Face masks, which may become a common accessory, can make communications more difficult for millions of people who are deaf or hard of hearing, disability advocates say.
“The ubiquitous use of masks may be necessary for safety reasons, but it does hinder communications for 48 million deaf and hard of hearing people,” said Howard Rosenblum, CEO of the National Association for the Deaf.
Mr. Rosenblum said it is a “problem not only for those who can lip-read but also for those who do not simply because being able to see the mouth movements and facial expressions are helpful cues to basic communications in various situations such as at the food store, the bank, or other parts of daily life.”
Bobbie Jo Kite, who was born deaf into a second-generation deaf family from Pennsylvania, said she uses American Sign Language primarily to communicate and English to read and write. She teaches in the Education Department at Gallaudet University, the nation’s premier school for the deaf and hard of hearing located in the District.
“American Sign Language is a visual-gestural language, which means we use our hands, arms and facial expressions to convey our messages,” Ms. Kite said.
She said that when people speak while wearing face masks, “I lose approximately half of the information that is being conveyed since the nose, cheeks and mouth parts are covered. I can only access the eyes, hands and arms components of ASL.
“Since the majority of the population is hearing, and English does not require the use of hands or arms to communicate, it is quite challenging for me to receive information in my surroundings,” Ms. Kite said.
Many face masks can impede communication, but some have clear windows, including one that is FDA-approved and can be used in a health care setting. Some people have sewn masks with a clear window over the mouth and nose by using materials such as shower curtain liners.
Clear masks can help but do not necessarily offer full accessibility for the deaf and hard of hearing, Mr. Rosenblum noted.
“Many do not lip-read. In addition, clear masks often are not clear enough for full comprehension even for expert lip-readers. Clear masks are, nevertheless, helpful to provide visual cues to assist with communications in limited situations,” he said.
Only about 30% of what people say is lip-readable, says Gayla Guignard, chief strategy officer for Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and trained audiologist.
She added speech can be degraded with distance and noted hearing aids are designed to work optimally at three feet or closer, which could present another challenge if health experts are recommending at least 6 feet of distance.
“Having a face mask over so many people is very tough for the everyday person who is trying to get through life who is deaf or hard of hearing,” Ms. Guignard said. “People who are deaf or hard of hearing tend to use all of their faculties and abilities to understand the message Even people with normal or typical hearing often rely on facial expressions and lip-reading.”
She said she has been told that people who are hard of hearing have reported struggling hearing and understanding consonants as clearly as vowels, and 95% of what makes speech clear are consonants.
The good news is that hearing loss is being detected much earlier nowadays, she said, since 98% to 99% of babies born are screened for it. Therefore, a child is able to get fitted for hearing aids or other hearing technology such as cochlear implants and can avoid going through auditory deprivation over a longer period of time.
In informal settings, Ms. Kite said she will use a pen and paper or type on her phone to communicate with others.
However, while practicing social distancing and wearing masks, she noted this makes using written communication more difficult.
“I am acutely aware I do not want to share my [writing] materials with others and I want to maintain the 6 feet space between individuals. This is such a conundrum. Going out of my house is superbly stressful,” Ms. Kite said. “The second I put on the mask and head to a public space, I am on high alert. I am constantly scanning for information. I can only get information from people’s eyes so there are a lot of missed connections.”
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