Best Buy manager in Pennsylvania inspires clear masks for hearing impaired
EASTON, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A Best Buy manager in Easton, Pennsylvania is the inspiration behind a line of masks for the hearing impaired.
Face masks can be inhibiting for anyone, uncomfortable and hard to manage. But for the hard of hearing, they can make communication nearly impossible.
One Pennsylvania man worked to change that.
Dennis Parry is a general manager at the Best Buy in Easton. He's the inspiration behind a line of clear masks that have made all the difference in his ability to lead his team.
"When they mandated masks to protect the employees and customers, I got a little apprehensive because I thought I would be a hindrance to my team," Parry says. "I reached out to the company and said, 'Hey, is there another option?'"
Parry relies on reading lips to communicate with employees and customers.
His team would have to remove their face coverings in order for him to understand what they were saying, and he didn't want to compromise safety.
Employee volunteers then created custom face masks with clear, vinyl panels just for Parry and his team.
"You still get protected, but you can now see each others' lips, and it makes it easier for people to understand what people are saying," he explains. "It has been a godsend to being able to better communicate with my staff."
Now, he says he can easily communicate with everyone, and everyone feels safe.
Parry adds that the clear panel is nice because everyone can see each other smile and laugh.
He also says he's received tremendous response from others who are hard of hearing, who say masks like these have been a game-changer.
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