People with autism and other sensory sensitivities know how tough this pandemic has been, especially when it comes to masks.
“I don’t like how masks touch my face, it feels weird,” said Lily Winston, a 15-year-old high school freshman from Needham.
Rafi Nova, a Newton company, has come up with a solution: a "sensory friendly" mask.
“It’s designed with individuals with autism as well as others with sensory sensitivities,” said Marissa Goldstein, CEO of Rafi Nova.
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Goldstein, a co-founder of the company, came up the idea. She said the response has been tremendous.
They worked with therapists at Easterseals Southern California to come up with the design to help people with autism and other sensory sensitivities.
“The main thing you will notice is that there’s a lot of room on the inside,” said Winston, who recently purchased the mask. “It’s a mask that doesn’t touch your face, which I love.”
The company started as a fashion brand but pivoted to making masks as we first showed you last April.
Rafi Nova has donated thousands of masks. They are also behind a clear mask.
“As long as we need to be wearing masks , we want to create masks for people who can’t wear traditional masks,” said Goldstein.
The masks cost $16 for adults and $14 for children.
