Masking/Unmasking: Drama therapy practice and education in days of pandemic. (This languaging and description subject to change by the facilitators)

Hosts: Dana Sayre, Marielle Duke, Turner Hitt, and Courtney Way

As the country moves from a pandemic approach to COIVD 19 to an endemic approach, classrooms and clinical spaces are adjusting their mask wearing policies. What are the consequences of these changes for access? How does mask wearing prevent access for some people, particularly those who are deaf or living with hearing impairment or loss? How does mask removal impact people living with medical conditions that render them more vulnerable and medically fragile in an unmasked environment? 

We hope to engage a dynamic conversation about the complex realities of the masked/unmasked world and think about how drama therapy can support ongoing dialogue that assists communities of all kinds in creating and establishing spaces that provide improved access for all people.