COVID Masks – A Special Challenge for Deaf

Bill Cooper was born deaf due to a traumatic delivery at birth. He relied on American Sign Language as a child and is now an ASL teacher at the University of Central Florida. Teaching ASL to college students has become his passion.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he has noticed that masks have caused a whole new world of difficulty for the Deaf. Students who are used to lip-reading aren’t able to read lips, and facial expressions are a core part of ASL.

Fortunately, clear masks have helped the Deaf communicate better with each other. Cooper has also asked his students to use empty backgrounds during online video sessions so he can focus on their fingers. Clear backdrops are helping his students use ASL more effectively and to see the beauty in sign language.

You can read the full article here.