Covid masks hinder lip-reading, says Durban North teacher
Everyday errands that were once easy have become a challenge as Amy Barnard tries to navigate without lip reading.
AS the nation enters level 3 of the Covid-19 lockdown, Durban North teacher, Amy Barnard is concerned about returning to work.Barnard is hearing impaired and relies on lip reading to communicate with her hearing students.The compulsory face masks that are worn in public have silenced Barnard’s world by making it impossible for her to read lips. The high school drama teacher’s hearing falls within the moderate to severe range, making it impossible for her to hear someone speaking over background noise.
“I was probably born with full hearing but I had severe ear infections as a toddler and I lost a lot of my hearing through that. It’s been this way my whole life, I’m used to it, but now there’s a totally new dynamic,” she said.
Everyday errands that were once easy have become a challenge as Barnard tries to navigate without lip reading.
“Going to the shops is the biggest difficulty at the moment- you’re trying to interact with people and they are wearing masks or behind shields and I’m used to reading lips,” she said.
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With matric learners returning to school in June, Barnard will have to tackle teaching without being able to lip read.
“I teach at a hearing school. I’ve been teaching for eight years and I have managed up until now because I read lips and my hearing aids help me. Now I will be limited because I can’t read lips with everyone wearing the compulsory masks,” she said.
The teacher is hoping to source specialised masks for her students. With a clear plastic section sewn in, the mask will allow Barnard to read lips while her students stay safe.
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“It’s difficult because they are a lot more expensive. My husband teaches at a deaf school where specialised masks will be provided for the whole school, but for myself, a hearing impaired teacher in a hearing school, I don’t know how we will handle it,” she said.
Barnard is not sure if clear face shield are an option.
“There are studies that suggest the shields aren’t 100 per cent effective on their own, without a mask,” she said.
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