Mask project for the deaf community speaks volumes
For many businesses, especially arts organizations, staying afloat during the coronavirus pandemic is Job 1. Performances are virtual, and it may be some time before inperson shows are a reality. But in a move that typifies Boston at its best, the Boston Lyric Opera is working with its costume shop partner, CostumeWorks, to producer clearfront face masks for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
Mayor Martin Walsh’s Boston Resiliency fund is supplying a grant for the venture.
This is ingenuity, targeted fundraising and community service at its best — and a welcome bright spot in a morass of grim news.
“We know that wearing face masks is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of COVID-19,” said Mayor Walsh in a statement. “It is critical that our residents are able to access face masks, and I am pleased that through the Boston Resiliency Fund we are able to support Boston Lyric Opera’s unique partnership to create needed face masks for our Deaf and Hard of Hearing residents as well as others who rely on lip-reading and facial expressions to communicate.”
According to the mayor’s office, over 1,800 masks will be made. They will be donated or sold at a discount.
“Accessibility is about more than just ramps,” said Boston Disability Commissioner Kristen McCosh. “I would like to thank the BLO for their hard work and dedication in producing these clear masks. Our city thrives because of successful public-private partnerships like this.”
Since the pandemic began, attention has been on masks, more specifically, the types which offer the best protection, and where to get them as the early days of coronavirus were marked with shortages. The focus was, and is, on blocking transmission of the virus. For those who need to read lips, the pandemic has severely limited the ability to communicate.
“Who could predict that a pandemic would bring to us an opportunity like this — to serve a new community,” said Bradley Vernatter, Boston Lyric Opera’s chief operating officer. “Along with the production staff at BLO, the artists at CostumeWorks took great care in designing and delivering a simple, elegant product to help potentially thousands of Boston’s deaf and hard-of-hearing citizens. At the same time, it puts hard-hit artists back to work, which is a goal we prioritize even if we can’t perform live for the time being. We are delighted and thankful to the Boston Resiliency Fund for making this effort possible.”
“The pandemic has changed the way all of us communicate but for people who are deaf or deafblind like myself, the pandemic has caused us to do a double adaption — adapting to the way we adapted to communicate with hearing people which was to lip-read or read facial expressions,” said Kerry Thompson, executive director of Silent Rhythms Boston. “The clear mask has been instrumental for me trying to reintegrate into our society’s new normal.”
Our city is strong not only for its ability to endure tragedies and pull together through tough times, but because of a deep vein of altruism that runs through it. When that is coupled with innovation, the result is a partnership such as that between the BLO and CostumeWorks, making life during the pandemic a bit easier for our fellow citizens. Kudos all around.