‘I cannot read their lips’: The deaf community faces another communication hurdle as face masks become the new normal

Mary Beth Pagnella, who has lived with profound hearing loss most of her life, prides herself on being an excellent lip reader.

But, amid the coronavirus outbreak, reading lips has become more difficult with state and federal officials recommending, and some requiring, people to wear masks in public.

“I feel so lost and out of place because (people) are wearing masks and I cannot read their lips,” Pagnella told USA TODAY. “Not being able to hear is hard enough. Now, lip reading is hard, too.”

Read the rest at https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/04/27/coronavirus-face-masks-deaf-communication/3037302001.