The challenges during a pandemic are even more significant for people who have trouble hearing. 

In Hidalgo County, there are about 200,000 people who suffer from some form of hearing loss. 

Marla Martinez, coordinator for the  RGV Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Center (DHHC), says communicating has always been challenging, even more so in a COVID world.

"It has been a big impact because there [are] no services for interpreters during the COVID testing," Martinez said. "With masks, it's really hard to understand what the person is saying."

Local advocates say more representation is greatly needed for people suffering from hearing loss in our community. 

Watch the video above for the full story.