Article
Effective Deaf Access to Justice
Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education
(2018)
Abstract
This article reports on findings from a qualitative study that explored the experiences of eight deaf participants in interacting with the justice system in Northern Ireland. The study was spurred by anecdotal evidence of challenges facing members of the Deaf community in obtaining access to solicitors. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to which the United Kingdom is a State Party, requires providers of goods, facilities, and services, which include solicitors, to provide effective communication access to deaf people seeking their services on an equal basis with non-disabled people. The Disability Discrimination Act comes into play, requiring service providers like solicitors to make a “reasonable adjustment” in order to provide access to deaf clients. Eight participants provided narratives from which three thematic categories emerged: (a) Barriers to Access, (b) The Contested Meaning of “Reasonable Adjustment,” and (c) Deaf Cultural Awareness.
Disciplines
Publication Date
October, 2018
DOI
10.1093/deafed/eny023
Citation Information
Brent C. Elder and Michael A. Schwartz. "Effective Deaf Access to Justice" Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education Vol. 23 Iss. 4 (2018) p. 331 - 340 ISSN: 1465-7325 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/brent-elder/15/