Book marks 175 years of deaf charity

The 175th anniversary of the charity Deaf Action will be marked on October 29 with the launch of a book by John Hay MBE.

From Benevolence to Empowerment traces the history of the organisation, from its origins as the Edinburgh Deaf and Dumb Benevolent Society to the present day, as well as the wider history of deaf culture in Scotland.

The launch will be held at the charity's headquarters in Albany Street, and will feature an introduction from Mr Hay and Deaf Action's director Liz Scott Gibson.

Mr Hay said: "Writing this book has been a labour of love for me. When I was initially approached about the project, I was immediately interested although it proved to be a challenge to summarise 175 years into a few pages.

"Deaf Action, the world's first society to support deaf adults, has a very interesting past with numerous events and achievers worthy of mention. I was truly delighted to discover, record and report my findings in their commemorative booklet."

The event will mark the start of a month-long history exhibition to celebrate the anniversary.