The abuse people with autism face by not wearing masks in public places has lead families to campaign to overturn the law on the need to wear them.
Jen, 44, from Birmingham, who does not want to reveal her surname, says the rulings have left families fearful of being challenged for failing to wear masks.
Jen is leading a campaign against the need to wear face coverings
She believes this means that people should have a choice over wearing masks.
Jen, who has autism and two daughters aged 11 and 16 with the condition, has launched a campaign on the issue.
She is leading a campaign that calls for an end to the mandatory wearing of face masks for travel.
Her campaign is supported by another mum, Miray. Miray’s daughter Jessica has the neurological disorder, Angelman syndrome.
Rules on masks
England introduced the ruling that people must wear masks on public transport on 15 June. Scotland followed on 22 June.
The ruling on masks in shops came into force in England on Friday (24 July), but has been applied in Scotland since 10 July.
Jen and Miray are crowdfunding to finance a potential judicial review.
Unaware of exemptions
Currently, disabled people do not have to wear masks, as the law provides exemptions.
However, Jen and others say large numbers of the public are unaware of the exemptions. This, they say, has left the disabled facing hostility, with growing reports of ‘disability hate crime’.
Jen said a police officer challenged her recently on a train for failing to wear a mask.
She said the challenge felt like “bullying”.
Fear of challenge
Charity Disability Rights UK (DRUK) says nearly 40 per cent of disabled people fear other people challenging them.
Also, they say people have called the police when they have seen disabled people without masks.
And British Transport Police (BTP) has been accused of refusing to allow people on trains, even after those people have informed the officers of the exemption.
DRUK has called this “shocking and unacceptable”.
Autism Eye contacted both the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and BTP.
The DHSC stressed that disabled people are exempt.
The BTP, meanwhile, did not reply.
Campaign progress
Jen and Miray hope to raise £3,500 for their campaign.
By Friday (24 July) they had raised more than £2,800.
You can see their campaign here: https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/face-masks/
Related:
- Face mask rules leave people in fear
- Concern at ignorance of mask exemptions
- Autism exemption for travel masks
Published: 25 July 2020
