Victoria's deaf community fears mandatory masks will increase barriers

When Sherrie Beaver first heard the news that face masks would be made mandatory in Melbourne, she immediately felt anxious.

As a deaf person, Ms Beaver relies on lip-reading to communicate with people who don't know the sign language Auslan.

"The next couple of weeks, and possibly longer, will be trying for us," Ms Beaver said.

"With the wearing of masks, our ability to lipread and see the face is removed - it doesn't matter if we wear hearing aids or cochlear implants, our ability to lipread is still lost.

"We can't rely on sound alone; we also rely on facial expressions, which give us cues."

It was, Ms Beaver said, yet another barrier that threatened to put people who are deaf or hard of hearing in a vulnerable position.

Deaf Victoria has also spoken out about the challenges that will be faced by deaf people when mask wearing is made mandatory from Thursday for everyone in Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire.

Under the rules, only those who have existing medical conditions or who are actively exercising can go without a mask in public spaces.

Those who break the rules will be issued with a $200 fine.

"We are aware that there is a lot of concern in our community at the moment about wearing masks and communication," the association said in a Facebook post, which shared graphics deaf and hard of hearing people could use to help communicate with others.

Advocates for the deaf community have also been sharing online the benefits of making masks with a clear window for the lips.

Deaf Victoria has called on the clear masks to be made available, in particular at hospitals and testing centres.

Ms Beaver said there were other common-sense ways people could help make it easier for the deaf and hard of hearing.

"Be open minded and accommodating. Meet halfway with us and listen to us when we advise you of our communication needs," she said.

"For example, remove your mask to allow us to lipread while adhering to the 1.5m social distancing directive. If that's not possible, use your device to communicate with us through written English.

"Use gestures. Make sure we are able to understand you. Most importantly, be kind." 

Ms Beaver said she personally had a positive experience while getting tested for COVID over the weekend, which gave her some hope.

"I advised the testing officer of my communication needs. They were wonderful and they communicated with me through the use of the Notes app on their iPhone, gestures and pointing to the paper where my information was required. That really made my day," she said.

Contact reporter Emily McPherson at emcpherson@nine.com.au.