deaf

Some 10% of the population is hard of hearing. The government is helping companies cover costs of making see-through masks. "It's a protection, but it's also a communication tool," says an official.

Face coverings are key to stopping spread of the coronavirus, but also slow communication, especially for people who don't hear well. Volunteers and companies suggest some transparent alternatives.

Rapper Sean Forbes and percussionist Evelyn Glennie tell tell NPR's Scott Simon about their performance with the Detroit Philharmonic called "The Deaf And Loud Symphonic Experience."

There are few employment opportunities for deaf or hearing-impaired people. But funding, training and business partnerships with deaf-friendly establishments are slowly helping to turn that around.

The store will be in Washington D.C., and will not only focus on hiring employees fluent in American Sign Language, but also on lighting and design that makes it easier for the deaf to communicate.

Born deaf and blind to a refugee mother, Haben Girma has had opportunities in the U.S. she'd never have had in Eritrea. But it was an urge for dessert that led her to advocate for the disabled.

English nursery rhymes don't translate well to ASL, a visual language. One team is merging high tech with cognitive research to improve language learning for deaf and hard of hearing children.