Government policy on the ADA and COVID-19 These accommodations, though, do not allow for simple exemptions from mask-wearing without replacing it with another measure in line with public health requirements. The Americans with Disabilities Act does require disabled people to be “reasonably accommodated” when working with employers, public businesses and the government. Local and state governments, in-person and gig economy businesses all have the right to require the wearing of face masks from customers. Others claim businesses that refuse to allow nonmask wearers entry are punishable with fines and other legal action. Images of laminated “Face Mask Exempt Cards” from the fictitious “Freedom to Breath Agency” went viral after some attempted to use the cards to enter stores across the country.Īnother viral incident occurred at a California Trader Joe’s, where a woman yelled that she “Had a breathing problem” at store managers requesting that she leave for violating the state’s mask requirement. ![]() Similar images and claims have been circulating online for weeks. The graphic cites the Americans with Disabilities Act’s requirement for “reasonable accommodation to anyone who cannot wear a mask due a medical condition,” as explanation for why mask wearing is optional under the law. ![]() “According to ADA Mask Not Required Anywhere in America!” reads one flyer shared hundreds of times on Facebook. ![]() As new outbreaks of the coronavirus grow across the country, some anti-mask activists have claimed that policies mandating mask-wearing infringe on disability rights. USA TODAY The claim: The Americans with Disabilities Act exempts people from face mask requirements imposed by governments and retailersįace mask use has been a source of confusion and contention amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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