Article 10 of the European Commission's Proposal for a Council Framework Decision which is discussed in Aequilibrium: instruments for lifting language barriers in intercultural legal proceedings deals with specific attention to vulnerable groups. These include persons with hearing impairments. There are two key issues: the recognition of sign language as an official language, and how to work with sign language interpreters effectively. In this article the author, who is deaf herself, discusses how deaf people are in fact strangers in their own country, and how awareness should be created for their specific needs when in contact with the judiciary.