PRESS RELEASE

About the job

PRESS RELEASE

Beaming faces at the delegates' assembly in haus vorderdorf, of the Sonos Association for the Hearing Impaired in Appenzell – thanks to the new transparent protective masks from Flawa Consumer GmbH in Flawil.

The delegates' assembly of the Swiss Association for the Hearing Impaired Sonos took place on 11 June 2021 at the retirement and nursing home haus vorderdorf in Trogen. The Swiss umbrella organisation for the deaf and hearing impaired was founded 110 years ago.

The association looks back on a successful year. Despite Corona – due to the mandatory mask-wearing, hearing impaired people who rely on lip reading have been massively disadvantaged since the beginning of the Covid pandemic. The Swiss Association for the Hearing Impaired Sonos has therefore developed a medical Type II protective mask with a transparent viewing window together with Flawa Consumer GmbH.

With the involvement of deaf production employees, the first prototypes of the mask were produced and tested at the two schools Sek3 – secondary level for the deaf and hard of hearing in Zurich Wollishofen as well as at the BSFH vocational school for learners with hearing and communication impairments in Zurich Oerlikon. Based on feedback from the deaf pupils and teachers, the mask was further developed until it was market-ready. It is now available via the FlawaConsumer online shop www.flawaconsumer-shop.ch.

At the delegates' assembly, Claude Rieser, CEO and Technical Director of Flawa Consumer GmbH, presented the jointly developed transparent protective mask. "We have the vision of giving people a safe smile back," says Claude Rieser, CEO of Flawa Consumer GmbH.

In addition to the hearing impaired, teachers, special education teachers, sign language and coding interpreters, as well as people working with older or very young individuals, are affected by the challenges of communication while wearing masks. With the help of the mask with a transparent viewing window, those affected can once again see facial expressions and recognise how their counterpart feels. For hearing impaired people who rely on lip reading, the mask with a transparent viewing window is a noticeable relief in communication with their fellow human beings during the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated social distancing. "I am pleased that the new masks were distributed at the Sonos delegates' assembly and especially if as many responsible parties (including pharmacies, supermarkets, authorities, hospitals) as possible choose the transparent mask and make it available to their employees. This way, I understand them much better in conversation," explains Anika Heinrich, a hearing impaired employee at Sonos.

About the Swiss Association for the Hearing Impaired Sonos

The Swiss Association for the Hearing Impaired Sonos, based in Winterthur, has 42 member organisations. For 110 years, it has been committed to ensuring that people with hearing impairments can realise their right to self-determination, equal opportunities, and social participation in life. The transparent mask marks an important milestone for equality in communication. Another step on this path is the new website www.gebärdenlernen.ch, where everyone can learn sign language for free.

Swiss Association for the Hearing Impaired Sonos

Oberer Graben 48

8400 Winterthur

Managing Director

Hannes Egli

Telephone: 044 421 40 10