Leng Xinxue, a sign language interpreter, works with a transparent face mask at a routine press conference by the Beijing municipal government on the control and prevention of COVID-19 in Beijing, capital of China, March 1, 2020. Amid the COVID-19 epidemic, Leng and her fellows had been assigned to assist the Beijing authorities in conveying authentic information to people with hearing impairment. "An effective sign language interpreting requires the use of both the hand and the mouth, but a face mask prevents the hearing-impaired audience from seeing the interpreter's mouth movement," Leng explains the biggest challenge for her team during such an epidemic. Leng came up with an idea of making a transparent mask. She cut off the middle part of a normal face mask and attached a transparent, plastic replacement by using a heat sealer. Based on practical experience, Leng had made three revisions to her "transparent face masks" so far. A fourth revision featuring an exhalation valve is underway to provide greater comfort for sign language interpreters. "Our team members share a same goal: to make the hearing-impaired community feel at ease even though there is an ongoing epidemic," Leng says. "We have already received positive feedbacks from our audience and that makes us believe in the value and meaning of our work." (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)
