09/19/2025
“In Canada, our human rights come before hospital policy. The duty to accommodate means healthcare facilities have a legal and ethical obligation to protect vulnerable patients. In medical settings, masking should never be optional.”— Behind the Dräger N95 respirator installed with a is Deanna Ronson ( ), who made the mask chain herself. Deanna is a disabled, immunocompromised activist working in both disability justice and reproductive justice. She serves on the board of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada and collaborates with COVlD-Safer London ( ) to advocate for masked, accessible community events.
“As someone with fragile health, it is utterly exhausting to have to argue with staff to get them to wear a respirator — every single time I go to the hospital! Accessibility is not a suggestion — it’s a right. Universal masking in medical spaces is one of the most basic, effective ways to uphold that standard. Staff and patients both deserve protection in places designed for healing. No one should have to choose between medical care and safety.
COVlD waves arrive without warning and the virus spreads invisibly through the air we breathe. A mask is a simple, effective tool to protect one another — especially disabled, immunocompromised, and chronically ill people who are at highest risk.
Masking is not about fear — it’s about community care. It’s a small act that makes clinics and hospitals safer, more inclusive, and more just for everyone. That’s what justice looks like.”
is grateful to Deanna for this important message.
We need to everywhere!
