Location
Cultural & Social Challenges
Keywords
Deaf, legal, interpreter, culture, sign language, human rights
Abstract
The founding documents of the United States of America tend to be rather universal and impartial in their vernacular. Because all citizens of a nation are deserving of the same rights and privileges regardless of age, race, ethnicity, or disability status, accommodations must be provided to the Deaf to give them equal access to information throughout interrogations, trials, and police interactions. While it may seem obvious that interpreters should be provided during legal situations involving a Deaf individual, visual communication can make legal interactions quite complicated when police or attorneys can only reveal limited details. When Deaf culture involving expansion techniques and human rights regarding legal proceedings conflict with each other, a qualified and experienced sign language interpreter must be conscious of not only mediating cultures and languages, but also facilitating lawful interactions and not violating the rights of the Deaf person. These types of unique situations can further complicate already intricate circumstances.
Included in
American Sign Language Legal Interpretation Complications: A Comprehensive Analysis of Linguistic Barriers within the Criminal Justice System
Cultural & Social Challenges
The founding documents of the United States of America tend to be rather universal and impartial in their vernacular. Because all citizens of a nation are deserving of the same rights and privileges regardless of age, race, ethnicity, or disability status, accommodations must be provided to the Deaf to give them equal access to information throughout interrogations, trials, and police interactions. While it may seem obvious that interpreters should be provided during legal situations involving a Deaf individual, visual communication can make legal interactions quite complicated when police or attorneys can only reveal limited details. When Deaf culture involving expansion techniques and human rights regarding legal proceedings conflict with each other, a qualified and experienced sign language interpreter must be conscious of not only mediating cultures and languages, but also facilitating lawful interactions and not violating the rights of the Deaf person. These types of unique situations can further complicate already intricate circumstances.
