Disabled Persons Assembly NZ (DPA) is a pan-disability disabled person’s organisation that has been tasked with the administration of face-covering exemption cards. The cards were developed by Ministry of Health for people with physical or mental health conditions or disability that makes wearing a face-covering unsuitable.
Current exemptions for face coverings remain, including (but not limited to):
- people under the age of 12;
- or with physical or mental health conditions or disability that makes wearing a face-covering unsuitable; or
- the person is communicating with a person who is deaf or hard of hearing and visibility of the mouth is essential for communication.
The full list can be found here.
When somebody identifies themselves as being exempt, they can get a face-covering exemption card from DPA to show when needed. However, a formal exemption is not needed to be exempt.
Recently business.govt.nz published some guidance around this issue https://www.business.govt.nz/covid-19/face-coverings-requirements/ that you might find helpful.
Please remember that people who are unable to wear face coverings due to a health condition or disability are not required to give proof of their exemption. They also have not had a lot of time to go through the process of obtaining one.
We do understand that some people are not exempt by law and are just resisting wearing a mask. We suggest that those people are likely to become an issue because of their behaviour rather than the fact that they are not wearing a mask and that if someone says they are exempt, they should be believed.