Accessible Face Masks for the Disability Community #Masks4Disability #WorldMaskWeek #WearAMask
By: Alyssa Yam, Design Fellow at Diversability
August 7-14 is #WorldMaskWeek, a global movement to inspire more people to wear face coverings to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Until we have vaccines or medicines to fight COVID-19, wearing a mask—together with handwashing and social distancing—is one of the best tools we have to protect ourselves and those around us. Growing evidence demonstrates that by wearing a mask in public places, everyone can help slow the spread of the disease and save lives.
During #WorldMaskWeek, we are excited to announce an expansion of our #Masks4Disability initiative in partnership with the Global Shapers.
Thanks to support through a micro-grant from REALITY, an initiative of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, we have purchased a supply for accessible face masks from Kimuli Fashionability. These masks feature clear windows, which are suitable for our Deaf and Hard of Hearing community members (those who lip read or rely on the facial expressions used when communicating in sign language to understand meaning and intention).
Details of the mask materials: Locally manufactured African Kitenge fabric (cotton), cotton inner black Lining, elastic and polythene upcycled material which provides a transparent medium for Lip-Reading.
About #Masks4Disability
Inspired by a similar mutual aid effort in Chicago from Disability Culture Crip & Ally Care Exchange, we launched #Masks4Disability in late May to ship out masks to our disability community members in the U.S. who need them and their PAs/care team members.
As cities started to open, many states like California mandated the use of masks and face coverings to slow the spread of COVID-19. We decided to ship masks because some of our disability community members may not have access to local mutual aid networks in their cities, and other mask distributions have required an in-person pickup. Knowing that many of our disability community members may be more vulnerable to contracting the virus, we also wanted our community to avoid discriminatory hospital triage plans.
Our initial supply of face masks were donated by Mandatory Studio and Nancy B.
About Kimuli Fashionability
Kimuli Fashionability is a sustainable fashion business that aims to turn waste products into up-cycled garments and accessories with a focus on employing disabled people in Uganda. Higher quality, detailed masks are produced with a mixture of vibrant African fabrics and waste materials, promoting environmentally friendly and fun pieces.
During COVID-19, Kimuli Fashionability launched a line of biodegradable African print face masks, which include a clear window to ensure that those who rely on lipreading can communicate and understand others. These masks are reusable, washable and biodegradable anti-viral face-masks as an alternative to single-use plastic face masks.
Along with their mission to create employment opportunities for disabled people and fight the waste crisis, Kimuli Fashionability continues to support and promote safety to low-income earners by supplying them with masks, gloves, and safety equipment. For inquiries and orders, you can contact them via email at kimulifashions@gmail.com or on WhatsApp at +256705124636/ +256756055128. Learn more about Kimuli Fashionability on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Kimuli Fashionability is a winner of the AdamStart COVID-19 Challenge and has been featured in CNN.
A woman from Kimuli Fashionability wearing a mask for people with hearing disabilities. She is wearing a yellow and black colored mask with a clear material at the center so that the mouth is visible and holding a similarly designed mask with red and black patterned fabric.
Need a mask?
If you are disabled and need a mask, please complete the #Masks4Disability form at http://bit.ly/masks4disability.
Want to help?
If you’d like to help us spread the word, you can signal boost these posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Visit this Google Drive Folder for our #Masks4Disability Social Media Toolkit.
