Sewing communities all over the world rallied to produce see-through masks to make it possible for those who are hard of hearing to lip-read through a mask.
Singapore’s seamstresses and crafters have similarly come together to help the local deaf community.
Two sets of volunteers have made 300 masks for 150 teachers and allied education staff members before schools reopened from 2 June.
One group consists of Ms Chan Siang Choo, 56, and Ms Rebecca Teo, who declined to reveal her age, while the other group come from sewing studio Uyii.
They responded to a call by agency SG Enable to design prototypes for a see-through mask. Ms Teo, a retiree who works part-time, used to be a board member there.
These masks will be given to teachers and allied education staff members from the Singapore Association for the Deaf (SADeaf), Lighthouse School and Canossian School.
While transparent face shields could technically be used instead of masks, head of deaf education resources at SADeaf, Ms Barbara D’Cotta, said face masks are thought to offer more protection from COVID-19.
While Ms Chan was already familiar with mask-making after she helped to sew masks for migrant workers, she found sewing see-through masks a bit of a challenge at first.
With Ms Teo’s help cutting the fabric and hand-sewing parts of the mask, Ms Chan has managed to complete 50 masks so far.
Mr Benny Ng, founder of Uyii, said his team came aboard as he believed that everyone deserves to be protected during this challenging period.
His studio is also working with SG Enable to distribute some of its prototypes to deaf students for their feedback.
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Source: TODAYOnline, 29 May 2020