Sound Advice: Impact of Face Coverings on Communication Access – Recent Studies

 Studies investigating the impact of facial coverings on auditory and visual access to communication have been limited. Refer to two recent studies summarized below to gain insight into the variability of acoustic effects of face covering options and the potential impacts of these effects on speech understanding.

Acoustic Effects of medical, cloth, and transparent face masks on speech signals, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

· The Illinois Augmented Listening Laboratory examined the decrease in speech signal caused by different facial coverings (cloth, medical, and transparent masks and shields) and the effect of a microphone placed at different positions (next to the mouth, cheek, forehead, lapel), with     various masks.

· All masks decreased the speech signal above 1000 Hz; substantial variation occurred in results between mask types, especially for cloth masks with different materials and weaves (thickness was less important than weave, as loosely woven fabrics were better than tightly woven ones).

· Transparent masks (shields and cloth masks with clear windows) provided poorer acoustic performance compared to medical and cloth masks.

· Using a microphone placed at the lapel or forehead was most effective to capture sound deflected by masks to the side of the face (especially shields and masks with clear windows). Talkers wearing masks can improve transmission of high-frequency sounds by wearing a microphone.

The Effects of Face Coverings and Remote Microphone Technology on Speech Perception in the Classroom, The Moog Center for Deaf Education

 · The Moog Center for Deaf Education studied how various facial coverings (cloth mask, cloth mask with window, and clear shield) with and without a personal remote microphone (RM) digital modulation (DM) system impact speech understanding in a   classroom environment.

· Use of an RM system significantly improved speech  understanding when used with the cloth mask and face shield, but resulted in poorer performance with the fully clear mask (ClearMask™).

· Functional listening assessments can be easily completed in the classroom to determine the best listening option for each child.