to medical students and “anyone else who will listen” about FASD.
So it was just natural that when she was looking for a way to share her passion more widely, Katrina turned to Facebook. FAS Angels has attracted followers from as far away as California and Michigan, and Katrina is now planning to expand with a website and a support group.
With 81 fans and counting, Katrina’s thrilled with the positive response she’s had to FAS Angels. “Before Facebook, it would have been much harder to connect with people,” she says. “I love it.”
Katrina is also one of a group of self-advocates approached by CLBC to talk about social media and how it is used. Through a focus group, Katrina provided advice on the development of CLBC’s new safe social media website, which was launched on June 30.
The site, www.icanbesafeonline.com, is a fun and easy-to-use website that educates adults with developmental disabilities and their families about how to stay safe when using the Internet. This is the only site of its kind in Canada dedicated to teaching online safety to adults with developmental disabilities.
The website features online safety tips, videos, quizzes and a blog. There is also a section specifically for families and service providers so they can learn the information they need to help people with developmental disabilities be as safe as they can be when they are online.
Katrina is a spokesperson on the site which features video clips of her talking about all of the different ways to stay safe while still having fun and connecting online. Katrina has thought a lot about her own safety online. She’s careful to block public access to her personal Facebook page and she doesn’t provide her personal details or contact information on her FAS Angels page.
You can learn how to be safe online by watching Katrina’s video tips at: www.icanbesafeonline.com.
You can visit Katrina’s FAS Angels Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/FASAngels.
