Clear Mask

Clear Mask - open-source assistive technology product by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) community

About this project

The Clearly Mask is a DIY transparent face mask design to make Coronavirus safety measures more accommodating for lip readers. While the mask was specifically designed to benefit people with hearing impairment, we recommend it for everyone looking to benefit from more visible communication and human connection. To see the tutorial please see the resources section below.

The challenge

The mask was designed to benefit people with a hearing impairment or anyone who can benefit from more visibility of the face.

Who it helps

DIY transparent face mask design to make Coronavirus safety measures more accommodating for lip readers.

How it works

This product is accessible to the public thanks to TOM's partnership with Poalim for the Community.

The Clear Mask is a DIY transparent face mask design to make Coronavirus safety measures more accommodating for lip readers. While the mask was specifically designed to benefit people with hearing impairment, we recommend it for everyone looking to benefit from more visible communication and human connection.

People with hearing impairments often rely on lip reading to understand others interacting with them. Mask wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as in medical environment, hamper their ability to understand and interact with people in their environment.

The product is comprised of fabric, straps, and clear pvc that are sewn together to create a clear mask with the mouth visible.

You can download the assembly guide and patterns from our website www.tomglobal.org, and sew a mask (or more!).

TOM Clear Mask - how to sew tutorial ! from TOM Global on Vimeo .

Our aim at TOM is to enable as many people as possible to have a product that fits their needs. Clear masks are in high demand, but there aren’t many open source products tackling this problem.

Our objectives are:

1. To offer an open-source design that is safe to use, referencing medical requirements and standards. This affected our choice of fabric and our suggestion to seal the sewing holes. (Note: This product has not been approved for medical use or tested by health authorities, but it follows the guidelines published by the Israeli Ministry of Health).

2. To develop a mask that offers the best user experience, both in terms of comfort (ease of breathing, ease of putting on and taking off), and functionality (a large clear area to maximize the visibility of facial expressions which allows easy and clear communication).

Technology:

Sewing machine

Laser cutter (optional - you can cut the patterns by hand)

Materials:

We sourced materials based on The Israeli Ministry of Health’s recommendations for fabric masks. These include:

White Cotton Sateen fabric with a thread count of 200 or higher.

The transparent window made of 0.25mm PVC.

Anti-Fog Spray and / or Dish Soap

Care instructions: Easy to clean, machine washable at 60 degrees Celsius.

Open Source Development:

We are calling on you to join our collaborative R&D process and help us find the safest solutions to these issues:

1. Finding the best head strap configuration for people with hearing aids.

2. Ensuring as little exposure as possible around the mouth and nose area due to needle holes in the seams surrounding the clear window (our current DIY solution: covering the seam with medical tape). Is there a better non-industrial option?

We are currently running a usability test in our communities and we’re inviting you to join!

Have you tried to sew a Clearly Mask? Please fill out this design feedback form and let us know how to make it better.

Have you used the Clearly Mask? Please fill out this user feedback form and let us know about your user experience.

Project details

The build files for Clear Mask are free to download from this page - open source, shared by TOM: Tikkun Olam Makers.

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