Tony Paniagua spoke to Adult Loss of Hearing Association Treasurer Stan Kruggel, who has some hearing loss and a cochlear implant, about the struggles of hearing and communicating while everyone is wearing masks to stifle the spread of COVID-19. Terri Rice, office manager at ALOHA, said she's trying to help by sewing masks with a clear panel to help those with hearing loss read the lips of the mask wearer.
The Direct Center for Independence is another nonprofit that advocates for the rights of people with disabilities. Zach Coble is a volunteer with DIRECT, and he said the pandemic has highlighted how people dependent on federal dollars to make ends meet don't have the flex in their budgets to pay for services that promote social distancing.
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