A little more understanding to those not wearing masks THREAD TWO

[Fuckinellitsme]

Following on from the first thread here

Thank you to all the lovely posters who have shared their experiences on the first thread. It's been incredibly useful in understanding why some people are exempt from wearing a mask on transport, in shops and so on. Particularly in terms of learning about health conditions that aren't widely known, and also the psychological reasons for exemption. Some incredibly brave posters on that thread for whom I am full of admiration.

For those who need them exemption lanyards are available here

Sunflower lanyards can also be picked up for free at several large supermarkets, including Sainsbury's and Asda.

If anyone feels they want/are able to share their reasons for exemption, please do - it may help others to understand why many people can't wear masks, and also (if the last thread is anything to go by) is useful for educating the rest of us on conditions we're not familiar with.

Stay safe all 💐

One of my physical exemptions at times is Palindromic Rheumatism.
Certain joints swell and are painful. If managed it doesn't cause lasting damage.

The common treatment is NSAIDs because it's an inflammatory condition, haven't been able to take these for years because of other damage and end up on controlled pain relief at times!!

My hands get really bad and of course painful to move, that is if I can move them as at times my fingers "lock", other times very weak.
This is without the arthritic popping which is being investigated more because now my sternum pops, but hopefully that is just stress related!!

Another rare one I have but it's not mask exempt is superior semicircular canal dehscience syndrome (SCDS). Anyone who wants to know more have a quick search. Diagnosed with that one when I went to the GP about the ringing in the ear, first diagnosed with tinnitus and now have both!! SCDS is from birth, and spent decades thinking I was nuts!

@EpidermolysisBullosa Im so sorry that you suffer with this. I remember reading about children who suffer with it in womens magazines back in the 90s.

Which rather begs the question. Why havent the NHS workers who are currently shaming people for not wearing masks on Twitter heard of conditions like this one.

helenadove it's probably the "if I haven't come across it it doesn't happen" attitude thar you see so often on MN. Presumably the same attitude is shown on other social media sites too.

YY @countrygirl99 But i thought NHS workers would know better

They certainly will when they are dealing with the fallout in A and E

There was a guy who had an angina attack last week while wearing one. If people are taken to A and E because of it it will end up on social media and there will be a huge backlash.

Personally I don't think nhs staff should be shaming people regardless of their illness. Just because they haven't come into contact with something yet, doesn't mean they won't ever. They should be the ones who know we are all different regardless of the condition.

Who knows, those saying this happens away from social media might start being taken seriously.

www.disabilitynewsservice.com/round-up-atos-capita-and-maximus-face-coverings-care-charging-and-disability-arts/

You are here: Home / Benefits and Poverty / Round-up: Atos, Capita and Maximus, face coverings, care charging… and disability arts
Entrance to DWP's Caxton House HQ
Round-up: Atos, Capita and Maximus, face coverings, care charging… and disability arts
By John Pring on 16th July 2020
Category: Benefits and Poverty

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has extended the contracts of three discredited outsourcing giants blamed for much of the discrimination and failings within the disability benefit assessment system.

DWP had been planning to start a contract procurement exercise for organisations to carry out personal independence payment (PIP) assessments and work capability assessments (WCAs) on behalf of the government.

But Justin Tomlinson, the minister for disabled people, told MPs: “The impact of COVID-19 means it is not possible to launch that procurement at this time.”

PIP assessments are carried out by Atos and Capita, with WCAs performed by Maximus.

All three have been heavily criticised for their performance over the last decade.

The current contracts had been due to end next July, but DWP is now planning to extend them for “up to” two years.

Ken Butler, welfare rights and policy adviser for Disability Rights UK, said: “Disabled people claiming these benefits will react to this announcement with fear and dismay.

“It is difficult to believe that any of these private companies continue to have a contract, let alone have it extended.”

Buckinghamshire Disability Service (BuDS) described the move as an “astonishing U-turn” and suggested that “DWP incompetence” was likely to be the real reason, rather than the pandemic.

It added: “BuDS feels that the contract extension is a real blow for disabled people who have endured the incompetence and brutality of the assessment regime run by these companies for far too long already.”

The government must do more to inform the public that many disabled people are exempt from new rules that will make it compulsory to use face coverings in shops and supermarkets in England, a disabled people’s organisation has told a minister.

The decision was announced this week by health and social care secretary Matt Hancock, and will come into effect on 24 July.

In a letter to the minister for disabled people, Justin Tomlinson, Disability Rights UK (DR UK) says disabled people are not being listened to on the issue.

Fazilet Hadi, DR UK’s head of policy, says in the letter: “Disability Rights UK is horrified at the media coverage on face coverings.

“The message is that face coverings are compulsory with no mention of exemptions for disabled people or children.

“The talk is of police fines and criminalisation for those that don’t comply.”

She adds: “We would ask that government urgently recognises the need for balanced messaging, including that some disabled people cannot wear face coverings and that this should be respected.

“If the messaging doesn’t change, millions of disabled people will not be able to safely leave their homes.

“For those of us that do, we will experience fear, anxiety, possible conflict with public and police and demands to prove our impairment/illness.

www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/2020/july/disabled-people-still-facing-discrimination-over-face-coverings

@HelenaDove

It's so rare most doctors haven't heard of it and medical people are usually the worst at taking it into account compared to family, DH and colleagues.

HCPs fall into 3 camps:

1. The 'tell me more' - "I've never met someone with this before and it's rare, can I ask you a few questions about how it affects you to help me understand? I want to make sure no care I offer you makes it worse'.

1. The 'oh dear I don't know what this is - probably better ignore it then'

1. The 'I googled this for 1 minute, but I'm a doctor/physiotherapist/dentist so I know more about this condition than the patient after my 1 minute of google and her 32 years of living with it'.

I hate number 3s. I had:

• an occupational health Dr completely dismiss it when I mentioned it 'yes, I Google imaged it, I know what it is'. He then refused to listen to me explain how it affects me.

• a physiotherapist who almost made me cry. He was berating me for not doing more exercise as I have musculo-skeletal issues too. I explained I walk as much as my feet allow, and that I love swimming and need to go more often. Well he went ballistic, told me I shouldn't go swimming with my skin, that it was unfair on other people in the pool and that I was selfish to go swimming with my body covered in oozing sores. I tried to explain that actually my blistering is localised and that I don't swim with open wounds, but he wouldn't listen and just kept saying I was being unfair to everyone else.

I checked with Debra and my specialist clinic who I'm with for life - people with EB can absolutely can go swimming. It's not contagious and swimming is good for us as the chlorine helps heal any closed blisters. It's also an excellent form of exercise as your skin isn't rubbing against clothes/shoes, so you don't blister.

• no end of issues with my Dentist who insisted I needed to floss my teeth even though the EB clinic says no as my gums aren't robust enough. My gums bleed if I floss and I can't build up a tolerance due to my EB. Took about 18 months and prescriptions from the clinic of specialist dental products to convince him. We get on well now! The hygienist there is wonderful though, she went off and did her own research on the condition and how to clean my teeth safely.

Also everyone at the specialist clinic I attend 3 times a year - doctors, nurses and podiatrist - is an absolute angel. Some of them are also patients so they really get it. They had a big refurb a few years ago and now all the furniture has rounded edges so children with more severe forms can play without worrying about knocking into furniture corners and damaging their skin.

I am just so lucky to have the mildest type, my life is largely normal bar having to place activities and being careful in hot weather. I have a good job, a good employer and a very understanding boss who lets me WFH whenever I need to rest my feet and on hot days so I don't blister on the journey in. Luckily the UK has mild weather too - I do love a cold day

helenadove I had experience of an A&E nurse who should have known better trying to shame me when DS2 was 2. He had a high fever come on very quickly one eventing a very whiney cry and vomiting. I tried calling my GP but there was a problem with their phone so I called the hospital for advice ( it was before phone advice services). Their advice was to bring him straight in as potential meningitis. Luckily it wasn't but one nurse in shouted at me right across the waiting room in front of other patients that next time I should contact the GP first. I responded that next time she feels like being so unprofessional she should make sure she knows the facts first and told her the facts loudly in front of the whole waiting room. I'm sure it helped a few people while away the wait.

Looks like Gullivers World is somewhere to be avoided forever! Blatant disability discrimination

Not sure my photo posted but they basically have a no mask no entry policy even if you have a medical reason you can’t wear one!

@Sirzy

Yep A family have just lost £80 over that "policy"
twitter.com/emmalouiseHBAAE/status/1283507224053264387?s=20

Stick gullivers world in the Twitter search engine and there is loads of cases

I don't usually have any problems wearing a mask. I've worn one many times before, both the surgical disposable type and a homemade cloth one.

But today for some reason when I wrote one to the shop I felt so hot, panicky and awful. I genuinely felt like I couldn't breathe. I tried taking deeper breaths, but kinda ended up just sucking the mask into my mouth which just made it worse. I knew I could do it - I've worn one for 8 hours before at work - but thinking about that didn't help either. I had to just give up and leave.

I'm sure my experience wasn't anywhere near as bad as some as you, but it was awful. I completely understand why you can't wear masks if that's the case.

For those interested in the legal definition used for "disabled" Section 6 of the Equality Act.

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/6

Current Public Transport Act

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/592/contents/made?f00015

Corona Act 2020
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2020/7/contents

Corona Act Scotland 2020
www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2020/7/contents

Corona Act Scotland (2) 2020
www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2020/10/contents/enacted

More shaming of someone on the bus while knowing diddly squat about them

twitter.com/JD5665/status/1284147648618991618?s=20

@PhilCornwall1

Mike Mcdonnell
@mikemcdonnell64
·
2h
@MattHancock
Hello. Matt. Nice. Too. Meet you. As. From. Next. Friday. You have to wear. A. Face mask To. Let. You. Know. I suffer epilepsy. Would. I still have to. Wear a face mask or. Don’t. I have to wear one. I got. A. Disability bus pass

Alexei Romanov #NotABot - In a Castle on a Cloud
@AlexeiRomanov13
Replying to
@Anthony10764751

@Merseytravel
and 4 others
reports bus drivers
@arrivanorthwest
continue to abuse passengers in Southport & Liverpool not producing "evidence" of exemption from face mask / covering rule
tho law in England states evidence need only be produced to police officer if requested
please re-iterate this to staff

That's awful with Gulliver's World. Sadly I suspect that other businesses will take the same approach, however.

Plucked up the courage today and spoke to my manager about not being able to wear a mask. I decided to just tell him exactly why I can't wear one. He was so supportive about it and made me cry because he was so lovely. Wish I could say the same of a colleague who called me ridiculous for saying I'd thought about leaving my job, but you can't have everything!

Glad your manager was supportive

Well, Gulliver's world are asking to be sued.

zobalina

Of course visors would be very helpful. If you sneeze or cough, the force of the sneeze goes directly forward, into the shield, which can easily be wiped off. Anything that blocks all those particles from being expelled five or six feet into the air is incredibly useful. If the particles are forced downward , they are much more likely to continue to continue to be forced downward, because that's what molecules do on our planet (thank you, Gravity). If their trajectory is down, not across, they are less likely to end up going into people's noses and mouths more likely to end up on the floor.