Masking the deaf in society

Masking the deaf in society

The wearing of face masks following the COVID-19 outbreak remains one of the key safety measures recommended by health experts to contain the spread of the deadly virus.

Various donors have been volunteering their time and resources to donate the masks for free, but most of the masks designed, donated and even purchased, did not take into account people with hearing and speech impairments. Thus disrupting communication among them and the society at large.

People living with disability are among the group in the community who are at risk of contracting coronavirus due to their vulnerability. In addition, wearing masks has further challenged those with hearing and speech impairments as they speak through sign language and are required to see facial expressions and lip reading for easier communication.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on the international community to sensitize the public to the importance of wearing masks where the prevalence is high, especially at public gatherings.

Hamisa Zaja,  the director of the Coast Association for Persons Living with Disability, says this community communicates through gestures and reading lips, so when they wear casual masks that cover even the mouth, it becomes difficult for them to understand what is being said and to understand the message being conveyed. This has caused many of them to be left out when the County government of Mombasa was distributing food during the first country’s lock down in March last year.

“A large number of the group lacked government assistance as they could not be understood due to their disability and also all the masks being given out covered the mouth and nose thus complicating the situation even further,” she says.

According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics 2019 population, 900,000 Kenyans are living with a disability. Of these, 250,000 people live with hearing and speech impairments thus Zaja decided to come up with masks that will be able to help this community for easier communication.

The transparent mask is made of a material and a special plastic easier for lip reading. Ann Otieno is a mother whose 20-year-old son has benefited from the masks and says he is happy as his son can now communicate with his colleagues without taking off his masks and know he is safe.

Teresia Malii is a tailor who sews the transparent mask and she says that her desire to help people living with hearing and speech impairments made her volunteer to sew after Zaja gave her the idea. She says that the masks require high quality skills and she makes up to 40 masks a day.

“I was very happy when madam Zaja came up with the idea and sketched it for me and I made sure that I try and sew them. The first and second trials were not the best but with time I have perfected my art,” she explains.

Zaja says that so far they have distributed more than 35,000 masks in various parts of the world. However, despite being applauded for its quality, some people living with disabilities point out the challenge of wearing such masks.

Omar Ali is the chairman of the Kilindini Youth Group for the Deaf, and speaking through a sign language interpreter, he says that when they use the masks and breathe they emit build-up moisture and cannot be seen when they speak.

It is something that health experts have acknowledged that these masks have the challenges but it is better to protect yourself than to have no masks at all. Pauline Oginga, the Mombasa County’s chief public health officer, says they are in the process of talking to various organizations and institutions to ensure they get the right mask for people living with hearing and speech impairments.

“We are calling upon institutions and researchers if they can come up with a better version of the mask but for now they are better when used by the community since they meet the requirements for protection,” she says.

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COVID-19 Face masks

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