I saw a post on Facebook earlier today stating how the current face mask requirements are rendering the original intention of the sunflower lanyard obsolete. In case you’re not aware, the lanyard was introduced in 2016 to help raise awareness of hidden disabilities. Many people with these sorts of disabilities are indeed exempt from wearing a face mask, so it’s no surprise that the lanyard has become synonymous with proof of exemption.
The problem however is, sunflower lanyards are really easy for anyone to obtain. You can order one online for just around 55p, and this has meant that anyone can just use the lanyard to get out of wearing a mask, even if they are not exempt. I have noticed a lot more people wearing them in the past six months, and I expect they will be thrown away as soon as mask wearing is no longer required. This could have implications for people who did use the lanyard before the pandemic since others will now just see it as the ‘proof of mask exemption’ rather than hidden disability awareness.
I think it would have been better if a proof of disability had been required before anyone could obtain a sunflower lanyard, but it is too late now and I think the people behind the scheme will have to rebrand in order to remove the association with Covid-19 and mask exemptions.
The problem however is, sunflower lanyards are really easy for anyone to obtain. You can order one online for just around 55p, and this has meant that anyone can just use the lanyard to get out of wearing a mask, even if they are not exempt. I have noticed a lot more people wearing them in the past six months, and I expect they will be thrown away as soon as mask wearing is no longer required. This could have implications for people who did use the lanyard before the pandemic since others will now just see it as the ‘proof of mask exemption’ rather than hidden disability awareness.
I think it would have been better if a proof of disability had been required before anyone could obtain a sunflower lanyard, but it is too late now and I think the people behind the scheme will have to rebrand in order to remove the association with Covid-19 and mask exemptions.