Petition · past parliament
Make it law to recognise hidden disabilities help be accepted everywhere in UK
Rejected
21 signatures
What the petition asks
As hidden disabilities, such as deafness, blindness, speech etc are just that, hidden, make it law that all businesses and public places accept hidden disability aids such as the sunflower scheme for its users
As not all disabilities are visible, providers such as the sunflower scheme produce aids such as lanyards, badges etc to help people with such disabilities be identified.
Whilst some public places and shops accept the aids, not all do.
With the current COVID19 climate and the government guidelines that people with anxiety, deafness etc need not wear facemasks, many people with hidden disabilities are facing being disallowed entry into shops etc.
Please get the sunflower scheme recognised UK wide
Whilst some public places and shops accept the aids, not all do.
With the current COVID19 climate and the government guidelines that people with anxiety, deafness etc need not wear facemasks, many people with hidden disabilities are facing being disallowed entry into shops etc.
Please get the sunflower scheme recognised UK wide
Why it was rejected
It was not clear what the petition asked the UK Government or Parliament to do.
We understand that you are concerned about the treatment of people with hidden disabilities, but it's not clear what you want the Government to do about this.
The Equality Act makes it unlawful for a business to discriminate against a person because of a protected characteristic, including disability. This is true whether a person's disability is visible or hidden.
Regarding face masks, people do not need to wear a face covering if they have a legitimate reason not to, and the Government's guidance on face coverings sets out a range of reasons that this includes: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own#exemptions-to-wearing-a-face-covering-where-they-are-mandated
The Government has published official badges for people who are exempt from wearing a face covering: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own
The Equality Act makes it unlawful for a business to discriminate against a person because of a protected characteristic, including disability. This is true whether a person's disability is visible or hidden.
Regarding face masks, people do not need to wear a face covering if they have a legitimate reason not to, and the Government's guidance on face coverings sets out a range of reasons that this includes: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own#exemptions-to-wearing-a-face-covering-where-they-are-mandated
The Government has published official badges for people who are exempt from wearing a face covering: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own
Timeline
| 21 Jul 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 30 Jul 2020 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Rejected
Rejected
30 Jul 2020
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.