Face Covering Discrimination in Businesses
Dear Public Health Agency for Northern Ireland,
Please provide evidence that shows:
(i) The Public Health Agency has communicated directly with ALL Northern Ireland Government Departments and Public Bodies to outline a commitment and plan to ensure face covering discrimination is prevented from occurring.
(ii) The Public Health Agency has communicated directly with ALL Northern Ireland Government Departments and Public Bodies to ensure the "Reasonable Excuse" OR โExemption" messaging in legislation, is ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ in all face covering messaging.
(iii) The Public Health Agency has via the relevant Departments and Public Bodies, communicated with local businesses and business leaders, their responsibilities in relation to โGoods, facilities and servicesโ as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, in order to ensure disability discrimination in relation to the wearing of face coverings is not occurring via mediums such as (but not limited to) point-of-sale messaging, posters at entrances - "No mask, No entry / No service", staff ignorance, social media posts, job advertising, tannoy announcements, in-store advertising. - where "Reasonable Excuses" OR Exemptions are ๐ง๐จ๐ญ included in messaging, causing (not limited to) distress and anguish amongst those of us exempt from wearing face coverings.
(iiii) The Public Health Agency has via the relevant Departments and Public Bodies, communicated with local businesses and business leaders detailing responsibilities in relation to the โReasonable Excuseโ OR Exemption provision within legislation, that protects against disability discrimination - especially, against the need to ask for proof of exemption OR compelling customers and/or staff to label themselves exempt - recognising that within guidance and legislation there is ๐ง๐จ such requirement:
"There is no need to get a letter from a doctor or the government to show that you do not need to wear a face covering." - https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/cor...
(iiiii) The Public Health Agency has communicated directly with ALL Northern Ireland Government Departments and Public Bodies to ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ communication with (but not limited to) the general public, media outlets, local businesses and business leaders, enforces the requirement that exemption messaging is treated with ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ to face covering wearing messaging, to ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ disability discrimination is prevented from occurring in the first place.
(iiiiii) The Public Health Agency is committed to encouraging the development of legislation and communicating messaging that ensures equality for ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ members of society.
Yours faithfully,
Catherine Edgar
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Dear Public Health Agency for Northern Ireland,
An important reminder for your considerations of the above:
https://www.publichealth.hscni.net/sites...
Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998
1.1 Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (the Act) requires the Public Health Agency to comply with two statutory duties:
Section 75 (1) In carrying out our functions relating to Northern Ireland we are required to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity between:
- persons of different religious belief, political opinion, racial group, age, marital status or sexual orientation; - men and women generally;
- ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐;
- persons with dependants and persons without.
Yours faithfully,
Catherine Edgar
โThis email is covered by the disclaimer found at the end of the message.โ
________________________________
Dear Ms Edgar
Ref: Freedom of Information Request No. 54/21
Thank you for your request for information received by the Public Health Agency on 26 April 2021.
This request will now be processed under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, within the statutory timescale of 20 working days. While we will endeavour to provide you with a response within this timescale, in the event of disruption to services due to COVID-19 there may be delays. Should any delays arise, we will endeavour to keep you informed with a revised, estimated date for response. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time.
The leaflet attached is provided for your information and tells you about the legislation and our procedures for dealing with requests for information.
If you have any queries about this communication, please do not hesitate to contact me. It would be helpful if you could quote the reference number above in any future communications relating to this request.
I hope you find this helpful.
Yours sincerely
Carol Hermin
OBO FOI Team
โThis email is covered by the disclaimer found at the end of the message.โ
________________________________
Afternoon Ms Edgar
Thank you for information below which we will pass on for consideration under FOI 54/21.
Carol Hermin
OBO FOI Team
Dear Foi Pha,
I acknowledge the delay, thank you for the update.
Yours sincerely,
Catherine Edgar
โThis email is covered by the disclaimer found at the end of the message.โ
________________________________
Afternoon Ms Edgar
Ref: Freedom of Information Request No. 54/21
Please find attached PHAโs response to your Freedom of Information Request.
We apologise for our delay in responding, you will appreciate that the PHA is experiencing unprecedented demand on both its personnel and resources at this time and your patience and understanding is recognised and appreciated.
If you have any queries about this communication, please do not hesitate to contact me. It would be helpful if you could quote the reference number above in any future communications relating to this request for information.
Yours sincerely
Carol Hermin
OBO FOI Team
Dear Carol Hermin,
Thank you very much for your response and the further information, much appreciated.
Kind regards,
Catherine Edgar
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