‘Lip-reading too difficult with regular face masks’
A YOUNG deaf woman says regular masks make lip-reading impossible, and she is calling on people to choose visors or transparent masks instead.
Face coverings are mandatory when travelling on public transport or going into a range of public places including shops, libraries, cinemas and hairdressers. Staff in restaurants and cafes also wear them.
But the Irish Deaf Society says its research shows masks can make communication impossible for the deaf community. They advise the public to follow recommendations from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) which states a
‘face covering’ for the general public can be a cloth mask or visor.
Aoife Madden, from Castlebar in Mayo, said: ‘I have found the last while to be not easy, I feel isolated. If more people could wear visors it would be easier for me, or even those masks with the clear panel. I just need to be able to see their lips so I can lip-read.’
Only 21, she said many people do not expect her to be deaf and assume she is ignoring them.
‘I have found it quite difficult in shops, I have given up really. I have left in frustration, almost crying because I can’t hear.
‘Some people get annoyed if you ask them to say it again. If they turn away while they’re speaking then the sound gets lost in the mask,’ she said.
Talking on buses is also challenging, and her friends now resort to typing their chat on the phone. Aoife tried using a transcription app which listens and writes out conversations on her phone but hit a uniquely Irish problem.
She said: ‘People here often use a mix of Irish and English words without realising, and the app does not understand them.’
Staff in her local cafe are now wearing masks, and she relies on family to order for her. Aoife said: ‘I could not hear a word. I would have to ask the staff to write down what they are saying. That makes it harder for them.’
Aoife, who is studying Linguistics and German at Limerick University, writes poetry on an Instagram account titled @yellow_ writingpoems.
Her most recent poem says: ‘Conversation happens But I zone out Muffled speech and covered mouths No way to tune in What else can I do? I’ll sit here in silence Until this is through.’
A few weeks ago Aoife contacted RTÉ’s Liveline with her concerns. A few days later, a box of visors made by Irish company Hunter Shield arrived at her home.
Having shared these with friends and family, she realised what she has been missing out on.
Wearing the visors inspired her to look online for masks with clear plastic inserts.
‘It’s about communication. I never give out to anyone, if you have not grown up with someone who is deaf, you would not think about it.
‘I would be hyper-aware of people who are struggling with the Covid-19 restrictions because I am struggling,’ she said.
Aoife said the visors have another practical advantage: ‘I find the visor easier than a mask when I have my hearing aids in as well. And I wear glasses so it’s a lot to put on your ears,’ she said.
Lianne Quigley chairperson of the Irish Deaf Society said it was told of problems in healthcare settings, and the HSE now allows staff to lower their mask at a safe distance or wear visors.
There are 103, 676 people with a hearing disability in Ireland.
‘I have left in frustration – almost crying’