🦒 October 2025 – Week 3 Blog Post
Theme: Protection from Harm – Legal & Physical Safety
Date: 20 October 2025
Quote:
“Rights protect us, dignity empowers us, and awareness guides us to safety.”
Every person has the right to live free from harm — physically, emotionally, and socially. For DeafBlind South Africans, protection from abuse, neglect, or discrimination is not just desirable; it is a legal right, guaranteed under the Constitution, the Mental Health Care Act (2002), and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
Protection begins with awareness and enforcement. It means ensuring that workplaces, schools, and public services cannot discriminate against someone because of their disability. It means guaranteeing that mental health care users are treated with dignity, with informed consent, and free from degrading treatment. It also means supporting reporting mechanisms for abuse, neglect, or violation of rights, so that advocacy is backed by action.
For the DeafBlind community, safety is also about communication access. Clear tactile, braille, or sign communication helps prevent misunderstandings that could escalate into harm. Accessible reporting channels ensure that DeafBlind people can claim their rights and be heard.
Organisations such as SADAG, NCPD, DWYPD, and the Mental Health Society of South Africa play a critical role in turning these laws into reality. Their advocacy ensures that protection from harm is not abstract — it is real, enforceable, and inclusive. Legal protections alone are not enough without community support and active participation in safeguarding practices. Together, systems and society can create spaces where DeafBlind individuals are seen, heard, and respected.
DeafBlind South Africa’s Closing Message:
Safety is not a privilege — it is a right. Every DeafBlind person deserves protection, dignity, and respect in every space they occupy. When laws are upheld and communities stand together, we build a society where harm is prevented and rights are actively defended.
#DisabilityRightsAreHumanRights
#ProtectionFromHarm
#DeafBlindSA
#SafetyIsARight
#InclusionInAction
#LeaveNoOneBehind
#MentalHealthAwarenessMonth
#LegalRightsForAll