We’re supporting the Barnwood Trust’s Let’s Be Clear Campaign, promoting clear face masks and clearer communication across Gloucestershire.
Clear face masks make it easier for people who rely on lip reading and facial expressions to communicate and connect – people who are deaf or hard of hearing, people with a learning disability, a speech difficulty, autism, dementia or English as a second language are particularly affected.
This video gives a simple explanation of the campaign.
The campaign is also calling to Make signs, leaflets, newsletters and online information clearer and more accessible, in support of people with sight loss, a learning disability or communication difficulty.
We are calling on all charities and businesses, from supermarkets to leisure centres, to hold in mind a wide range of people when communicating.
- Is everyone included and welcomed into your business or activity?
- Is information easy to understand and shared in different formats, such as
- easy read or symbol-based information
- large print
- audio
- videos with subtitles or
- videos with British Sign Language?
Sarah, who lives in the Diocese of Gloucester said, “I have moderate-profound hearing loss. If I go somewhere and reception staff are wearing opaque masks, I can’t understand what is being said. I’ve been to meetings where people have worn masks and I can’t hear what’s said unless it’s repeated by someone without a mask.
“It really hurts when people say lipreading masks are uncomfortable. I know they are because it’s the only type of mask I will wear so that everyone can hear me too.
“Living in a largely masked community is like being in a country where you don’t know the language.
“It’s the same when having to stand and chat from a distance outside – I am not going to hear much of anything you say. It would help if everyone wore clear masks or shields as standard – then designs would very quickly be improved upon.”
Staff within the Diocese of Gloucester are helping the Barnwood Trust to test a selection of clear face masks for usability. The results of the trial will be back in a few weeks and we will share the findings in the Bulletin.
A list of places to buy clear facemasks can be found on the Let’s Be Clear website www.letsbeclearcampaign.org/get-clear-face-masks
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