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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think Sunflower Lanyards have been hijacked

249 replies

Sharkology · 07/07/2021 10:08

By those who just don't want to wear a mask in some cases rather than those who actually cannot wear a mask?

Fourth Avanti train trip this week, had three train journeys with them a couple of weeks back - either they have a bloody awesome EDI hiring policy, in which case it should be published as national pride, or some of their staff are taking the piss.

I've seen two members of staff out of around 50 actually wearing a face covering.

It absolutely devalues the sunflower lanyards for those who really need to use them. It's such a shame for all with hidden disabilities.

OP posts:
Jent13c · 07/07/2021 11:12

Yep its a bit crazy. I guess if they actually thought they were at risk of getting covid and suffering badly they would probably just pop a mask on. For example, I work in a ward with 10 ?covid beds. Can guarantee that there's not a single person enters that ward without a mask on, they are not forced, plenty of people with anxiety, autism, COPD (which it has been proven now mask wearing does not reduce o2 sats or increase CO2). Have not seen a single lanyard in there throughout the whole period.

withlotsoflove · 07/07/2021 11:13

Sorry. Yes. With both , l will be around and watching for the need for assistance. 🌸

withlotsoflove · 07/07/2021 11:14

@RevolvingPivot
I answered you with quote but it didn’t work.
🙂

Morph2lcfc · 07/07/2021 11:14

It’s a shame as now they are just seen as mask exemption lanyards so there original purpose had been lost

Gooseberrypies · 07/07/2021 11:15

@withlotsoflove

I work in customer services. Unfortunately anyone can ask for , and get one. At one time the sunflower lanyards would prompt us to offer / or be mindful that these customers might need extra help. Not anymore. I wouldn’t engage with most of the people wearing one now / let alone offer them assistance these days. 😡 It’s a disgrace they were allowed to be abused in this way.
So you are happy to let actual disabled people struggle and suffer because some non-disabled people are selfish dicks who have used the support to their advantage ?? You don't sound like you're very good at your job.
EdgeOfACoin · 07/07/2021 11:15

I know people who have bought sunflower lanyards from Amazon. No disabilities (they freely admit it).

People are fed up of wearing masks now and are finding ways around it. That's just the reality.

WeatherSystems · 07/07/2021 11:16

@withlotsoflove

I work in customer services. Unfortunately anyone can ask for , and get one. At one time the sunflower lanyards would prompt us to offer / or be mindful that these customers might need extra help. Not anymore. I wouldn’t engage with most of the people wearing one now / let alone offer them assistance these days. 😡 It’s a disgrace they were allowed to be abused in this way.
You're the disgrace. Ableist to boot.
PilatesPeach · 07/07/2021 11:18

nearly every staff member at my local gym - think big big chain - are wearing one and no masks so maybe 20 people some of whom were wearing masks a few months ago - I rather got the impression it now meant "can't be arsed to wear a mask"

LonginesPrime · 07/07/2021 11:18

For example, I work in a ward with 10 ?covid beds. Can guarantee that there's not a single person enters that ward without a mask on

While I'm not going to hide away at home because I can't wear a mask, I wouldn't go to a hospital ward at the moment, specifically because I can't wear a mask.

And yes, this situation has come up for me, and yes, they were dying, and yes, it was a close relative.

I know you say there are people with hidden disabilities who are visiting your Covid ward in masks, but clearly they are not the ones who can't wear masks, otherwise they wouldn't be able to wear them, would they?

sailmeaway · 07/07/2021 11:20

Anyone can wear a sunflower lanyard, so they've been rendered almost pointless.

MouldyPotato · 07/07/2021 11:20

@withlotsoflove

I work in customer services. Unfortunately anyone can ask for , and get one. At one time the sunflower lanyards would prompt us to offer / or be mindful that these customers might need extra help. Not anymore. I wouldn’t engage with most of the people wearing one now / let alone offer them assistance these days. 😡 It’s a disgrace they were allowed to be abused in this way.
Why don't you just assume the best and if it turns out it is someone faking it it might make them reconsider. I can't believe there are that many people faking disabilities though.
LonginesPrime · 07/07/2021 11:21

I know people who have bought sunflower lanyards from Amazon. No disabilities (they freely admit it)

I think the most insulting bit is not the fact they're pretending to be disabled (which is obviously awful) but the fact they feel the need to say "but don't worry, I'm not one of those ghastly people who are actually disabled ".

23andbroke · 07/07/2021 11:25

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alloalloallo · 07/07/2021 11:25

I wouldn’t engage with most of the people wearing one now / let alone offer them assistance these days
It’s a disgrace they were allowed to be abused in this way.

Half the problem throughout this, is, there is no “official” mask exemption.

It is a good thing, but it has also left the whole system open to abuse by dickheads.

My daughter has Tourette’s, so her disability isn’t hidden as such, it’s pretty obvious, but some people are arseholes and make abusive comments about her tics. She felt much more comfortable when I bought her a sunflower lanyard from Hidden Disabilities so she could just wave a card at someone stating that she had Tourette’s and explained a bit about it.

Then COVID came along. She can’t wear a mask, so I bought her another card to go in her lanyard, again from Hidden Disabilities, to explain she was mask exempt.

She’s now got a lanyard from Tourette’s Action and she’s got a couple of tic-related hoodies and pin badges, but people now associate the sunflower lanyard with being mask exempt and don’t accept her Tourette’s Action lanyard.

osbertthesyrianhamster · 07/07/2021 11:25

[quote Sharkology]@freelions I honestly think people who relied on the sunflower lanyards before are now going to have to come up with another alternative and it will sadly require medical sign off of some type...[/quote]
Why would they? FFS. You want that to be so, more like. Not going to happen and in 12 days time it won't matter. My son uses a sunflower lanyard and has a for a while due to his autism, but he takes it off to go to the loo as he also has OCD and doesn't want it contaminated Grin.

Was out in the city yesterday. Saw more and more just not bothering with masks and no one cared.

Orf1abc · 07/07/2021 11:26

While I'm not going to hide away at home because I can't wear a mask, I wouldn't go to a hospital ward at the moment, specifically because I can't wear a mask.

This ^^

There's a good reason why people with non respiratory disabilities have experienced far greater death rates this year, particularly those with autism and learning disabilities. We don't feel able to get medical help when we need it.

Suzi888 · 07/07/2021 11:26

@Hont1986

They were devalued from the start when anyone could self-declare that they were eligible. I'm sure there are plenty of people with severe PTSD or COPD or whatever that genuinely do find it unreasonably difficult to wear them, but my feeling is that most of the people claiming exemption had a preference rather than a need.
^ this My uncle has COPD and where’s a mask when he’s out and about.
withlotsoflove · 07/07/2021 11:27

Did u read what l wrote.
I live in a small place. I know these people didn’t previously need any help.
They now do.
You do the math.

Mad4Max1 · 07/07/2021 11:28

I know a couple of people that have real disabilities
They look "normal"
They are very private individuals
Unless you knew them very well, they would never disclose their illnesses to anyone

I think that the sunflower 🌻 lanyards are a good idea, for all sorts of reasons pre & post covid

We are all different

Orf1abc · 07/07/2021 11:28

For those moaning about lanyards, what have you done to get the government to introduce an alternative, or a formal exemption scheme? Other countries have done it, why not ours? I've written to my MP, he didn't read the letter properly as his response suggested getting a lanyard.

The government don't give a shit about disabled people or the abuse that they get.

RosaDiazRocks · 07/07/2021 11:28

As someone who has only recently got up the courage to wear a sunflower lanyard to signal the extra help I might (and often do) need as a result of having a collection of invisible* disabilities and health conditions, the effective renaming of them as a mask exemption lanyard worries me too. Since wearing one in public(shops, public transport, vaccine centre etc), it's been about 60/40 between staff being more understanding of my needs because they can see straight away that I'm asking for adjustment due to disability, and staff asking why I'm wearing both a mask and a lanyard. I hope after the pandemic it goes back to its original meaning.

*incidentally I think "invisible" is often a misnomer, it's often pretty obvious I'm autistic, or that I sometimes struggle with my mobility (for example), or at least different from other people - part of the reason I wear the lanyard is for people to understand that my unusual behaviour or need to rest is due to disability and not just random

Zilla1 · 07/07/2021 11:29

I wonder if the number of blue badges for car parking would be static if the authentication process was removed and people could just apply based on perceived need (and I know in some places it is difficult and unfair and some people say many who have them can run marathons while singing the soundtrack from the Sound of Music).

NoOneWillReply · 07/07/2021 11:29

@Sirzy

Ds is autistic. He has one but we have never used it.

I wasn’t a fan before all of this as it was all so ambiguous about what people wanted. Now it’s even worse

Same here. DD refuses to wear hers now as she says people keep asking her why she is wearing a face mask and a lanyard which completely stresses her out when she can't reply back to them.
MouldyPotato · 07/07/2021 11:30

@withlotsoflove

Did u read what l wrote. I live in a small place. I know these people didn’t previously need any help. They now do. You do the math.
According to Hidden Disability website. 1 in 5 people in the UK have a disability. 80% of those have a hidden disability. You do the math.
RevolvingPivot · 07/07/2021 11:30

[quote withlotsoflove]@RevolvingPivot
I answered you with quote but it didn’t work.
🙂[/quote]
Thank you