A family was brusquely asked to leave a Disney store in CF Masonville Place, a mall in London ON, after their six-year-old daughter who has been diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum, couldn’t keep her mask on properly, according to CTV News.
The Baillargeon family, including mother Sarah and the daughter in question, Ruby, were celebrating together with Sarah’s mother. The three were going out for the day and decided to stop by the Disney store for Ruby.
Sarah apparently even went so far as to make sure the store’s staff were aware that Ruby was on the autism spectrum to avoid any future misunderstandings. “OK, just try your best,” was the reply from the manager working there.
Once in the store, Ruby started fiddling with her mask since she has a sensitivity issue in her facial area. Several times, the mask started to slip.
At this point, staff allegedly started to harass the family repeatedly due to Ruby’s mask not being on properly. Sarah reminded them of the conversation they had had when the family entered the store, to which staff responded that they had to leave. Apparently, one of them said “I know people on the spectrum and they can wear masks,” not being aware that autism expresses itself very differently from individual to individual affected by it.
Sarah Baillargeon at that point decided to contact the media in order to help raise awareness about issues like this. She told CTV that "kids like my daughter that can't advocate for themselves. We want to make sure they have a voice and for other parents to know that they are not alone.”
According to London’s own guidelines on the issue, neither children under 12 years of age nor those with a disability are required to wear masks indoors. In addition, there is currently no statute or order making the wearing of masks mandatory in London, and if there were, it may become quickly subject to scientific and legal challenges for various reasons.
A Disney spokesperson issued a statement Wednesday morning, saying “We are always focused on the health and safety of our Cast Members and Guests. At all of our Disney stores we have implemented a number of enhanced measures, including a face covering requirement. During these unprecedented times we all have a shared responsibility to do our part. We regret the family was disappointed.”
No further or more specific comments have been forthcoming from Disney at this time.
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