Face masks pose challenges for deaf, hard of hearing community - KTRK-TV
Many people in that community rely on lip reading to communicate.
"It sounds like Donald Duck talk. I can't understand what you're saying," said Kim DeLong, who is legally deaf. "It's like, 'Huh?' 'What did you say?' I can hear you, but I can't understand you."
“The masks still have to be on, which I’m all for, but I’m asking for people to stop getting upset when I can’t understand them. I’m reaching out to you guys to be my loud voice.”
Kim DeLong is deaf and relies on lip reading.
Watch her story at 5:30 pm.https://t.co/vdhULYI1qZ pic.twitter.com/Cn8wP7XIRG
— Pooja Lodhia (@PoojaOnTV) June 28, 2020
After a recent spike in COVID-19 cases, many counties surrounding Houston issued mandatory face mask orders for residents when inside a business.
DeLong can hear sounds with her hearing aid turned on but relies on lip reading to make out words. She said the communication problem has been so bad that she's even been forced to leave certain businesses.
She's now asking business owners and others for patience.
"The mask still has to be on, which I'm all for, but they must accommodate for us. I'm asking for simple paper and pen," she said. "Imagine going to a busy bar or concert, and you're trying to understand what someone is saying to you, but it's so loud that you can't figure it out. That's me every day."
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