Masks

Batfink

Hello everyone. I am deaf and I lipread but with people wearing masks it’s impossible. I ask people to lower them but some people won’t. What are your thoughts on this?

Ross_Alumni

Hi @Batfink, great username  

This is such a tricky issue, there are many factors at play I suppose:

• You are absolutely doing the right thing in asking people to lower them, as it's essential for your communication. 
• Some people might be less willing to do so because they are at a higher risk compared to others, which is something to consider. There's also no legal requirement for people to lower their masks for those who use lip reading, so I guess it's at their discretion. 

As long as people aren't responding in a hostile way, I suppose there's nothing you can do really. If you're asking politely and clearly explaining your reasoning then the ball in is their court. I just hope that those who can lower their mask without putting themselves at great risk will do so.