Top -rated Grey’s Anatomy is now in its 16th season. Grey’s, as fans refer to it, is a medical television drama centered around a group of surgeons working in Seattle, WA. The drama showcases the doctors in cutting-edge surgeries, treating life-threatening illnesses, and conducting breakthrough research. A few weeks ago, episode 14: A Diagnosis, premiered. This was a special show for both Grey’s and Safe’N’Clear.

Deaf actress, Shoshannah Stern played the role of Dr. Lauren Riley, a known deaf diagnostician from San Francisco, who worked alongside Dr. Andrew DeLuca, played by Giacomo Ginnioti, to solve a patient’s troubling symptoms. Together, they diagnose the patient with Still’s disease. What was more impressive though is that Dr. Lauren Riley and her co-star, Dr. Andrew Deluca sported the Communicator mask in several scenes.

Dr. Lauren Riley, because she is deaf, utilizes technology to improve communication with other doctors and patients. Dr. Riley wore the Communicator mask, and used VRI (Video Relay Interpreter) to better communicate with Dr. DeLuca. Specifically, the Communicator mask, enabled the doctors’ mouths to be seen for speech-reading. The use of the Communicator mask, in contrast to other procedure masks, highlights the necessity of proper ADA compliant technologies that encourage and enable the deaf and hard-of-hearing to seek medical attention or seek medical education.

In an interview with The Daily Moth, Stern states that “That special plastic mask was decided on long before I met all the writers in the room…Facemasks are used all the time in hospitals so I asked the show’s producers these facemasks would be included. When I showed up at the set, they had those masks ready among the props. I was so thrilled! That was really an amazing day for everyone, not just me, who’d never seen these facemasks before! It was so much fun and even the makeup people were in awe of these special facemasks! I hope that people will see these and that it gets the exposure it needs like many other things that we can provide deaf people.”

“I hope that people will see these and that it gets the exposure it needs like many other things that we can provide deaf people.”

Grey’s Anatomy often provides some level of education on cutting edge technology and procedures and we are excited that Grey’s Anatomy worked with several medical doctors affiliated with the Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Loss (AMPHL) to show that deaf and hard of hearing individuals can be successful in medical careers, especially with the right tools and accommodations in place. We are excited that Grey’s Anatomy showed the Communicator mask to let others know that you can still speech-read when mask protection is needed.

Thank you to Grey’s Anatomy and Shoshannah Stern for illustrating the practicality and need for an inclusive work environment where everyone can clearly communicate for the best possible outcomes.

Visit safenclear.com for more information.