Easier Said than Done

Since its legal recognition in 2021, the implementation of Nederlandse Gebarentaal (Dutch Sign Language, NGT) in administrative and legal contexts has been monitored, particularly regarding sign language interpreters in criminal proceedings. Despite the legal entitlement for their use, these interpreters are often not employed in practice. Based on a report funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, this article investigates the implementation of the Wet Erkenning Nederlandse Gebarentaal (the NGT Recognition Act) by way of a literature review, personal correspondence and semi-structured interviews conducted in 2023. Findings reveal a gap between legal provisions and actual practice, attributed to a lack of awareness of Deaf culture, interpreter positioning, legislative omissions, and the insufficient participation of deaf individuals. Recommendations for legislative and policy improvements are provided. Keywords: sign language; deaf; empirical; socio-legal; doctrine; interpreters.