CONROE, Texas – Face masks are presenting an obstacle for the deaf and hard of hearing. Now she feels the deaf are not being given the exception to the rule she thinks they need. People who wear hearing aids have to remove them before an operation and everyone in the room is wearing masks. “It’s hard to find them and it’s hard to ask everyone to have that just for the deaf community but that is a really nice asset,” she said. “That is something that is up and coming that attempts to meet the needs of the deaf community.”