American Student Designs See-Through Masks for the Deaf

In the United States, a 21-year-old student named Ashley Lawrence has hit on a great idea: a specially designed face mask for people who are deaf.

Lawrence came up with the idea after observing many friends making homemade masks using leftover fabrics and elastics. She wondered how deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals might fare in this situation—how would they communicate when lip-reading was their primary means of understanding others?

The idea suddenly struck her.

Lawrence, who works in education with deaf individuals, shared with the media that she wanted to ensure everyone had access to a suitable face mask. After discussing it with her mother, they brainstormed ideas and concluded the bottom part of the mask needed to be transparent.

This led to the creation of the mask shown in the picture, which allows for lip-reading. "Sign language is the only way for deaf people to communicate," Lawrence explains. "This mask will help people read lips. A significant part of their language is facial expressions," she concludes, adding that it's still unclear how much this unique mask will cost once it hits the market.