Tysoe woman making hundreds of clear face masks to help lip-reading deaf people

With the government's announcement making face masks or coverings mandatory a Tysoe woman is doing her part to help others.
Michelle Wixey and her partner,James George wearing the face masks that help deaf peopleMichelle Wixey and her partner,James George wearing the face masks that help deaf people
Michelle Wixey and her partner,James George wearing the face masks that help deaf people

It will be mandatory to wear face coverings in shops in England from Friday July 24.

Julie Wixey had already started making face masks for deaf people several weeks ago from her Tysoe home, well before the latest government announcement.

Michelle Wixey, speaking on behalf of her mother, who is deaf, said: "The reason my mum saw the idea, and wanted to try it herself was when she has gone shopping she can't understand what another person is saying.

"A lot of deaf people rely a lot on lip-reading, especially to a hearing person who cannot do British Sign Language. Not only does it help for deaf people, but it helps others as well, people with learning difficulties or older people just anyone.

"We’re just putting the point across about how useful these are, and what deaf people are struggling with at the minute with communication."

The face masks include a thin piece of plastic or transparent window making the person's lips visible. They also come in a variety of different fabrics and colours.

Michelle added: "These masks are fabulous because you can see through to just their lips, so it's a really big help."

The face masks are available for purchase at £5 each, plus postage.

People can order the face masks for the deaf or hard of hearing by contacting Michelle on either Facebook or through using the following email: [email protected].

There has also been a call nationwide for transparent face masks to become the norm as they also allow people to see each other's smile and other facial expressions.

Michelle posted the following message about the face masks on social media: "If you don’t know I'm the only hearing person in a deaf household.

"So I’m using British Sign Language 24/7, however I wouldn’t change it for the world! During the coronavirus... masks (now they’ve become mandatory) deaf people have been finding it difficult to communicate with hearing people. They found it hard communicating with them before masks LET ALONE with masks!

"My mum has currently been off work for 12 weeks due to being high-risk so in her spare time she has been making masks suitable for D/deaf people with a clear screen making it easier for lip-reading."

Michelle and her partner, James George who is deaf, posted a video on their YouTube channel about the face masks for the deaf last night (Tuesday July 14). Their YouTube channel, called SignedLifes, specialises in teaching sign language and raising deaf awareness.

Michelle and her family have received a positive response about the face masks from people on social media.

She added: "When I posted these masks just as a praise to my mum on Facebook to make people be like 'Wow that's amazing' we have just got so many comments about them.

"We weren't going to sell them at first, but the amount of messages we got we decided to help other people. So my mum started making loads, and we have most likely sold roughly about 150-200.

"Loads of deaf people who we have sold to have commented back saying that it is amazing, and you can really tell the difference, especially when talking to someone as they are able to understand what they are saying.

"Even companies have bought some, a shoe shop in Shipston has purchased them, a health care team in Banbury have purchased some. It's clearly a massive help to those who rely on lip-reading."

A group of volunteers with 'MC All Stitched Up,' based in Middleton Cheney near Banbury have also been making face masks for deaf people. The group has a Facebook page, which can be seen here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/235635034301001/

Kay Stevens with the group, MC All Stitched Up, said the group needs food grade acetate, a thin flexible clear plastic material, which will enable the clear transparent face masks to be machine-washed.

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