Living in a Limited World: Experience of Lipreaders When Society Is Masked

Abstract

The goal of the current interpretive phenomenological study grounded in Heidegger's philosophies was to explore the experience of lipreaders when society was masked during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Participants were prelingually deafened English-speaking adults who predominantly relied on lip-reading and speaking for communication. Twelve in-depth email interviews were conducted with respondents recruited via social media. Thematic techniques of Benner were employed, and six themes emerged: Limiting of World Resulting in Negative Emotions , Increased Prominence of Deafness , Balancing Safety and Communication Access , Creative Resourcefulness , Resilience and Personal Growth , and Passage of Time to Bittersweet Freedom . Insights from this study clarify the need for psychosocial support of lipreaders during times of restricted communication access and awareness of accommodations to facilitate inclusion. [ Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 61 (4), 18–26.]