Archive of Our Own ^beta

... Show your Rare; Show you care!

This collection is intended to raise awareness of Rare Diseases through Fandom.

... Rare but equal!

for more information on Rare Disease Awareness Day (29./28. February), please visit www.rarediseaseday.org

... Rare is many; Rare is strong; Rare is proud!

...Is there a maximum prevalence (in-country &/ worldwide) my Disorder is allowed, to be considered a Rare Disease?
No. There shall be no hard line for a specific 'maximum prevalence' for Rare Diseases as definitions of 'rare' vary inbetween countries, but "Orpha.net" and NORD's "rarediseases.org" are some suggestions to consult for a first estimate.

...Does my Rare Disease have to be particularly bad, e.g. chronic, disabling, fatal?
No. While many Rare Diseases are chronic &/ can be disabling &/ might end fatally, this shall not be a requirement for your Disorder to be included.

...Does my Rare Disease have to be actually unheard of in the general populace?
No. While most Rare Diseases are commonly unknown (therefore the Awareness Day), this shall not be a requirement for your Disorder to be included as Characters in other media, such as Movies or medical drama TV Series, and even affected Public Figures may have already helped to raise awareness.

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...Why is this collection moderated?
We would like to be on the safe side with basic decency and make sure that Creations are tagged accordingly, especially when it comes to potentially disturbing themes such as ...
. Character Death (due to a terminal illness or otherwise) or
. Depression and suicidal thoughts (&/ attempts) or
. Disabilities and (Dis)Ableism or
. Misdiagnosis and Medical Malpractice or
. (explicitly) depicted symptoms and treatments etc. pp. (e.g. vomiting & diarrhea, drug addiction, surgery).

Some people might find such extensive tagging ridiculous in comparison to movies and novels, but I for my part knew after the loss of a loved one that I would only be able to read content without Character Deaths for a while.
Then again, a person suffering certain symptoms might want to search for and read about a Character going through that exact same thing to feel better.

Please tag your Fanwork at least with 'Rare Disease' and mayhaps 'Fandom Rare Disease Awareness' if you'd like.

All Fandoms shall be included (with the exception of RPF).

All Rare Diseases shall be included.
. There shall be no hard line for a specific 'maximum prevalence' for Rare Diseases as definitions of 'rare' vary inbetween countries, but "Orpha.net" and NORD's "rarediseases.org" are some suggestions to consult for a first estimate.
. While many Rare Diseases are chronic &/ disabling &/ fatal, this shall not be a requirement for your Rare Disease to be included.
. While most Rare Diseases are commonly unknown (therefore the Awareness Day), this shall not be a requirement for your Rare Disease to be included as Characters in other media, such as Movies or medical drama TV Series, and even affected Public Figures may have already helped to raise awareness.

We shall not exclude any Creations based only on rating or warnings, but we do ask that you tag your Fanworks as accurately as possible, if you include specific Diseases and Disorders, Symptoms and Syndromes, Treatments and Accommodations, both to boost those same tags and make it possible for similarly afflicted readers to find a Character to relate to as well as for some basic decency towards people wanting to avoid disturbing or triggering aspects of a story.