A MEDICAL school academic is backing calls to help those who are deaf cope with issues around face masks.

Dr Andrea Pepper fears people with the disability could lose their independence in public if they are not able to lip read instructions from bus drivers, shop workers and others.

The Sussex Medical school reader said it has made her nervous when she goes out as she is deaf herself.

On one occasion she had to take her daughter to the post office with her because she feared being asked a question by a worker wearing a mask and not being able to communicate.

She relies on being able to see people’s facial expressions and lip reading.

Her concerns follow those of 11-year-old Lancing schoolboy Austin Goddard.

Last month he wrote to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson asking for more see-through face masks to be worn.

“The masks that cover up mouths are awful, I don’t like them and they make me feel sad and lonely because I can’t understand what anybody is saying,” he said.

Dr Pepper said: “For people who are deaf or have hearing loss, masks can prevent them understanding spoken communication.

“It’s made me quite worried about going to the shops, petrol stations and places like that in case I need to communicate with someone and they’ve got a face mask on.

“This hit me the first time I went out to take a parcel to the post office and suddenly thought ‘what happens if they’ve got a face mask on and ask me a question?’.

“I had to take my daughter with me and she had to interpret what was being said.

“I’ve got this feeling of a loss of independence at the moment and wonder what impact this will have on me and other deaf people in everyday life.”

The problem has been made more difficult because Government rules state that people should now wear face masks onpublic transport in a bid to slow the spread of the disease.

Dr Pepper has called on the universities to be aware of the issue for students who are deaf or who have hearing problems, and urged the Government to back clear face masks or visors.

She said: “As a nation, we need to address the issue of face masks.

“We should aim to introduce clear face masks or possibly visors with a band so that people can see the whole of someone’s face.

“Covid-19 has changed the way we live and we need to be re-evaluating the processes in place to help people with disabilities.”