In the first months of the pandemic, the deaf and hard of hearing community lobbied Government to consider the unique challenges posed to them by Covid-19 restrictions. A year on, their pleas have gone unanswered, writes Matthew Scott.
A year on, they aren’t being heard.
This March doesn’t only mark the anniversary of our first lockdown - it’s also World Hearing Awareness month.
In the month where their struggles are supposed to take centre stage, the deaf and hard of hearing community say they are being overlooked.
They say the Government hasn’t considered them when it comes to Covid-19 precautions despite lobbying over the last year.
Challenges such as face masks preventing lip reading and removing the facial expressions from sign language have made the one in five New Zealanders who suffer from hearing loss feel isolated and alone.
Natasha Gallardo, chief executive for the National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, wants to see Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in a clear face mask.
"That would get the point across," she said.
Gallardo is hard of hearing and has experienced the difficulties of Covid for the deaf and hard of hearing first-hand, struggling to get through life necessities such as going to the doctor’s office or the supermarket.
And it's not just lip readers whose lives are hindered by face masks.
Sign language also relies on the face being visible, with people who sign relying partially on facial expressions and visual cues like the speaker mouthing the sign.
Gallardo says it has been a hard year for the deaf and hard of hearing.
“We already feel isolated,” she said. “Covid has amplified our anxiety. Some people have simply chosen not to go out.”
Although she acknowledges both the Government and media have begun to address the issue by adding closed captioning to the Covid-19 press conferences, there are still plenty of difficulties for the non-hearing population.
“It’s been a year now. We still haven’t really seen any change.”
“There still aren’t captions on the press conferences if you are watching online,” Gallardo said. She says captioning is often not readily accessible, preventing the deaf and hard of hearing from receiving important messages.
“It’s a big group that simply hasn’t been considered.”
With 880,000 New Zealanders reporting deafness or hearing loss, a sizeable portion of the population is affected.
“There are also plenty of people with undetected hearing loss, which pushes that number even higher.”
The Ministry of Health spokesperson said there were no plans to buy clear masks for the national supply of PPE. They said the mask currently in use is the only one that meets the standard for usage in a medical setting, although they support the use of a range of masks in a community setting.
Last year, the Foundation sent out clear face masks that allow lip reading to media outlets, but they still haven’t been used.
“They said the clear masks don’t provide adequate protection, which is wrong.”
She also said doctors and medical workers should be wearing them. “Anyone who deals with the elderly, really.”
Daniel Harborne, the New Zealand sign language team leader at Deaf Aotearoa, has also experienced the difficulties of Covid as a deaf person.
"I've found it difficult to communicate on public transport," he said. "As a deaf person, I don't have to wear a mask, but I choose to wear one because as a society we tend to judge."
He's not so sure the current model of clear face masks will do the trick.
"They don't work very well - they fog up. There needs to be research done to make a better face mask that lets you see facial expressions."
As an "invisible disability", people sometimes aren't aware people are deaf or hard of hearing, Harborne said.
"I would like to see people have more of a sense of awareness about why people might not be wearing a mask on the bus."
In place of encouraging clear mask adoption, the Ministry of Health suggests the deaf and hard of hearing remove their masks and keep two metres away from others when they need to communicate.
Face masks and media briefings are not the only unique challenges posed to the deaf and hard of hearing. The rise in working from home has proven difficult for some members of the community.
Gallardo said varied internet speeds, overlapping conversation and dark rooms preventing easy lip reading are common obstacles to communication in Zoom meetings.
She is able to use live captioning in meetings, but still finds it an energy-sapping affair. “Even with the captions, I get so tired trying to follow it. An hour Zoom call leaves you exhausted.”
While there may not be much the Government and media can do to make working from home easier, Gallardo said universal captioning and distribution of clear masks would make life more accessible for these New Zealanders.
