Hearing Impaired People Break Down How Mask Policies Have Impacted Their Daily Life

Hearing Impaired People Break Down How Mask Policies Have Impacted Their Daily Life
File:Hearing aid 20080620.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

Wearing a mask is a non-negotiable measure that we all need to take in order to stem the spread of the most prolific and deadly pandemic in modern history. It is also a complete and utter pain in the keister.

Let's just consider some of the new discoveries we've all been forced to unveil since regularly mask wearing hit the scene.

First, humidity. Face moistening, inside an outhouse at a music festival air temperature right in your face. And second, the brutal recognition that one's breath is not on par with the aromas of a Yankee candle or some amazing cuisine. It's actually horrible.

And for most of us, that's as far as the difficulties go. The mask is a new discomfort, a mere annoyance.

But for people who are hard of hearing or deaf, the mask is a serious problem. When lip reading and facial expression are primary means of communication, a sudden shield is devastating.

A recent Reddit thread explored the ways mask-wearing has effected the daily lives of that community.

zugtug asked, "Hearing impaired or lip reading people, how have Corona mask policies affected your daily life?"

As Bad As You'd Think

"Its absolutely awful. I have trouble in places with a lot of background noise and have to read lips. My wife helps me out a lot but she can't go with me everywhere."

"It's very frustrating."

-- xnsst

The Sounds of Charlie Brown's Parents

"Stranger: blahblah blah blaaah mmph...you?"

"Me: ....."

"Stranger: blahblah blaaah blaaah..mmph...YOU?"

"Me: ...uhhhhh....yeeeaaaaaa?"

"Stranger: .......you did?"

"Me: running away"

-- ImWhatTheySayDeaf

"Don't Be Mad At Me!"

"It's hell. When asking people to speak louder, they usually end up really yelling." -- lismez

"Which doesn't help because their speech is super muffled so it's just blurred together angry noises" -- bozwizard14

"My mom has this gift where she can speak loud enough for you to hear her on the other side of the house (not a small house, but not giant) without sounding like she's crazy mad and without hurting her voice."

"It's my main proof for mom magic." -- DogsBCoolBro

A Good Analysis

"Sign languages without facial expressions it's not as useful as with, and just emphasize them with eyes it's not enough. I'm a sign language interpreter and me, like all my colleagues, always end up with increase the distance and pull down the face mask."

"There's no other way, with the mask up it's as if a part of the grammatical structure of the language is missing and therefore there would still be a flaw in the communication."

-- The_Sherpa

Secondary Ramifications

"I wear hearing aids and even then sometimes it's hard to get people. But I'll usually say that I wear them and they will make an effort to speak up or speak more clearly."

"What sucks a** is hearing aids, masks, and glasses day. My ears are like WTF bruh? Or the damn string gets twisted in my hearing aid and when I pull the mask off it'll take then hearing aid with it. Then I'm like oh f*** these things are not cheap at all."

-- Thatdewd57

Seeing Sound

"I'm not even hearing impaired, and I've noticed how much I rely on reading lips." -- The_Sherpa

"People always ask me why I put my glasses on when they're talking to me. 'You don't need your glasses to hear' and I'd say, sure I do, I can hear better if I can see your lips moving, even if I'm not actually reading your lips." -- chiefgareth

This Man Person Has Seven Jobs

"I'm a bit hard of hearing. I can hear sounds just fine. A mouse farts two blocks away and it wakes me up. Human speech however is hard to discern. A lot of it sounds like a loud mumble."

"I need to see lips move to help me figure out what the hell is being said. I hate to ask people to say it again so I just smile and say 'yep.' "

"I have no idea what all I've 'agreed' to over the years."

-- The_Safe_For_Work

Breaching the Wall

"I can't understand anything people are saying to me anymore. I always have to move to the side of the screens that are up at businesses, or lean really close to people talking."

"I know I shouldn't because of social distancing, but I have to or there's no way I know what people are saying."

-- MediumSizedHoss

Months of Ringing

"It's been a nightmare. I can barely chat with my customers and coworkers because of it, and have taken to the polite 'oh okay' sort of noises. I miss talking and feel like I've decayed."

"On top of that, the only mask that works for me is the kind you tie behind your head. Problem is, if something gets too close to my hearing aid, it starts to whistle, and the mask straps constantly trigger that."

"So even when I am trying to talk to someone, or a customer ambushes me with a question, half of what I'll hear is a faint constant drone in my ear."

-- jenamac

Be Aware!

"My girlfriend is hearing impaired and this is something she really struggles with. I'm usually interpret for her and answer questions for her when possible."

"Thanks for asking the question, I think a lot of people wouldn't even think about this, so it's nice to get it out there so people can be more understanding of our hard of hearing friends."

-- AllForNicky

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

masks

Adults Who Still Need A Stuffed Animal To Go To Sleep Share Their Experiences

Reddit user Old-Horse1185 asked: '34 percent of adults sleep with a stuffed animal or other sentimental object. Are you one of these people? What do you sleep with?'

Old, pink stuffed animal bunny sitting on bed
Photo by Paulo Almeida on Unsplash

Stuffies, plushies, stuffed animals, or plush toys; whatever you might call them, we likely all can remember a fluffy friend we had in our childhood.

But some adults might have carried their childhood friend into adulthood, or even made others along the way, and they might even still go to sleep with them at night, too.

Keep reading...Show less
stuffed animals

The Most F**ked Up Things People Have Ever Seen At Work

Waiter
Kate Townsend/Unsplash

Working remotely from home certainly has its advantages, including not having to endure traffic and deal with coworker drama.

But many people found that during the pandemic, the isolation of working from home left little to be desired.

People who have jobs requiring them to commute every day and arrive at the workplace are given the opportunity to be social and feel like they're a part of society.

But being a part of a work environment can come with its own unique occupational hazards.

Keep reading...Show less
work

People Who Bring Condoms To Funerals 'Just In Case' Share Their Experiences

Coffin in a hearse.
Photo by panyawat auitpol on Unsplash

Be it desperation, self-indulgence, or simply optimism, many people never leave home without a condom.

If the chances of "getting lucky" are much more likely at some places than others, one never knows where or when they might hit it off with someone.

Including a funeral.

Bizarre and tasteless as that sounds, a recent study reportedly showed that 1 in 8 men under the age of 35 do, in fact, bring condoms with them when attending a funeral, "just in case".

Whether or not these condoms were used, however, is another story entirely.

Keep reading...Show less
condoms

The Best Real-Life Examples Of 'Never Interrupt An Enemy While They're Making A Mistake'

On a black and white chessboard a White King topples a Black King
GR Stocks on Unsplash

People will trip themselves up eventually.

Because liars and lunatics always make mistakes.

They may be small mistakes, but they leave just enough room to expose their wicked ways.

Sure we all want to fight off an enemy and be the victor.

But sometimes the victor's greatest weapon is nothing but a little patience.

Then, we celebrate with a smile as we watch the crumble.

And maybe we have a little victory dance.

Keep reading...Show less
mistakes