Danielle Darrah discusses how the d/Deaf community have felt excluded during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With 11 million people affected by some level of hearing loss in the UK alone, you would think that this would sound the alarm for a wider plethora of alternative options for communication within the global pandemic for those with this invisible disability. Many forget or simply aren’t aware of the concept that every person born with hearing loss, moderate or profound, use some form of lip patterns or lip reading when interacting with others; and others, affected with hearing loss later in life, may learn this skill as their disability becomes more severe. It is for this reason that this large demographic has been unnecessarily affected during the COVID pandemic when speaking to individuals wearing face coverings and masks that prevent sight of the mouth. When communicating, d/Deaf and hard of hearing people rely solely on subtitles, lip reading and British Sign Language (BSL) to understand and speak with others but with only 151,000 people fluently understanding and interacting using BSL, most subtitles being heavily unreliable and rushed and mouths being covered, it is fair to say that this disability isn’t receiving the correct attention that it should at the moment.
"This large demographic has been unnecessarily affected during the COVID pandemic"
In an interview on BBC Radio Derby, Alison, a woman from the d/Deaf community outlined the struggles and anxiety she faced with what should be a daily routine. She stated, “It’s (her day) absolutely terrifying, cos I don’t know what they are saying to me, and all I can see is the face mask moving with their breath. So I am constantly on edge thinking who is talking towards me. [sic]”, giving an insight to how social distancing had disallowed her from showing the sales assistant her shopping list.
How you can help
Assimilating the extent to which the communication, or lack thereof, has been creating a level of disconnection for those with hearing loss is certainly a step in the right direction, as individuals can begin to understand the ways in which they can help and promote inclusivity for d/Deaf and partially d/Deaf people. Businesses and organisations should begin by utilising the face shields rather than face coverings for employees as it not only creates direct sight of the mouth, it protects the worker also. Individuals could do their bit by learning a few basic BSL signs that will help them in the case of communicating with a deaf person (for example, “Deaf?” Or “Can I help?”), already promoting stronger inclusivity with those who suffer with a hearing impairment. Creating subtitles on phones and hanging signs that illustrate a d/Deaf aware organisation or business is easy and accessible for everyone. Not only will this aid the ways that individuals interact with the d/Deaf community, it will ease the anxiety that people like Alison feel when speaking with other members of her area, especially during the uncertainty that society is facing currently in this worldwide pandemic.
"Individuals could do their bit by learning a few basic BSL signs that will help them in the case of communicating with a d/Deaf person"
This is such an important piece and such an interesting read! Can't wait till the next!