US student makes special face masks for deaf and hard of hearing amid Covid-19 pandemic
KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 — An American college senior is producing special face masks to help the deaf and hard of hearing community amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
After brainstorming the idea with her mom, 21-year-old Ashley Lawrence who is currently studying education for the deaf and hard of hearing at Eastern Kentucky University, is producing face masks with a clear plastic panel in the middle.
With the mouth of the wearer visible, these face masks can provide assistance for the deaf and hard hearing people who may read lips or speak sign language.
“For anyone who uses speech reading, lip reading, anybody like that,” she told American news portal, Lex18.
“And people who are profoundly deaf who use ASL (American Sign Language) as their primary mode of communication. ASL is very big on facial expressions and it is part of the grammar.”
Lawrence further explained that with the global pandemic happening, it is important for the deaf and hard of hearing community to be able to communicate with one another and other people as well.
"I felt like there was a huge population that was being looked over, we're all panicking right now and so a lot of people are just not being thought of.
“So, I felt like it was very important that, even at a time like this, people need to have that communication.”
Lawrence and her mother use bed sheets and plastic fabric to produce the special face masks and in less than two days, they’ve received dozens of orders from six states around America.
Besides that, the mother and daughter had also come up with several face mask designs that fit with the deaf and hard of hearing community.
“We're trying different things for people with cochlear implants and hearing aids if they can't wrap around the ears.
"We're making some that have around the head and around the neck.”
For now, Lawrence is producing as many face masks as she can and sending them out for free.
As demand increases however, she’s planning to give away free patterns and tutorials so people can make their own.
Lawrence has also created a GoFundMe campaign so that people could support her financially to pay for the needed supplies.
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