Machrey’s Royal Hotel

This was the location of the Institute for the Deaf and Dumb. Remember that the language used to describe disabilities was very different in 1885. At that time, the life and employment chances were very limited for young people with hearing and speech impairments and this programme provided a lifeline through which their lives and fortunes could be changed for the better. This reflected the fact that VSA, in its earliest forms, was driven by need and not by what was thought to be acceptable or had gone before. The public was also encouraged to attend events to see the girls’ needlework, admission being one shilling.