Sheila Lutta, a special needs rights advocate has designed a mask that helps the deaf communicate through lip-reading during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The mask has a transparent opening in the mouth area that allows one to be able to see the lips while communicating and comes in handy for the hearing-impaired persons.
Lutta has partnered with Kenya Christian School for the Deaf to mass-produce the masks which come at an affordable price of Ksh150.
She revealed that the special mask was innovated to ensure the deaf could easily communictae at a time when face masks in public spaces was mandatory.
"It is is very important for the mouth to be seen at least to improve on the communication and for the deaf, they are also taught lip reading," explained Lutta.
Chris Okello from Kenya Christian School for the Deaf noted that a certain amount of the cost of the masks goes to some of the volunteers in the school.
"We give them Ksh70 a piece, the more they produce, they more they can earn.
"Some of them are even graduates but since they cannot land a job anywhere they opted to go and sell sweets. We offered something that can sustain them," he stated.
The first design Lutta and her team came up with had a flaw as some of the customers complained of clouding in the see-through section.
On Thursday, July 16 the team came up with a design that has enough ventilation that prevents clouding and making the mask more comfortable.
The Covid-19 pandemic has seen a number of Kenyans get creative with some creating locally made ventilators, hospital beds and Covid-19 contact tracing apps.
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