Sound Advice: Face Masks

Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, many people are following health guidelines to wear face masks while in public places. These face masks can impact our communication with one another – particularly for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing.

HOW MASKS MAY IMPACT COMMUNICATION

· Different fabrics and styles of masks distort speech.

· Individuals may not know when others are speaking and may have difficulty understanding what they are saying.

· Masks cover facial expressions that convey grammar and meaning and show mouth morphemes for ASL.

· Masks may get tangled with hearing aids and implants sitting behind the ears and may pull the devices off when removed.

· Masks hide facial expressions that may alert communication partners to  communication breakdowns and confusion.

 HOW INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING MAY BE AFFECTED

· Increased mental exertion required to achieve effective communication

· Increased anxiety and frustration due to miscommunication

· Increased feelings of isolation in group settings

 WHAT YOU CAN DO

· Consider using clear face shields or masks with clear cut-outs instead of traditional masks (see resources below).

· Consider using behind-the-head hooks, headbands, etc.

· Consider masks that tie behind the head instead of the ears.

 HOW TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION

· Maintain eye contact during conversation.

· Speak as slowly and clearly as possible without changing the intonation and quality of your natural speech.

· Continue consistent use of prescribed hearing technology.

· Alternative forms of communication such as dictation or translation apps may provide a speech to text option

· Consider attaching a directional microphone to your smartphone to improve accuracy and cover greater distance to pick up a speaker’s voice when using speech to text apps

 SPEECH TO TEXT APPS

Ava (can type back, many languages) (iOS, Android)

Google Live Transcribe (can type back, many languages) (Android)

Microsoft Translator (can type back, can translate, many languages) (iOS, Android, Windows)

Otter.ai (English only) (iOS, Android)

Web Captioner (many languages) (universal web page)

 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Phonak Blog: Masking Dilemma

Hearing Review: Masks & Speech Understanding

National Deaf Children's Society: Impact of Masks

National Association of the Deaf: Communication Access 

Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education: General Considerations for Masks & Shields