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Protective masks on the face may have become common, but communication with them is limited. This is especially true for the deaf, including children whose teachers have to wear masks at school. Ryan is one of them. He is in seventh grade (Harmos) at Bergières secondary school in Lausanne. “If the mask covers my mouth, I don’t understand anything,” he says. “But if I can read my lips, I can see what is being said.”
Ryan is happy that his teacher can now wear a transparent mask. For Matthieu Macchi, masks are important, “if only to be able to communicate normally,” he says. But there is also the emotional level, a lot goes through the mouth and the face ”.
Few suitable mask models
Since the beginning of the corona pandemic, various transparent masks have been developed around the world. Finding the right one was not so easy, says Nathalie Jaunin, deputy director of the education department of the Canton of Vaud. “We have been analyzing the market since the summer,” he says. Tests have shown that on some models, the visor fog up when speaking. However, the most important thing was the validation by the cantonal pharmacy and the cantonal doctor to guarantee the protection of the mask. “Last but not least, the manufacturer also had to be able to deliver a sufficiently large number of masks,” says Jaunin. At the moment, around 7,000 masks, at a price of CHF 8 each, will be distributed to cantonal teachers. The masks can be cleaned, two pieces are needed per person per month.
The misshapen mask is still “cool”
The race was initially won by a French model, with a visor and a fabric stamp on the nose and chin. “At first I found the mask very large and intrusive,” says Professor Matthieu Macchi. But it is easy to use, easy to forget. I just have to speak a little louder, and it’s a little warmer under the mask. “
Matthieu Macchi was able to test the mask with his class for three weeks. The children, all between 10 and 12 years old, would have gotten used to it quickly. Ryan thinks masks are “cool”. Especially in school subjects with a high level of language like French, but also in geography and mathematics, he is happy about that.
According to Nathalie Jaunin from the Department of Education, masks are not only important for the hearing impaired, but also for all children. The need is there: there are no studies yet on the effect of conventional protective masks, but the experiences of teachers and parents are clear: “Children quickly lose attention when teachers wear normal masks. This can lead to further learning difficulties, which then have an effect on children’s school performance. “
That is why the canton seeks to equip other professional groups with the special transparent masks of January, for example to deal with autistic or very young children from the age of 4.
Ryan would also like to wear the mask in his family. “In fact, it would be practical if my grandmother could use one as well.”
