Posted December 03, 2020 in Articles
Author: Shannon Galambos, American Sign Language Teacher
Last summer, when I found out we’d be wearing face masks all day at school, my first reaction was that it would be too hot and hard to breathe. But it never even crossed my mind that a mask would impede my ability to HEAR!
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Over the years, my students have expressed a similar sentiment over and over: “thank goodness you know sign language, Mrs. G!” Apparently… I say, “huh?” a lot! These statements alone probably should have clued me in, but it wasn’t until we started covering our mouth and nose to limit the spread of COVID-19, that I realized how much I rely on lip reading while I converse with others to fully hear and comprehend their words.
Now, everywhere I go, I overhear phrases like, “say that again” or “speak up, I can’t understand you.” Turns out, we ALL rely on lipreading without even realizing it.
Now just imagine lip reading is your sole way of communicating with others who don't speak your language, like it is for American Sign Language users. Being a deaf or hard-of-hearing person is especially difficult right now. And in a world where 466 million people face hearing loss, this is a significant portion of our population.
Another challenge they face is that most masks wrap around your ears. If a person uses hearing aids, it’s nearly impossible not to get them tangled. Many deaf or hard-of-hearing people are leaving their hearing aids at home—swapping their ability to hear for virus protection.
I realize we’re all a little bit on edge when it comes to being in public spaces right now. We know masks are essential in curbing the spread of COVID-19, but for the deaf community and many others, this is an entirely new level of isolation. With this in mind, I implore you to sprinkle kindness everywhere you go. Be patient with others and help when you can, for we truly never know what challenges others are dealing with and the impact our actions can have.