According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), which enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), there is no "blanket exemption to people with disabilities from complying with legitimate safety requirements necessary for safe operations,” including mask policies set by businesses and local governments. The ADA does require that people with disabilities are “reasonably accommodated,” such as by finding alternative public health measures for people who cannot safely wear and breathe through a mask.

Wearing masks or other face coverings can help slow the spread of COVID-19. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) recommends wearing surgical masks over cloth masks, except for children under 2 years old, and anyone who has trouble breathing, anyone who is unconscious or incapacitated, and anyone who is unable to remove a mask without help.

Masks are a type of personal protective equipment (PPE), along with face shields, protective eye goggles, gloves, gowns, and other equipment. Proper use of PPE can help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Wearing PPE is a risk reduction measure that lowers the chances of getting infected or infecting someone else, but does not eliminate the risk completely. Hand washing and physical distancing (min of 6 feet / 2 metres) are still recommended.

In the U.S., the government recently warned that they did not issue or endorse fraudulent flyers being circulated about mask use under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). People are encouraged to follow official ADA guidance, which is available at http://ADA.gov, +1-800-514-0301 (voice), and +1-800-514-0383 (TTY). While the U.S. does not currently have a national level policy around the use of masks, an increasing number of cities, counties, and states have passed policies known as "mask mandates" that require people to wear masks in certain public settings. Medical exemptions for wearing masks under these policies can be checked with the responsible government offices.