Please settle something in my head for me

[notanotheronepleasee]

If you are a driving instructor , and someone wants lessons , but they are exempt from mask wearing due to any valid reason. Are you allowed to say no to them?

I’d presume a driving instructor can say no to anyone they want.

Yep definitely

But say they say yes, they arrive at the persons house to pick them up. And the person says they are exempt from wearing one. Can the driver legally say I'm not letting you in the car?

I would think you can refuse anyone you like, but I wonder if it's that straightforward if their exemption is due to disability?

This hasn't happened, I seem to have too much time on my hands to be thinking about this 🤷🏼‍♀️

I'm not a driving instructor and nor do I know any 🤣(and I have my license 🤣)

@Spam88 that's what I'm wondering

Hmm, I'd like to think a driving instructor can say no to anyone. OTOH I'd like to think noone can be denied lessons because of their disability....so, no idea!

What if the instructor's exempt?!

@RunBackwards yes equally valid point! Although I imagine the learner can say no much more easily and it not be escalated

My dad's a driving instructor. He could say no to anyone as it's his own business and his car. I think he has asked people if they could wear a visor instead if mask exempt. I imagine if you work for a company you might have to follow their guidelines

@OliveTree75 thank you very much!

If an instructor is only prepared to take students with masks you would think they would make it clear at the time of booking rather than only when they arrive for the first lesson!

@TheCountessofFitzdotterel yes that's probably what they do. I am just wondering if there is a discriminatory issue when doing this

I think in this situation though the disability could potentially put the other person at an increased risk of harm (in an enclosed space, possibly a-symptomatic) and so it isn’t as simple as being discriminatory, it is expecting the instructor to take a risk he wasn’t aware he would be taking. But I agree I think they would discuss this up front

The instructor should be discussing this with the pupil before the first lesson so they can decide at that point whether they want to take the pupil on. It’s ultimately up to the instructor whether they are happy to take the risk, but it would be unfair of the pupil not to explain the situation in advance. My BIL is a driving instructor and doesn’t insist on pupils wearing masks. He always wears his though.