'Deaf by God' tried in Old Bailey records
Monday, May 5, 2008 - 09:21
in Psychology & Sociology
Deaf people on trial were granted the right to an interpreter as early as 1725, according to Old Bailey records examined by UCL (University College London) scientists. The use of family and friends to interpret court proceedings later switched to deaf teachers and eventually written testimony, which may have disadvantaged the less educated ‘deaf and dumb` at the very time that British Sign Language was emerging.