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Mask Policies Handicap the Deaf
Mask policies handicap the deaf. Many deaf people read lips. You can’t read lips if they are behind a piece of cloth. I have been thinking about this lately because I had a double-ear infection. My ears were all stuffed up, and my hearing was down to less than 20% of normal. Being temporarily hearing-impaired can lead to some real adventures, but being such in the age of COVID Security Theater makes it even more interesting. I find that I can read lips. I was using that to understand what my wife was saying quite a bit while my ears were stuffed up, but when we went out somewhere, it became impossible.
I had a meeting at church dealing with the phone system. The board member I was dealing with is a woman with a very soft voice. Try to maintain six-feet of social distancing while trying to hear what such a person is saying as she is muffled behind a mask. It did not work out well.
@drewinwisconsin just posted this in the PIT: “DNR tells employees to wear masks during Zoom calls, even when they are alone at home.” The headline is enough, you don’t have to click through and read about how brain-dead Wisconsin’s government appointees are. But it brought to mind that this is an ADA lawsuit waiting to happen. How is this effecting deaf or hearing-impaired employees? What measures are in place to help them cope? Anyone know anything on the subject?
Anyone a lawyer who needs a good payday?
Published in Law
I have had hearing issues all my life. I am just this side of hearing aids, it is so that everybody tells me to get them but I am too stubborn to succumb. Smart phone tech has helped in that I can wear a ear bud but have my phone amplify for me in some situations.
While I do not know how to read lips I do know that watching a persons mouth helps me a lot. The masks are terrible. Between my hearing issues, the normal muffling that masks do to voices, and not seeing peoples lips things get very difficult. I was at the doctors the other day and between all those and the ladies accent I just could not figure out what the nurse wanted. I go to this nurse every few months and it has never been an issue before this time we had to keep correcting mistakes between us via communications.
Don’t be such a stubborn old coot and get some hearing aids. With aids I can hear a lot more, but unfortunately they don’t decipher what is being said. I’m still unable to decipher some sounds as the th or sh or other similar sounds, so still don’t understand what some people are saying.
What is really a boon for me, is I can now hear music, my aids bring high pitch tones down into my hearing range so now hear violins, etc. My father had a beautiful voice and made recording for me, so I asked him once, why do you stop singing for a few beats and then start singing again? That is when we discovered that I didn’t hear high octaves. And I still can’t spell worth a crap, my spell check works overtime.
I’m an advocate for stubborn old coots. For me it is aspirational!
Good for you. We have to advocate loudly and without fear of being considered impolite.
Also many workers despise wearing masks. They welcome any legit reason to be able to drop the masks and breathe correctly, even if only for a moment or two.
My grocery clerk at Grocery Outlet stated by the end of hour five, his body can no longer handle the mask. He begins to feel dizzy and faint. Yet he dares not pulling his mask off. Should management catch him with his mask off, he is suspended for 2 days without pay. Some clerks are being “let go” after offense number three.
I’m beginning to think that some of the store clerks are glad to see me! The grocery I’ve been going to lately is new to me and I don’t know where things are. So for about 1 and 1/2 hours today, every clerk I asked about something got to drop their mask for 2 or 3 minutes. Then I discovered the store has a Hogsheads Deli, and I was there for at least 20 or 30 min. OML, pastrami, corned beef, turkey, cheeses, oh yum! I’ve been starving during this lock down.
I love it. I just shared it with my wife, and we’re both laughing about the clerks being so happy to breathe.
The face guard protects you from people who spray droplets by coughing, sneezing, talking loudly, etc. The mask is more to protect others from your spray; face guards provide some protection for others, but they are not as good as a mask.
Heath care workers working with COVID patients typically wear both.
Need holographic masks.
60 feet is not enough if you want to stop every last virus particle. But when masks cut down on the number of virus particles you take in, it cuts down the chances of your getting a coronavirus infection, and if you get an infection anyway it cuts down on the severity of the disease (or so some studies are suggesting). It’s not a binary thing. There are people on both sides of the mask wars who would do well to understand that.