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Clear Masks and Accommodations for the Hard-of-Hearing

Woman wearing clear mask, with hand cupped behind her ear, wearing a t-shirt that says "Access is Love"
Rachel Desjourdy, Ms. | 18 Sep 2020

Are you hard-of-hearing and working on campus? If you experience issues with understanding your colleagues due to them wearing face coverings, contact the Accessibility Advisor, Rachel.desjourdy [at] mcgill.ca Clear Masks are available as an accommodation for employees who are hard-of-hearing and rely on lip reading for communication. These masks will be distributed to the employee and their colleagues, increasing accessibility of communication. These accommodations are not limited to those with hearing disabilities, as employees who are not hard-of-hearing may experience other disability-related barriers that impact communication.

Not hard of hearing, but interested in what you can do to support accessible communication while following proper health directives?

  • The Government of Quebec has shared instructions on how to
  • Check out Audition Quebec鈥檚 toolkit, (French only)
  • Read the Office des personnes handicapp茅es du Qu茅bec鈥檚 (OPHQ) article, (French only)

The OPHQ article summarizes eleven tips and tricks to facilitate communication when wearing a face covering:

  1. Ensure you have the individual鈥檚 attention before you start to speak
  2. Speak at a聽normal volume. Yelling or shouting can distort the sounds of your words
  3. Avoid having your back to the light as this obstructs your visibility
  4. Speak slowly and clearly, without infantilizing
  5. Use hand gestures and pointing to support what you are saying
  6. If asked to repeat multiple times, or if the person does not understand, rephrase
  7. Use short sentences and pause between phrases
  8. Check for understanding
  9. If possible, use pen and paper to communicate, while ensuring that you are respecting social distancing and proper hygiene measures. For example, you can use a notebook, a questionnaire, a whiteboard, or a text app on your phone or tablet
  10. Think about using technology: you can use voice amplifiers, amplified telephones or speech recognition apps to support
  11. If possible, opt for a facial covering with a clear window. These masks are available for purchase by several vendors, or can be made at home using the on Quebec.ca

Have questions or want more information? Contact Rachel Desjourdy, Accessibility Advisor at Rachel.desjourdy [at] mcgill.ca

Other resources:

Keywords: 
accessibility; disability

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For more information about traditional territory and tips on how to make a land acknowledgement, visit our Land Acknowledgement webpage.

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