For most of us, wearing a mask has become a fact of life. While some of us embrace the mask as a fashion accessory we can have fun with, others view them as an unnecessary burden. Either way, masks save lives. However, while masks help keep us safe, they actually pose a challenge for people with hearing impairments. Those in the community who depend on lip reading to communicate, are at a disadvantage in a society where everyone’s mouths are covered. Luckily one woman has come up with a solution to help. (1)

Helpful Tags

Naomi Grace helped resolve the issue for the hearing impaired with a simple badge. The idea came to her when listening to the frustrations of a deaf friend. Her helpful tags state, “I am deaf. I cannot lip-read through your mask. To communicate with me, please be patient and use your mobile phone or pen and paper.” (1)

She gifted the helpful tags to people, and also created free templates that can be printed off. In response to her idea, over 500 people have commented on her Facebook post with rave reviews. (1)

Helpful Tags Donations

Because the idea is so popular, Naomi also created an online request form so people can order them. For those who would like to help, she has a PayPal account where people can make contributions to cover costs for materials and postage. (1)

“I ask ‘hearing folks’ specifically to contribute because I believe it is the responsibility of those who experience privilege to use said privilege to bring about equity. We need to take care of each other,” she says. (1)

Mask Challenges For All

I know masks can really be troublesome. In fact, I find myself constantly asking people to repeat themselves when mumbling behind their masks. Add a plastic screen into the mix and it gets even worse. I can’t imagine how difficult it is for people who depend on lip reading to communicate.

Isolation Of Masks

To understand where someone with a hearing impairment is coming from, Texas professor of English at Angelo State University, Kevin Garrison paints a good picture. “Reading is decontextualized, and words can be reread. But reading lips is mostly sophisticated guesswork — ramp up the brain’s processor and fill in the missing gaps, like doing real-time jigsaw puzzle work,” he says. “…context clues plus lip motions plus muffled sounds equal my best guess.” (2)

However, Garrison sees how the virus is effecting us all. “COVID-19 has created a never-ending dialectic for us all, a world of continued uncertainty and anxiety,” he says. (2)

A Day In The Life

So, when that uncertainty becomes to much, maybe consider Kevin Garrison’s day. “In meetings, the opaque masks dictate the flow of the conversation. I sit there, unable to follow. In class, I cannot get close enough to my students to read their lips behind the face shields because of social distancing rules, so my students are increasingly silent. A student on campus isn’t wearing a mask, and I find myself raging: yes, I can see your lips, but they are unwelcome. I suffer in silence to preserve us while you pretend the world isn’t changing.” (2)

So for just a little bit longer, let’s all wear our masks to help preserve the life we miss so much. Put an end to the spread so we can start reading lips, see smiles and know that although our world is changing, most people remain the same.