![\"Moments](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/1ArticleHeader.jpg?resize=1024%2C755&ssl=1\")
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As of December 2023, society has largely abandoned disabled people to COVID. This includes most businesses in the Bay Area. There are observably fewer wearing respirators now than at any time since the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic began in 2019. <\/span>Few hospitals require masks<\/span><\/a> and even fewer businesses. This is despite the fact that <\/span>COVID is still a leading cause of death<\/span><\/a> and mounting evidence it causes <\/span>serious medical conditions<\/span><\/a> (including an almost <\/span>20% chance it results in chronic symptoms<\/span><\/a>). Even worse, the Bay Area is currently in a massive COVID surge according to <\/span>wastewater data<\/span><\/a>. This means many disabled, immunocompromised, and elderly people forgo necessary medical care due to the high risk of <\/span>nosocomial infections<\/span><\/a>. Many of us can\u2019t afford to get sick while seeking essential services, let alone participate in non-essential activities that once brought us joy \u2014 like holiday shopping, parties, and events.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Yet there are a few stalwart businesses going against the trend of treating disabled people as disposable. In this article, we will profile five of them: a gift shop, a bookshop cooperative, a dentist, a pet sitter, and a comics and games store. While other businesses have scrubbed any pandemic reminders from their premises, these COVID-safe businesses lean into <\/span>community care.<\/span><\/a> All of them incorporate some form of universal masking. Some implement much more stringent protocols, such as <\/span>upgrading their ventilation<\/span><\/a>, going great lengths to make their businesses safe and accessible for all. If you live in the Bay Area, check them out and share your appreciation for keeping everyone safe. If you don\u2019t live in the Bay Area, seek out those businesses in your area and let folks in your community know.<\/span><\/p>\n Two businesses cite <\/span>disability justice<\/span><\/a> as their reasoning. Some make the practical argument that they can’t afford to miss work should they get a COVID infection. Some are high-risk themselves or care for high-risk family members. Several face intense backlash, such as anti-mask harassment, yet remain steadfast in their commitment to community care and public health. Despite the challenges, these business owners are not just imagining a more inclusive, safe, and accessible world. They are building it. And their public health praxis can form a model for other businesses and institutions to follow. It is a glimmer of hope amidst the \u201cpost-pandemic\u201d phase we are now in.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n What they sell:<\/b> locally made gifts, including: art, art supplies, tasty provisions, and luxury self-care products<\/span><\/p>\n Location:<\/b> 3295 Lakeshore Ave, Oakland, CA 94610<\/span><\/p>\n Hours: <\/b>Tuesday through Sunday, 11am-5pm<\/span><\/p>\n Websites<\/b>: <\/span>Bay-Made <\/span><\/a>(shop site) | <\/span>Sarahjane Bernhisel Illustration<\/span><\/a> (business owner artist site)<\/span><\/p>\n COVID-safe protocols:<\/b> universal masking, free KN95 masks, optimized ventilation using an air purifier, three fans, and an open front-door (weather permitting), and<\/span> online gift boxes<\/span><\/a> for high-risk customers who can\u2019t risk shopping in-person<\/span><\/p>\n Tucked into Oakland\u2019s Lakeshore Avenue, Bay-Made beckons customers with locally made treats, art, and\u2026a cute cat.\u00a0 Shop cat Sunday, a mischievous calico, greeted us at the store entrance, leading us in with her tail curled like a question-mark. Once inside, she sprinted zoomies up and down the small store\u2019s center aisle, display shelves, and sales counter. Despite her chaotic antics, she gracefully avoided damage to the merchandise, including stickers by local artists <\/span>Hannah James Knight<\/span><\/a> of <\/span>Red Kestrel Tattoo<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Urban Beekeeper honey<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>McEvoy Ranch olive oil<\/span><\/a>s<\/span>, <\/span>Dandelion chocolates<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Old Salt teas<\/span><\/a>, and gorgeous original art, much of it featuring Bay Area native flora, fauna, and landscapes.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSunday, Sunday, come here Sunday!\u201d a little boy shouted from the entrance as his father, evidently a repeat customer, donned an N95 mask to enter.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSunday is a bit of a local celebrity,\u201d Business owner and illustrator Sarahjane Bernhisel explained as she welcomed us inside.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Also greeting us at the entrance were seven signs asking us to please mask, with equal parts kindness and snark. Bernhisel, sporting a fashionable bright pink KN95 mask, alternated between (playfully) chastising Sunday for her spicy behavior, tending to shop business, and sharing about why she continues to persist in her COVID-safe protocols despite most other area businesses abandoning them.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bernhisel comes from a family of medical professionals. This background attuned her to the COVID risk reality and the benefits of preventing infection. She has several immunocompromised family and friends she would like to protect. Further, she explained that, as a small business, with only two employees (herself and one other staff member), she can\u2019t afford to get sick. To her, dropping masks isn\u2019t worth it: \u201cIf I get COVID, please let it be from seeing loved ones, not from work.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n When asked if she has faced any pushback for shop safety protocol, she rolled her eyes. \u201cOh yeah.\u201d One customer, upon seeing the masks required signage, threw the free mask basket on the ground in front of the store. Others, when they see the signs, turn around and leave. Some write one-star YELP reviews. For example, one user named \u201cAlexandria H.,\u201d,seemingly in response to the mask requirements, described Bernhisel as \u201cunfriendly,\u201d and \u201crude,\u201d and the store as \u201coverly priced.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt is a damper on business,\u201d Bernhisel admits. But, she adds, \u201c99% of people\u201d do the right thing. \u201cAnd, for every negative person, there are multiple people thanking me for protecting them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Bernhisel shared a touching story of how one customer told her \u201cI\u2019m in the middle of my cancer treatment and can\u2019t risk COVID. I feel safe and comfortable stopping by your store for retail therapy.\u201d Many high-risk customers express similar gratitude.<\/span><\/p>\n From what I witnessed during my short time in the store, customers appear to follow safety protocol without fuss. During our interview, six customers and one local artist showed up, all quickly masking up before entering. Most already had their own masks and did not need to take the free masks provided.<\/span><\/p>\n And Bernhisel sees no reason to drop protocols anytime soon. \u201cOne day I hope vaccinations will be enough to prevent COVID. But we aren\u2019t there yet.\u201d Her protocols are low-effort and low-cost. Protecting vulnerable customers, to her, is \u201cnot a burden.\u201d She shares it is important for her to provide access to disabled people. She appreciates the support from the disability and COVID-safe communities, and that, given the hit to her bottom line she takes for retaining her precautions, she says the best way people can show appreciation is to support her business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI want people to know about us, especially for the holidays. At least here people know they will be safe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n For those who can\u2019t safely visit in-person, Bay-Made <\/span>sells pre-made gift boxes online.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n What services they provide: <\/b>they sell social justice themed books and zines, share political information, and host workshops and artist and writer residencies for Oakland Queer and Trans People of Color (QTPOC) creatives<\/span><\/p>\n Location: <\/b>410 13th Street Oakland, CA 94612, US<\/span><\/p>\n Hours:<\/b> Fridays and Saturdays, 12-6pm<\/span><\/p>\n Website: <\/b>Moments Cooperative and Community Space<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n COVID-safe protocols:<\/b> Universal masking, free masks, improved ventilation including running an air purifier and fan, open front door when weather permits, online order options, outdoor seating area, and requiring event hosts to sign a form agreeing to COVID-safety protocols. They also post general <\/span>Accessibility Info<\/span><\/a>, which is something all businesses should do!<\/span><\/p>\n Moments Cooperative was founded in 2020 <\/span>\u201cfrom the want and need to create a space for QTBIPOC to create, explore, and utilize space in downtown Oakland.\u201d It is a worker-owned and operated space. They are organized in \u201ca horizontal structure,\u201d so all decisions are made collectively. Consistent with these principles, they wanted to respond to this story\u2019s interview questions as a group. So I sent them the questions beforehand, they filled out their responses asynchronously, and then we interviewed and photographed the cooperative\u2019s chosen representatives, Samantha and D, on location.<\/span><\/p>\n Less than a block from the 12th street BART station, Moments is a small but vibrant bookshop across from <\/span>The Oakland Tribune<\/span><\/i>. Red picnic tables form a parklet in front of the cooperative which can accommodate overflow from the events they host inside. Just inside the front door, a sign on a cart states that masks are required and offers free masks along with hand sanitizer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The first floor is cozy. A small couch provides a homey space to spend time. Zines and new and used books line the walls. Most of the books are centered on social justice issues and feature queer and\/or trans authors of color. Upstairs there is a room with a table and chairs where artists and writers can gather to create, and activists can organize. This is also where they host artist and writer residencies.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n During our interview, Samantha shared the cooperative\u2019s history. When they saw this building was vacant in 2020, they wanted to salvage it from the clutches of gentrification that often claim downtown real estate. They successfully crowdsourced funding to secure the space and opened in March 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n That is, they opened just as the pandemic shut everything down. So, to protect the community from COVID, they sold books through contactless pick-up. As lockdowns eased, they expanded to in-person sales and hosting the event space. At this time, masking was still the norm among area businesses. However, soon other businesses around them dropped protocols. The cooperative members met and decided, collectively, to maintain protective measures like masking. Why? \u201cOur community and the deep desire we have to keep everyone safe, and to make our space as accessible as possible.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In addition to protecting community members, several members of the collective are disabled themselves. They share that they will be continuing these protocols into the foreseeable future, as, \u201ceven if there were a cure for COVID tomorrow, there is still RSV, flu, colds\u201d that can endanger disabled and immunocompromised people.<\/span><\/p>\n D, who is disabled, said, while some view masks as oppressive, \u201cmasks make me feel safer, more free.\u201d Samantha added that \u201cit\u2019s odd it is not a cultural norm. I think it speaks to individualism.\u201d D agreed. \u201cI\u2019m from the Japanese American community, where masking is the norm. We have elders, and masking is part of protecting our elders.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n And, like other businesses interviewed for this story, it appears that their protective measures work. They regularly host events and hold meetings with the cooperative members. Yet, to their knowledge, no illness transmission has occurred at Moments.<\/span><\/p>\n Not all customers agree with the masking protocols, though. For example, one time a customer was wearing a mask in the store below their chin. A cooperative member requested they please pull up their mask. The customer left instead.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Later, however, that same customer returned to purchase two books. This time they were properly wearing the mask over their nose and mouth. The customer asked, \u201cIs it a collective decision to continue masking? Isn’t it a bit ostracizing to ask customers to be masked?\u201d The cooperative member politely explained the rationale behind the policy, including the risks COVID-19 and other illnesses pose, reminding the customer that protecting the community is a value of Moments Cooperative. This customer has not raised the issue again. D shares that, when members respond to criticism about masking requirements with \u201cgentle education,\u201d customers generally respond well.<\/span><\/p>\n Moments cooperative members have not encountered the vitriol faced by some of the other businesses interviewed for this story. When asked why they thought this was, Samantha and D shared that \u201cthe customers who come here are already thinking about equity. We are already framed as a business that follows <\/span>the Disability Justice framework<\/span><\/a>.\u201d And because they opened during COVID, and have maintained these protocols continuously, there is not a \u201cbefore COVID\u201d crowd to placate.<\/span><\/p>\n In fact, most customers respond warmly to their masking policy. Heartwarming responses include \u201cimmunocompromised customers thanking us personally for requiring masks as we are the very few and limited storefronts they can safely enter and shop.\u201d In terms of the activism events they host, customers have shared comments like \u201cI couldn\u2019t make it out to the big <\/span>Justice for Palestine<\/span><\/a> event in San Francisco even though I wanted to, because no one was masking. But because you require masks, I feel safe participating in the events here.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The positive impact of these protective measures ripples throughout the community. D shared that several of the writer and artist residents had stopped masking in their daily lives. However, upon encountering the masking requirements at Moments, and the rationale for them, these creatives go on to then institute COVID-safe protocols at other events they host.<\/span><\/p>\n Indeed, it seems as if downtown Oakland is a relatively COVID-safe ecosystem of businesses where the community works together to protect each other. The Moments Cooperative members collectively recommended several nearby COVID-safe businesses (see complete list at the bottom of this story). One of these businesses, Rasa Cafe, will re-open across the street from Moments in January 2024. This business will also require masks. Those who mourn the loss of the bookstore\/cafe experience due to lack of COVID-safety (like me) will once again be able to get their fix by shopping for books at Moments, picking up a coffee at Rasa, then enjoying their treats at one of Moments\u2019 outdoor picnic tables.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Until Rasa Cafe opens, Samantha and D recommended we check out <\/span>Understory Cafe<\/span><\/a> for lunch. All staff at this restaurant mask and they have a small outdoor area for people who do not feel comfortable eating indoors, given customers indoors remove masks to eat. We ordered to go and took our treats back to the car to eat (while the food was good, the ube horchata was an absolute delight).<\/span><\/p>\n In much of the neighborhood between Understory and Moments, masking is still the norm. Many of the stores we passed, including art galleries, acupuncture clinics, and grocery stores, displayed \u201cMasks Required\u201d signs on their windows and entry doors. Patrons inside appeared to be abiding by the signs. Many of those walking down the street wore masks.<\/span><\/p>\n Downtown Oakland\u00a0 seems like a rare\u00a0 oasis of accessibility for those of us who still care about our health and the health of our communities. And spaces like Moments appear to be seeding such ecosystems of care. They embody the spirit of disability justice. Or, in the words of the cooperative members, <\/span>\u201cWe are so happy to be able to provide the space we do, to hold it down for immunocompromised and disabled people. And we are so grateful to the overall community for their support and love. We hope that other businesses and events will come back to COVID safety and protocols in order to keep their populations safe <\/span>\u2763\ufe0f<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n What services they provide: <\/b>dental cleaning and check-ups, oral surgery, minor orthodontics, veneers, and restorative services<\/span><\/p>\n Location:<\/b> 8265 Village Parkway, Suite F Dublin CA 94568<\/span><\/p>\n Hours: <\/b>Tuesday through Thursday 8am to 5pm<\/span><\/p>\n Website: <\/b>Farley Dental Care<\/span><\/a> Phone: <\/b>(925) 833-8783<\/span><\/p>\n COVID protocols:<\/b> universal masking for patients and staff, window-exhaust ventilation; HEPA filters in each room, UV-c disinfection after each patient, an aerosol-containment room for procedures which generate high amounts of aerosols (such as drilling), and <\/span>many other protections<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n On the other side of the East Bay, Dr. Farley\u2019s office is in a modest professional building on the border of San Ramon. When entering the premises, patients are greeted with a hand sanitizer station and a friendly reminder that masking is still required here. This matches the <\/span>\u201cCurrent Coronavirus Information\u201d on their website<\/span><\/a>, which is updated regularly to reflect current COVID conditions and to provide information about protective protocols.<\/span><\/p>\n The reception room is small and cozy. Ashley at the front desk welcomes patients. When patients enter without masks, she seamlessly hands them blue surgical masks, which, while less protective than an N95, are <\/span>shown to function somewhat effectively as source-control<\/span><\/a>. Air purifiers whir quietly in most rooms of the office, which is never very busy because the practice is so small: just Dr. Farley, Ashley, a hygienist and assistant. All staff, when I visited, were wearing KN95 masks or better. Most times I have gone in for dental care, I am the only patient in the reception room because patients are quickly whisked into well-ventilated exam rooms.<\/span><\/p>\n Farley proudly describes the meticulous steps he takes to keep patients and staff safe. Set into the window is a dual fan unit that includes intake and exhaust settings. He shows how when he flips the switch, the flexible door between the exam room and communal area snaps open and shut. This demonstrates how air is vacuumed out the window to help mitigate the spread of aerosols produced during dental procedures. These exam rooms also feature a MERV 13 air filter that pulls air in and subjects it to UV-c light before releasing it back into the room. Finally, once a procedure is complete and the staff and patient have left the room, the entire room is treated with a separate UV-c device (ozone producing) or chlorine compound mist for sanitation purposes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The drilling room, which produces the most aerosols, features an industrial-sized fan that looks like something out of a spaceship. This pulls the aerosols from the room as they are produced, then runs them through a MERV-15 filter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When explaining the reasons for these thorough protocols, Farley explains his 91-year-old mother is \u201cfrail\u201d with multiple underlying conditions. Her elderly neighbor, with whom she shared a caregiver, succumbed to COVID.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnd I\u2019m no spring chicken myself,\u201d Farley laughs, \u201cI\u2019m 62 and need to lose some pounds. I was hospitalized from bacterial pneumonia when I was younger. It\u2019s not worth the risk.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Plus, he feels it is his duty to protect patients. When I transferred to Farley\u2019s office for my own dental care as a disabled patient at high-risk for severe COVID outcomes, I explained how I had to quit three different dentists because they removed COVID-mitigation protocols, without notifying patients. Further, they refused to provide me reasonable accommodations, <\/span>arguably in violation of the ADA<\/span><\/a>. Farley responded that, sadly, this is a common story: many other patients have switched to his practice for the same reasons.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI am a bit disappointed in my fellow dentists for not protecting patients.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nBay-Made (Oakland)<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"Professional](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/2BayMade1.jpg?resize=811%2C1024&ssl=1\")
![\"Calico](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/3BayMade2.jpg?resize=819%2C1024&ssl=1\")
![\"A](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/4BayMade3.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&ssl=1\")
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![\"Display](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/6BayMade5.jpg?resize=776%2C1024&ssl=1\")
Moments Cooperative and Community Space (Oakland)<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"Awning](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/7Moments1.jpg?resize=819%2C1024&ssl=1\")
![\"Samantha](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/8Moments2.jpg?resize=1024%2C742&ssl=1\")
![\"The](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/9Moments3.jpg?resize=1024%2C819&ssl=1\")
![\"Red](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/10Moments4.jpg?resize=810%2C1024&ssl=1\")
Dr. Timothy R. Farley, DDS (Dublin)<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"Dr.](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/11Farley1.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1\")
![\"Holmes](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/12Farley2.jpg?resize=1024%2C819&ssl=1\")
![\"Patient](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/13Farley3.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&ssl=1\")