DEAF FIND WAYS TO WORK WITH MASKS
WHEN Belmont woman Renee d’Offay lost all her natural hearing from meningococcal meningitis, she always had a notepad and pencil in hand to communicate with people around her.
The mum quickly learnt to lip-read and sign in Auslan, but now Ms d’Offay and many members of the deaf and hard of hearing communities are facing new challenges amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The move towards wearing face masks means the facial expression important in Auslan and the ability to lip read is compromised.
But members of the deaf and hard of hearing community have come up with inclusive communication solutions such as flash cards, writing things down, phone apps and in some cases wearing clear face masks.
Ms d’Offay said eye contact was more important than ever for deaf and hard of hearing people. “Facial expressions are an important linguistic feature of Auslan, as well as eye contact,” Ms d’Offay said.
“It’s strange expressing in Auslan with a mask on and very difficult to understand some people wearing them.”
Ms d’Offay said she intended to revert to using her pen and paper if needed in coming weeks.
Deaf Victoria advocacy officer Catherine Dunn, who is deaf, said while the coronavirus pandemic had led to more authorities, such as the state government, using Auslan interpreters in press conferences, it had been a challenging time for some deaf people.
“The masks have been a big symbol of a barrier because all deaf and hard of hearing (people) have been impacted by the wearing of masks,” Ms Dunn said. She said, while deaf and hard of hearing people were allowed to remove their masks under an exemption, many wanted to wear masks to protect their health.
Deaf Victoria general manager Maxine Buxton said the wider community must also understand their role in ensuring they communicate inclusively. “The burden (of communication) is squarely placed on deaf people and has been for a long time there,” Ms Buxton said.
She said the wider community could help by speaking more slowly and ensuring they communicated clearly.