Masks Keep Travel and Communities Safe and Accessible (by Katie Harmon)
The Harmon Family [image description: A family of five dressed in colorful outdoor clothing poses with their tan dog on the banks of a large river. In the background are a scrim of evergreens and, behind them, enormous mountains.
I am the mother of three beautiful children. My first is an 8-year-old LEGO-lover who is sensitive and kind. You can usually find him reading or building something incredible on Minecraft. My second is a spunky 6-year-old who is the toughest kid I know, who tackles every challenge placed in front of him with a smile. He loves spending time with his family, going on walks, and doing anything to get a laugh out of his siblings. My third child is a confident and feisty 4-year-old. She’s an avid animal lover whose favorite thing is to play doctor/veterinarian. These three kids are each so unique and so deeply loved.
My hilarious and spunky middle child also has several disabilities. He spent the first eleven months of his life in the hospital, and has a history of chronic respiratory failure. He also has a tracheostomy and requires a ventilator to help him breathe. He had a stroke shortly after his second birthday, which puts him at risk of clotting issues. Our family embraces everything about each of my kids–including disability, which we view as just another part of life and parenthood!
As you can imagine, my son’s health conditions put him at extremely high risk of developing serious complications were he to catch COVID-19. Also, my 4-year-old is not yet eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19, leaving her at increased risk as well.
My family has been privileged to remain very isolated during the last two years so as to protect us all, but especially my high-risk son, from this novel virus. I am grateful for the decisions the Biden Administration has made to prioritize the health and safety of individuals with disabilities and those who are immune compromised.
But the recent decision by a Florida judge to strike down the transportation mask mandate could have devastating consequences for my family. Please know that mask mandates on public transportation are indispensable to families like mine. The Justice Department plans to appeal the decision, and we hope it succeeds.
Katie Harmon & her children [A mother with white skin and blond hair wearing a bright orange and grey striped sweater poses with two white boys and a white girl. The girl wears a red top and the boys light blue collared shirts. One boy has a tracheostomy & the other wears glasses. Behind them are window blinds.]
My husband works for an airline, and is supposed to return to work in-person soon. For the last two years, he’s been able to mostly work from home. Having to be at work around unmasked coworkers and travelers would put my whole family–but especially my high risk son and unvaccinated daughter–at great risk.
Like any mother, I desperately want to protect all my children from harm; we know that COVID-19 often requires hospitalization, and can cause MIS-C, long COVID, and even death among children. While all children are at risk of developing life-threatening conditions as a result of COVID-19, this risk is heightened for children who are too young to be vaccinated and those with pre-existing health conditions.
People at high risk and their family members have a right to be able to attend school, to work, and to travel, just like everyone else. Requiring masks in public transportation settings is an important measure that can keep vital parts of the community safe and accessible for everyone. Nearly a million people have already died in the U.S. from COVID-19. Continuing to protect those at risk by maintaining basic public health protections during a pandemic is not a hardship, it is the bare minimum we must do to protect the health of our country.
Katie Harmon is a mom of three in Wyoming, who works for a more inclusive, more accessible, and less ableist future for her kids.