Face mask policy & children with autism

Majority of the population is not infected. Mortality rate is 0.05%. Of those, 44% of those people were in nursing homes in 5 states. So yes, it is a lot to ask of the 99% of people who are healthy.
Respectfully, prove you're not contagious. Not whether or not you're sick. Transmission by asymptomatic carriers happens enough that its an issue.
 
... Can't we be compassionate as a nation?...
Compassion goes both ways, including not passing judgement on others who have posted in this thread. Let's all try to give each other some extra grace during what has become an extra stressful time for so many people. Disney is a fun thing, but it isn't the be all and end all for every child and every family. (Blasphemy on these boards, right?) Coming out of this pandemic as more gracious and compassionate people just might be more important than a trip to a theme park. Just my two cents...
 
The situation stinks honestly. But why would you WANT to take your kid to Disney right now if they can’t wear a mask? It’s not safe. My son has autism, and has no problem wearing a mask, fortunately. But if he couldn’t we would be waiting.
 
Yes, to deny a 4 or 5 year old (or even older) child with autism the Disney experience because of their disability is very sad to me. Can't we be compassionate as a nation? Thankfully I am not in that situation but I truly feel for families that are. Should these children just remain at home? If schools are providing exceptions for these children then Disney should too IMO.
I do not know of any theme park that at this time will let anyone in without a mask including small "kids" park I work at. and in my area these kids are not excepted from mask rules at school either
 
I am very sad fthat so many people lack compassion for those with disabilities that truly cannot wear a mask, such as children with autism/sensory issues or people with true breathing problems. Most people on these forums say they wear a mask "for others" and that wearing a mask shows you are a kind and compassionate person. No, you are not wearing a mask because you are selfless. You are actually expecting something in return which is that others will wear a mask for you, because you are fearful.

Disney isn’t going anywhere, it will still be there when the pandemic is over. Those who can’t or don’t want to wear a mask can come at that point, keeping everyone safer.

Not to mention that people with “true breathing problems” are high risk for COVID complications, so shouldn’t be at a theme park anyway.
 


Yes, to deny a 4 or 5 year old (or even older) child with autism the Disney experience because of their disability is very sad to me. Can't we be compassionate as a nation? Thankfully I am not in that situation but I truly feel for families that are. Should these children just remain at home? If schools are providing exceptions for these children then Disney should too IMO.

I make lightwieght cotton masks that have very gentle fabric-style elastic. I don't make earloops - I run the cord from one side to the other, through channels at the sides, so the ties are completely adjustable. Perhaps that is something to try?

(BTW, many people are denied a Disney experience, just because they can't afford to go)
 
So I got my mask from Disney they do run small and they do not have anything to fit tight around your noise ( I hope that made sense) to say I am disappointed in the quality of them is an understatement. the mask are soft and breathable but not a fit I would be comfortable with
 
So I got my mask from Disney they do run small and they do not have anything to fit tight around your noise ( I hope that made sense) to say I am disappointed in the quality of them is an understatement. the mask are soft and breathable but not a fit I would be comfortable with
Regarding the lack of a nose wire, DIS to the rescue!
https://www.wdwinfo.com/entertainment-2/how-to-add-a-nose-wire-to-a-cloth-disney-face-mask/
Self-adhesive nose wires can be purchased on Amazon and Etsy, too.
 
Regarding the lack of a nose wire, DIS to the rescue!
https://www.wdwinfo.com/entertainment-2/how-to-add-a-nose-wire-to-a-cloth-disney-face-mask/
Self-adhesive nose wires can be purchased on Amazon and Etsy, too.


I snipped the 'wire' (it was actually a bendable plastic strip) out of a paper mask, cut a teeny hole in my Disney mask, slid it in, and centered it. Works great.

Now I just need to find a nice and 'invisible' way to add just a bit more elastic to the ear loops. If I'd have known they were going to come out with an XL I would have waited to order them. Oh well.
 
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So I got my mask from Disney they do run small and they do not have anything to fit tight around your noise ( I hope that made sense) to say I am disappointed in the quality of them is an understatement. the mask are soft and breathable but not a fit I would be comfortable with

Early on in the pandemic I bought some cotton masks from Thompson Tee [ https://thompsontee.com/face-masks ]. I had previously been a customer of the company, buying their undershirts, so was comfortable buying from them amid the rash of fly by night companies and such in those early crazy days.

I LOVE their masks nave since bought more. Double layer cotton. They do have ear loops but they are among the most comfortable of any mask I have -- a soft stretchy fabric that I don't quite know how to describe, but I find it doesn't bother my ears, which is saying a lot. My sister, Mom and I have all worn these masks and they are the favourites for all of us for a reusable simple fabric mask. They hold their shape, can be washed and dried on HOT cycles, and the white ones can be bleached. I find they keep their shape, keep their size [despite lots of hot cycles], and *stay in place*. While they don't have a nose adjuster thingie, they do pretty good at conforming, and at least for the three of our's faces they don't keep slowly sliding down off the nose like some other masks I have.

As someone who wore masks for years before the pandemic, and has now tried a slew of different kinds, styles, types, and brands of masks due to the pandemic, the biggest piece of advice I have for anyone with issues wearing masks is to try different ones -- even the same "style" made by two different manufacturers can be significantly different in fit and feel and comfort. As an example, I can compare two different non-medical medical-style pleated disposable masks [those blue ones you see]. To the casual eye they look identical. They are made to the same standard [a Chinese standard because these days pretty much all such masks are made in China]. One of them when you wear it you can barely feel you have it on except for the occasional partial fogging of glasses. The other does that but it also scratches against my face. When I run my hand over the inside face of them they feel the same. But my face notices a difference -- one is soft and I don't feel it wearing it, the other feels "scratchy" and after a while that scratchy becomes almost itchy, constantly irritating. It doesn't cause a rash or anything, just a constant irritating reminder that it is there. So, that box of masks is relegated to "wear overtop another mask if I want to preserve the longevity of the other mask or for some other reason". Mostly I wear that itchy mask over top of of my valved high filtration masks so I get the protection from the high filtration mask but also protect others by covering the valve with the no-longer-itchy (since it is not against my face) blue mask.

Also, some masks have a specific "thing" about them that is a problem. For many it has to do with the ear loops/ties. There are solutions that may work if that is the case. I have one mask that I really like EXCEPT it pulls down on the end of my nose, which within about 30 minutes starts to trigger a migraine [I did not know that certain pressure points on my nose were a migraine trigger point until I started wearing so many styles of masks thanks to the pandemic; I suppose this is useful information to have]. Who knew. After sterilization, my sister gained a new mask !
 
... As someone who wore masks for years before the pandemic, and has now tried a slew of different kinds, styles, types, and brands of masks due to the pandemic, the biggest piece of advice I have for anyone with issues wearing masks is to try different ones -- even the same "style" made by two different manufacturers can be significantly different in fit and feel and comfort...
Totally agree! Especially for anyone who has sensitivities or special needs of any kind involving mask wearing, this advice is key! Everyone's face is different and how masks fit and feel to different people will vary -- sometimes wildly -- even within the same family. There are now a growing selection of mask styles, fabrics/textiles, price ranges, etc. Masks may never be fabulously comfortable to wear, but they can be significantly better than many people think! Choices are out there, so it is worth the effort to look and compare.
 
The situation stinks honestly. But why would you WANT to take your kid to Disney right now if they can’t wear a mask? It’s not safe. My son has autism, and has no problem wearing a mask, fortunately. But if he couldn’t we would be waiting.

This is exactly what I was thinking. Why would any parent want to take the risk of their child getting sick for something like going to an amusement park if the child can not wear a mask to protect themselves. Disney will still be there when this is over. My kids are adults now but hubby and I had a discussion on how glad we are that they are not little again because we would absolutely not be taking them anywhere or sending them to school even. It's not worth it.
 
This is exactly what I was thinking. Why would any parent want to take the risk of their child getting sick for something like going to an amusement park if the child can not wear a mask to protect themselves. Disney will still be there when this is over. My kids are adults now but hubby and I had a discussion on how glad we are that they are not little again because we would absolutely not be taking them anywhere or sending them to school even. It's not worth it.
Because they don’t think masks work, or they don’t think that COVID is really something to worry about.
 
Early on in the pandemic I bought some cotton masks from Thompson Tee [ https://thompsontee.com/face-masks ]. I had previously been a customer of the company, buying their undershirts, so was comfortable buying from them amid the rash of fly by night companies and such in those early crazy days.

I LOVE their masks nave since bought more. Double layer cotton. They do have ear loops but they are among the most comfortable of any mask I have -- a soft stretchy fabric that I don't quite know how to describe, but I find it doesn't bother my ears, which is saying a lot. My sister, Mom and I have all worn these masks and they are the favourites for all of us for a reusable simple fabric mask. They hold their shape, can be washed and dried on HOT cycles, and the white ones can be bleached. I find they keep their shape, keep their size [despite lots of hot cycles], and *stay in place*. While they don't have a nose adjuster thingie, they do pretty good at conforming, and at least for the three of our's faces they don't keep slowly sliding down off the nose like some other masks I have.

One thing to check, with stretchy material - can you see light through it when you hold it up to a lamp? If you can see light, it's not the right material to use. If the mask stretches on your face, hold it up to the light stretched out. Sadly, the most comfortable fabric may be the most porous ones, which do not provide enough protection, IMO. I've been using undyed batik fabric for the liners in the masks I make because it is the softest, most dense cotton fabric I can find. No light shines through my two layer masks.
 
One thing to check, with stretchy material - can you see light through it when you hold it up to a lamp? If you can see light, it's not the right material to use. If the mask stretches on your face, hold it up to the light stretched out. Sadly, the most comfortable fabric may be the most porous ones, which do not provide enough protection, IMO. I've been using undyed batik fabric for the liners in the masks I make because it is the softest, most dense cotton fabric I can find. No light shines through my two layer masks.

Very true.

In this case, it is the ear loops that are the soft stretchy material, not the mask.

SW
 
These parents set their children up for disappointment and then blame others. Disney has repeatedly made people aware of the no exemption policy. They put it on their website, MDE app, app notifications, emails, etc. There is no excuse for this and someone with a disabled child should really look up what the ADA covers.


I agree. Disney has publicized their 'no exemptions' policy loudly and clearly. And those involved with the ADA have also made it very clear that the ADA provides for exceptions when the public health is involved. I'm sad for this little girl but her parents have no one to blame but themselves. They need to remember that Disney will still be there, and their daughter will be able to go once we have this pandemic under control.

Of course, the cynic in me wonders if perhaps the parents have an ulterior motive in this situation, like a lawsuit. I'm sure Disney will refund any costs they've incurred directly with Disney (tickets, hotel, etc) without legal action being needed. Any non-Disney costs (airfare, non-Disney hotel, etc) are on the parents IMO. "You pays your money and you takes your chances" as my dear old dad used to say. They tried to get Disney to circumvent public safety rules and they failed.

I think that this is one of the "weaknesses" in Disney's day to day lack of enforcing their own rules. People become used to "Well, if I push hard enough I'll get to do XYZ". This is because they (and we) have seen enough CMs being overruled by upper management when the CM has reprimanded or refused a guest. Sure, letting someone use an expired FP+ or refusing to enforce line-cutting rules are small in themselves, but it leads to situations like this.

I now step down and yield my soapbox to the next speaker.
 

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