It has been widely reported that persons across the United States are attempting to improperly use the ADA, legal or religious grounds to justify their anti-facemask cause. Often times they encourage the use of bogus facemask “Exemption Cards” to obtain unmasked access to private businesses. These attempts to skirt public health mandates by cruelly exploiting our most vulnerable citizens cannot stand. The fraudulent activities of these individuals hurt the public interest, undermine the system, and put the disabled at risk.
Jeva Lange of theweek.com July 1, 2020 indicates……
“Rachel Carrington wrote in January for Rooted in Rights, “Our disabilities are not prizes we’ve earned that give us the right to better parking or more attention. We didn’t go to our doctors and beg for our disability status.” What’s more, such actions by a small subset of non-disabled Americans actively harm the disability community at large, sowing the perception that some people are “faking it” when it’s more likely they have an invisible disability.”
Jeva Lange
As a person with a disability, I am deeply concerned that the Department of Justice was forced to issue this warning:
“The ADA does not provide a blanket exemption to people with disabilities from complying with legitimate safety requirements necessary for safe operations.” (PRN 20-603 The Department of Justice Warns of Inaccurate Flyers and Posting Regarding the Use of Face Masks and the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
Department of Justice
This petition is not meant to opine on the efficacy of facemasks, or a person’s rights as it relates to Covid-19. The purpose of this campaign is to hold accountable those persons who activity promote, encourage, or illicit behavior to fraudulently gain unmasked access to private business.