Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic struck, city-based freelance display merchandiser Analisa Noronha has been adjusting to a more intense challenge than what she had to deal with earlier – trying to understand what people are saying through their masks. Noronha, who has been hard of hearing since birth due to a nerve damage in the womb, explains, “I mostly have a problem with people talking with their masks because I have no clue what they are trying to say. When I ask them to repeat, they get upset.” The Mumbaikar's woes are shared by several others who are living with partial and full hearing loss.  

This gap in communication sometimes leads to misunderstandings. The struggles are further compounded by insensitive people who are unaware of the many challenges faced by the deaf community. Not everybody is equipped with signing or interpreting sign language. People from the community have to depend on lip reading or using hearing aids, which can be expensive and cumbersome, to help them communicate with people around them.