I am Deaf myself. It really depends. One of the problems of transcribing stuff is that some nuances are lost. Ask yourself: how is the experience between being

I am Deaf myself. It really depends. One of the problems of transcribing stuff is that some nuances are lost. Ask yourself: how is the experience between being there yourself or reading a transcript online? So, usually for social sciences it is a lot better to have a Signed Language interpreter. For hard science it depends on the lecturer. If I have someone droning on, a transcript would be easier on my nerves. If I however have a really good lecturer, a Signed Language is better in catching what is said. You need to consider that lectures are only one part of what you use to study. Also very important are books and self-study. In this light transcripts are just something like a book and we all know that it is not a good idea to learn from books only.