Seocho-gu Installs Lip-Reading Transparent Masks in Civil Service Offices for the Hearing Impaired

For Hearing-Impaired and Hard-of-Hearing People Who Speak Through Facial Expressions, Lip-Reading Transparent Masks Provided at Civil Service Offices... Established to Facilitate Smooth Communication for Hearing-Impaired Individuals Who Rely on Seeing Facial Expressions and Lip Movements Due to Mandatory Mask Wearing

Wearing a transparent mask

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seocho-gu (Mayor Jo Eun-hee) has provided lip-reading transparent masks in the civil service office to facilitate smooth communication for the hearing impaired and those with hearing loss, as mask-wearing has become routine due to the spread of COVID-19.

The lip-reading transparent mask features a transparent film on the front, allowing the wearer to see the other person's mouth movements and facial expressions.

While masks are essential as the best vaccine during the COVID-19 situation, hearing-impaired individuals who rely on facial expressions and lip movements to understand meaning face significant difficulties in daily communication.

Accordingly, the district prepared transparent masks so that hearing-impaired and hard-of-hearing individuals can handle civil service tasks smoothly under the mask-wearing mandate.

Civil service office staff wear transparent masks so that hearing-impaired and hard-of-hearing individuals can see facial expressions and lip movements during service, receiving great positive feedback from the hearing-impaired community.

Mr. Kim (hearing impaired), who wore the transparent mask, said, "With the mask mandate, I couldn't see mouth movements and felt disconnected from the world because I couldn't understand what others were saying. Wearing the transparent mask allows me to see mouth movements, relieving my frustration," expressing gratitude for the district's proactive considerate administration.

Jo Eun-hee, Mayor of Seocho-gu, said, "We have prepared transparent masks so that hearing-impaired individuals, who are experiencing unexpected inconveniences due to COVID-19, are not socially isolated and can communicate effectively. We will continue to do our best to implement disability-friendly administrative services so that people with disabilities can live together in harmony."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.