Jack Straw is utterly correct. A full face veil takes away 90% of what is being communicated – communications is not just about the voice, but it’s visual as well. I should know, being deaf means I am nigh on dependent on visual cues in body language and facial expressions.
Some of you might well ask – why not ask them to remove it when they are talking to you? Well, twofold – firstly, I would not hear their answer and misjudge their response, and secondly, the British are socially inept (myself included), tend to shy away, be excessively polite (for peace’s sake) and we use humour in just about everything we say which means visual cues are often needed. It’s our default mode. After reading this book – Watching the English by Kate Fox – you begin to realise a lot of what we do is visual, and the Brits aren’t alone in this.
Communication problems arise in the classrooms (BBC News) and in the emergency services too – an EMT (a type of paramedic in the UK) expressed problems in his blog. It’s not racist, its about being practical.
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