Duty of Care Isn’t Optional
Safety should not depend on who has the power to ask for it.
I’ve noticed that organisations often talk about care after harm has already happened.
Duty of care is not a value.
It is a responsibility.
When organisations fail to anticipate risk, delay action, or rely on individuals to manage harm alone, duty of care has already failed.
Safety does not depend on intent.
It depends on whether foreseeable risk was recognised and addressed.
For Deaf and disabled people, duty of care must account for power imbalance, access dependency, and exclusion from communication and decision-making.
When these are ignored, harm is not accidental.
It is predictable.
Policies and procedures do not fulfil duty of care on their own.
If people are left unsafe, unsupported, or unheard, the responsibility has not been met.
Care that is optional is not care.
It is neglect.
