Clear face masks become a lifeline for deaf community

[kestrell]

If anyone knows of someone making these in the Boston area, please tell me: I know someone in the deaf community who really needs these.
https://www.13abc.com/content/news/Clear-face-masks-are-a-life-line-for-the-deaf-community--570644311.html?fbclid=IwAR3pwZnFyqymqX4XMbISRuszdVIP4f4n8gTSPvlTwgZ97UfREwdCdGdEGRo

Comments

[elusiveat]

This is brilliant.

Not much joy from me

[jesse_the_k]

I've seen anecdotes about people using a face shield. it's an adjustable head band that goes around the forehead. Attached to this band is a curved piece of clear plastic, reaching from ear to ear and down below the chin. They're part of medical PPE, and Before 'Rona they were sold at home improvement stores for protection while grinding, sawing, or otherwise creating little sharp things you don't want in your eyes or cheeks.

The Instructables site is home to tinkerers from all over. Here's a face shield design that doesn't require a 3D printer
https://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-PPE-Face-Shield-3D-Printer-Not-Needed/

I know of two commercial sources for clear masks:
https://safenclear.com/
was founded by a Deaf medical tech who needed to lipread her peers in the OR. They're sold out of June delivery and are taking July orders.

https://www.theclearmask.com/
The clear mask site is responding to the 'Rona issue. They don't have a posted delivery date and require a bulk buy-- eavesdropping on the higher-ed disability services listserv I learned that some colleges have grouped together to make an order.

I checked my top two spots for Deaf resources, but neither mentioned sources of masks:

The National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes
-- this is funded to support college students, and they also have lots of info relevant to any Deaf adult
https://www.nationaldeafcenter.org/covid-19-information

and the National Association of the Deaf, founded by Deaf folks in 1880!
https://www.nad.org/covid19-communication-access-recs-for-hospital/

[jesse_the_k]

Ooops! One more from a Deaf-aware health clinic in Puget Sound

https://www.hsdc.org/accessible-deaf-friendly-face-mask/

[kestrell]

Thanks, Jesse! I've forwarded these links to folks on the Implementation Council, in case anyone knows someone with the DIY skills.