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to add an item to your Itinerary basket.
The team at Hidden Disabilities who brought us the sunflower lanyards have released a new exemption card which indicates that you are exempt from wearing a face covering in public because of a disability or health condition.
The cards can be clipped to a lanyard which can be worn when using public transport or visiting shops.
From the 15th June, the government made it mandatory to wear a face covering while using public transport and many shops implemented policy for shoppers and staff to also wear face coverings while in store. The rules were bought in to help slow the spread of coronavirus with fines and refusal of travel for those that do not wear them. However, there are a number of people who are exempt from the rules. These include – those that have a physical or mental illness or disability, you communicate via lip reading or are travelling with someone who does. There are other exemptions, including your age and if you need to take medication or wearing one during your journey would cause you harm.
Since coming into effect, campaigners from Disability Rights UK has found that nearly 70% of people with disabilities feared being judged for not wearing a mask and 55% were concerned about being the victim of a hate crime because of it.
Disability Rights UK surveyed over 200 people, with nearly half of them saying that they could not wear a face mask because of a health condition while 40% said that they had a hidden disability which affected their ability to cover their face.
A representative from Disability Rights UK said: “Transport companies need to train all staff to allow those who cannot wear a mask for medical reasons to travel without further questioning or harassment. They need clear signage on their vehicles to reassure the public that not everybody will be able to wear a face covering. Greater global clarity is needed and fast.”
The Government has said that “People with disabilities should never face intimidation while on public transport” with the Department for Transport telling reporters: “We want public transport to be accessible to all, at all times, and we issued guidance to operators early in the pandemic to ensure disabled passengers would still be able to receive assistance if required.
“We’ve been clear that people who cannot wear a face covering due to an impairment or disability are exempt from the new rules and should not be challenged. We are continuing to work closely with transport operators and councils to ensure everyone is aware of the exemptions.”
You can pick up cards stating that you are exempt from wearing a face covering from Hidden Disabilities online here
