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Kentucky College Student Creates Face Mask For Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

(Credit: YouTube Screenshot LEX18 News https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3olNMX1g9LI)

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A Kentucky college student has created a face mask for the deaf or people who are hard of hearing.

Ashley Lawrence, who studies education for the deaf at Eastern Kentucky University, and her mother have teamed up to create masks that feature see-through plastic squares over the mouth, according to a report published Wednesday by LEX18.

“I just saw that people were making masks on Facebook for everyone to have instead of the throwaway masks, and I was like, what about the deaf and hard of hearing population?” Lawrence, 21, explained to the outlet.

Lawrence said she felt like it was important to help people who are being “looked over” during this time.

“I felt like there was a huge population that was being looked over. We’re all panicking right now and so a lot of people are just not being thought of. So, I felt like it was very important that, even at a time like this, people need to have that communication.” (RELATED: 1.2 Million n95 Masks Are Flown To America On Bob Kraft’s New England Patriots Plane)

“We started out making them with bed sheets that we had, and luckily bed sheets are big,” Lawrence said. “So we have two or three sets so we’re making them out of that. Then, a couple months ago we needed plastic fabric for something. And so we have a whole roll of that and the window is only this big so having a whole roll is very helpful so luckily we haven’t needed any supplies yet.”

Lawrence and her mother are also looking into ways to create masks for people who can’t wrap the mask straps around their ears.

“We’re trying different things to for people with cochlear implants and hearing aids if they can’t wrap around the ears,” Lawrence said. “We’re making some that have around the head and around the neck.”