A PSA re: masks

[pepperbird]

Everyone is wearing a mask these days, and when you're hearing impaired, it makes it hard. I never realized how much I depend on being able to lip read (I didn't even know I was doing it) but when everyone's mouth is covered up, communicating can be difficult.
Please be patient with people in this situation., We arne't trying to be bothersome.

Also, as an aside, I've been finding it interesting how this is giving everyone a small taste of  apart of what its like to be autistic and not be able to "read" people's facial expressions as easily. I'm hoping that will lead to some greater understanding.

You have to find your positives when you can,lol.

[elaine567]

You can buy face masks with a clear plastic window especially for lip readers.

[pepperbird]

2 hours ago, elaine567 said:

You can buy face masks with a clear plastic window especially for lip readers.

not to be crude or anything, but they suck. the window reflects glare back, and it's not easy to see through. They are also incredibly uncomfortable to wear, and unless everyone else gets one, its not going to do someone who is hearing impaired any good. They need to see other people's lips, not the other way around.

There's other work arounds that are better. Voice to text aps are helpful- even a note pad and pencil can get the message across.

[major_merrick]

I hadn't thought of it until recently when I went out with my husband's Wife #1.  She functions well enough in normal times, but she has some hearing damage from an accident and supplements her hearing with lip reading.  The masks present a twofold problem in that speech becomes muffled AND masks prevent lip-reading.  She was quite frustrated.

[lana-banana]

I've noticed this too, and it really is a benefit inasmuch as everyone is far more communicative. I don't think I realized how much of conversations happen in people's facial expressions, but we all seem to have noticed that we can't tell when something is sarcastic, when somebody's smiling, etc. As a result everyone is explaining themselves a lot more than they would otherwise. Pretty cool.

Another odd benefit: no one I know has gotten a summer cold. Even a friend who has had them every year since before she can remember hasn't had one. I would love for mask wearing to be as common here as it is in Asia. 

Edited August 2, 2020 by lana-banana

[pepperbird2]

On 8/2/2020 at 5:08 PM, major_merrick said:

I hadn't thought of it until recently when I went out with my husband's Wife #1.  She functions well enough in normal times, but she has some hearing damage from an accident and supplements her hearing with lip reading.  The masks present a twofold problem in that speech becomes muffled AND masks prevent lip-reading.  She was quite frustrated.

it's especially hard in a health care setting where you need to be able to hear and understand. I have to take my daughter with me to help, and that usually entails a rather long and annoying discussion with the provider.
Last time I was in the ER, I had blood streaming down my face from a bad cut on my scalp. I had to explain to the nurse why I needed someone with me, she had to get the doctor;s approval and so on.

[pepperbird2]

On 8/2/2020 at 5:53 PM, lana-banana said:

I've noticed this too, and it really is a benefit inasmuch as everyone is far more communicative. I don't think I realized how much of conversations happen in people's facial expressions, but we all seem to have noticed that we can't tell when something is sarcastic, when somebody's smiling, etc. As a result everyone is explaining themselves a lot more than they would otherwise. Pretty cool.

Another odd benefit: no one I know has gotten a summer cold. Even a friend who has had them every year since before she can remember hasn't had one. I would love for mask wearing to be as common here as it is in Asia. 

That's actually a really privileged attitude. Not all of us can wear one.

[amaysngrace]

I can’t imagine what it’d be like to be hearing impaired with all this mask wearing.  I have trouble hearing people speak sometimes with these masks on and there’s nothing wrong with my hearing.  It must be very difficult at times.

[pepperbird2]

Just now, amaysngrace said:

I can’t imagine what it’d be like to be hearing impaired with all this mask wearing.  I have trouble hearing people speak sometimes with these masks on and there’s nothing wrong with my hearing.  It must be very difficult at times.

It is,.
There's also a number of other people who can;t wear masks, for one reason or another.
We are not being selfish we are not trying to hurt anyone else. We just want to be able to go out and enjoy the same activities as anyone else.

[amaysngrace]

Most of the rules don’t even make sense to me.  Last night a friend and I went to outdoor dining.  We had to wear a mask to order and could barely be heard but then we were free to take them off as soon he got our order and didn’t need to put them on again, not even in the restroom.  
 

Like why did we need them on to order when communication was necessary?  It makes no sense.  

My friend has a difficult time wearing one because she’s immune compromised and she was complaining how bizarre their system is.   I don’t really pay attention, just wear one if I’m required to, but she’s right.  It makes no sense.
 

 

[pepperbird2]

3 minutes ago, amaysngrace said:

Most of the rules don’t even make sense to me.  Last night a friend and I went to outdoor dining.  We had to wear a mask to order and could barely be heard but then we were free to take them off as soon he got our order and didn’t need to put them on again, not even in the restroom.  
 

Like why did we need them on to order when communication was necessary?  It makes no sense.  

My friend has a difficult time wearing one because she’s immune compromised and she was complaining how bizarre their system is.   I don’t really pay attention, just wear one if I’m required to, but she’s right.  It makes no sense.
 

 

I have to wear one when I go out, covid-19 or not.
This being said, I don't understand the logic or how far some people are taking it. The other day, I went with my daughter to buy and iPad. We figured we do it in person, support the local economy an all, and it was so annoying.
First, I had to explain to them that I always have a low grade fever when they came at me with a thermometer. . It's symptom of one of the chronic illness I have. The, they told me I needed to wear a mask over the mask I was already wearing. The poor security guard looked alarmed, as did the guy working at the front of the store, but their supervisor told them it's what I needed to do. 
How is anyone supposed to breathe like that? I gave it a shot, but after struggling for a minute or two, I coudln't do it.

We turned around and ended up taking our business elsewhere.
 

[amaysngrace]

Two masks??  I wonder what genius thought that up.  
 

I will occasionally wear one if I’m doing yard work during a bad allergy season but usually no because how else am I suppose to build resistance if I don’t expose myself? 
 

So you always have to wear a mask @pepperbird2?  Can you take aspirin?  I’d pop a couple before going out in public to get that temp down.  Nowadays people treat you like a pariah for a 99 degree temp.  It’s crazy. 

[pepperbird2]

1 minute ago, amaysngrace said:

Two masks??  I wonder what genius thought that up.  
 

I will occasionally wear one if I’m doing yard work during a bad allergy season but usually no because how else am I suppose to build resistance if I don’t expose myself? 
 

So you always have to wear a mask @pepperbird2?  Can you take aspirin?  I’d pop a couple before going out in public to get that temp down.  Nowadays people treat you like a pariah for a 99 degree temp.  It’s crazy. 

It's just one f the many "perks"(lol) of having an autoimmune illness. The fever is usually just a minor inconvenience.

[schlumpy]

On 8/2/2020 at 4:08 PM, major_merrick said:

The masks present a twofold problem in that speech becomes muffled AND masks prevent lip-reading.

I've noticed that I have to ask people to repeat more often. There is also the plexiglass barrier to get around. It's as if the person speaking is farther away. I never considered those who need to lip read. That would indeed be difficult.

[clia]

10 hours ago, amaysngrace said:

I can’t imagine what it’d be like to be hearing impaired with all this mask wearing.  I have trouble hearing people speak sometimes with these masks on and there’s nothing wrong with my hearing.  It must be very difficult at times.

I never realized that I am apparently a soft spoken person, because I practically have to yell to be heard through my mask.  Kind of seems like it sort of defeats the purpose.  Trying to communicate when wearing a mask is just horrible. 

[Mrin]

On 7/31/2020 at 10:08 AM, pepperbird said:

Also, as an aside, I've been finding it interesting how this is giving everyone a small taste of  apart of what its like to be autistic and not be able to "read" people's facial expressions as easily. I'm hoping that will lead to some greater understanding.

This. Wow. Thanks for this. I hadn't thought of it this way. 

[elaine567]

Just because a person is autistic or has psychological difficulties or has asthma or some other lung disease that prevents them from wearing a mask, it does not make them magically safe from coronavirus nor does it  mean they are not capable of passing it on.

By not wearing a mask, they pose an increased risk to other people and they and others should be aware of that.

[pepperbird2]

1 hour ago, elaine567 said:

Just because a person is autistic or has psychological difficulties or has asthma or some other lung disease that prevents them from wearing a mask, it does not make them magically safe from coronavirus nor does it  mean they are not capable of passing it on.

By not wearing a mask, they pose an increased risk to other people and they and others should be aware of that.

Thanks for clearing that up for me. 🤣
If the goal is to stop covid -19, then maybe, just maybe, people need to find an easier target than disabled people.

[elaine567]

It is not about targeting anyone, it is a statement of fact.
Viruses don't care about human sensitivities, they just want a bridge to travel from one person to another.
Mask wearing is an attempt to deny them that bridge.
The mask is there not to protect the wearer, it is there to protect other people.|
No mask, no protection.

[introverted1]

Honestly, this gets old. 

Public policy is built around what will do the greatest good for the largest number of people. 

Unfortunately, any policy is bound to create a problem for some small segment of the population.  There are people with extreme skin sensitivities (or autism and other similar conditions) for whom wearing clothing can be literally painful.  We still require that people be dressed when they are in stores and restaurants. Yet we don't see threads here (or endless posts on SM) bemoaning the requirement to wear a shirt.

Covid is going to be with us for a while. Yes, there are challenges to be addressed wrt mask-wearing, but the focus should be on addressing and overcoming those challenges, for the sake of everyone's health.

 

@pepperbird - to be clear, I think your PSA is helpful. And I hope more will be done to figure out how to address the needs of the hearing impaired.

Edited August 13, 2020 by introverted1
clarification

[pepperbird2]

21 minutes ago, introverted1 said:

Honestly, this gets old. 

Public policy is built around what will do the greatest good for the largest number of people. 

Unfortunately, any policy is bound to create a problem for some small segment of the population.  There are people with extreme skin sensitivities (or autism and other similar conditions) for whom wearing clothing can be literally painful.  We still require that people be dressed when they are in stores and restaurants. Yet we don't see threads here (or endless posts on SM) bemoaning the requirement to wear a shirt.

Covid is going to be with us for a while. Yes, there are challenges to be addressed wrt mask-wearing, but the focus should be on addressing and overcoming those challenges, for the sake of everyone's health.

 

@pepperbird - to be clear, I think your PSA is helpful. And I hope more will be done to figure out how to address the needs of the hearing impaired.

thank you, but it's not just hearing impaired. there's an implication that people who have legitimate reason why they can't wear one are lying, selfish, whatever. For what it's worth, I'm one of the people who, thanks to immunosupressant medications and autoimmune illnesses, is in the high risk group. I fully understand the value in mask wearing. However, there is another side, and that needs to be addressed in a meaningful way. Not just "wear a mask or stay at home", especially if this continues for the foreseeable future.
here, there's been no cases of covid 19 for several weeks now from the middle of July onward.
 

Edited August 13, 2020 by pepperbird2

[QuietRiot]

9 hours ago, introverted1 said:

Honestly, this gets old. 

Public policy is built around what will do the greatest good for the largest number of people. 

Unfortunately, any policy is bound to create a problem for some small segment of the population.  There are people with extreme skin sensitivities (or autism and other similar conditions) for whom wearing clothing can be literally painful.  We still require that people be dressed when they are in stores and restaurants. Yet we don't see threads here (or endless posts on SM) bemoaning the requirement to wear a shirt.

Covid is going to be with us for a while. Yes, there are challenges to be addressed wrt mask-wearing, but the focus should be on addressing and overcoming those challenges, for the sake of everyone's health.

 

@pepperbird - to be clear, I think your PSA is helpful. And I hope more will be done to figure out how to address the needs of the hearing impaired.

I have to say it, but...I'l go ahead. When I hear stories like some of the above posters regarding this so-called "suffering" they go through when wearing masks....when they don't know what true suffering is. I dunno, it's annoying when we've had people in the past who have FAR endured much more suffering, sacrifices, and challenges that out weigh mask wearing 10 fold. 

Edited August 14, 2020 by QuietRiot

[basil67]

@pepperbird2 I'd be interested to know how you'd manage my son's day program where mask wearing is mandatory for participants and staff.

Background:  Young adults, mostly indoors except for work related outdoor activities.  Differing degrees of intellectual disabilities, including/plus ASD.   Some have compromised immune systems.  Varying degrees of being able to manage personal hygiene/social distancing.  Staffed on a 1:2 or 1:3 ratio depending on need.    Some staff/staff family are at risk due to their own personal situations.  Staff are highly trained, and because we have great disability funding here, are in high demand and therefore difficult to replace. 

Do you choose to discriminate against the disabled person with the fragile immune system vs the person who can't wear a mask vs the staff members without whom the service will lose capacity?   If you lose capacity, which participants do you ditch?

 

Edited August 15, 2020 by basil67

[pepperbird2]

On 8/13/2020 at 9:49 PM, QuietRiot said:

I have to say it, but...I'l go ahead. When I hear stories like some of the above posters regarding this so-called "suffering" they go through when wearing masks....when they don't know what true suffering is. I dunno, it's annoying when we've had people in the past who have FAR endured much more suffering, sacrifices, and challenges that out weigh mask wearing 10 fold. 

 When your lungs and heart are shot to hell, then come back and talk to me about how easy it is to wear a mask. I wear one because have to, and did before covid-19 was even a thing.
It can make you feel like you're drowning.

[pepperbird2]

4 hours ago, basil67 said:

@pepperbird2 I'd be interested to know how you'd manage my son's day program where mask wearing is mandatory for participants and staff.

Background:  Young adults, mostly indoors except for work related outdoor activities.  Differing degrees of intellectual disabilities, including/plus ASD.   Some have compromised immune systems.  Varying degrees of being able to manage personal hygiene/social distancing.  Staffed on a 1:2 or 1:3 ratio depending on need.    Some staff/staff family are at risk due to their own personal situations.  Staff are highly trained, and because we have great disability funding here, are in high demand and therefore difficult to replace. 

Do you choose to discriminate against the disabled person with the fragile immune system vs the person who can't wear a mask vs the staff members without whom the service will lose capacity?   If you lose capacity, which participants do you ditch?

 

I would do what they do here and have been doing since day cares re-opened back in June.

The staff members concerned wear the masks that actually do something, We must be doing something right, because we haven't had a single case here in weeks, not one, and masks only became mandatory in public places on July 31st. Pretty much all the cases found are in one care home or in people who travelled and brought it back.

We keep hearing about "a second wave" here- I know it's hit some places, but not here.