Past projects 1
Communication Adaptations While Using A Mask
Funded Sep 1, 2020This classroom project was brought to life by AT&T and 4 other donors.
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Face masks are a powerful tool to prevent COVID-19 transmission, but they also make it more difficult to hear. Many schools will require face coverings for teachers, and students as they return to in-person teaching and learning. People with hearing loss and processing issues will have to endure months of frustration as they try to talk to each other through masks. Because a pandemic is stressful enough already, I decided to work on ways to make it easier to communicate while wearing a face mask. There are two ways that masks make it harder to understand speech. First, they muffle speech sounds, especially the higher frequencies that help us distinguish between similar sounds. Second, they block visual cues, including facial expressions and lip positions that help us understand speech. To support my students’ needs it is so important to be certain they hear and understand what is being said. Using a portable microphone will help us be safe and be heard.