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While there’s no one-size-fits-all website localization strategy for reaching a global audience, it’s hard to overestimate the importance of speaking your target audience’s language. Although English is — for better or worse — the internet’s lingua franca, it’s also true that most people throughout the world prefer to buy products and services that are marketed in their native language. If you’re trying to reach people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds in your community and improve your organization’s language access, it’s absolutely critical to have a thorough website localization strategy. Website localization plays a pivotal role in making your services accessible to all and ensuring that folks with limited English proficiency are able to meaningfully find and use your services. But all too often, website localization is done all wrong — whether it’s using Google Translate as a shortcut or ignoring important design features, we’ve seen a lot of localization mistakes. In this blog post, we’ll go over some of the most frequent mistakes seen in website localization strategy according to our resident localization expert, Fernanda Aguilera — and why you should avoid them.
Outside of the language services industry, localization is often conflated with the mere translation of text. While that’s certainly one important aspect of localization, it’s far from the only consideration to make when localizing a website. Localization services aim to ensure that your content adheres to the linguistic and cultural conventions of your target audience. Ultimately, website localization is a holistic approach that aims to bridge language access, cultural competency, and user journey to ensure that users who speak different languages are able to access your content as if it were created specifically for their locale and offers equal access to your organization’s offerings. By adapting your web content to the local language and culture, you create a more meaningful and engaging experience for diverse audiences. Website localization increases user satisfaction and improves access to services, therefore improving equity overall in areas of social determinants of health. But that’s only when it’s done well — poor localization practices like culturally inaccurate references and bad translation have been shown to damage a brand’s reputation. In a survey conducted last year, researchers found that 24% of prospective customers would trust a brand less if their website featured poor localization practices.
If you’re just beginning to localize your website into your threshold languages — or if you want to improve upon past efforts to do so — here are 14 common mistakes seen by our resident localization expert, Fernanda Aguilera you’ll want to avoid in the process. Website localization incorporates elements of translation, design, and user experience that are critical to keep in mind when reaching diverse audiences. Whether you translate your text into the wrong dialect of a language or simply forgot to update your hyperlinks, the localization mistakes above can have a profound impact on your multilingual audiences’ ability to navigate your website. If you’re starting from scratch or need help correcting some of the above mistakes on a past project Avantpage is happy to jump in and help. Contact us today at [email protected] or (530) 750-2040 for more information about our localization services.

Avantpage Translations, a language service provider specializing in translation services for government, elections, and healthcare, recently announced the latest company expansion after experiencing a record year of growth. The company moves to having an in-house Spanish linguistic team. This change will be pivotal to improving overall client satisfaction through faster turnaround times, higher quality translations, and lowered costs.   2022 featured numerous core company achievements like ISO 9001 and 17100 certifications and a spot in the top 30 LSPs in North America. It became apparent that growth in services and increased in-house capacity would be crucial in continued success to ensuring our clients see improvements in our services. “By having an in-house group of proven and experienced Spanish [linguists], we will be able to deliver better, customized Spanish translations faster and at lower cost,” said CEO Luis Miguel.   Dominika Villafuerte-Woszczyk, Director of Operations and Quality, and long term Avantpage employee with 10 years of industry experience, expressed the potential impact of these changes. “Our internal dedicated Spanish team opens up a new door of opportunities for our clients. We are increasing our in-house linguists, so our processes will be more straightforward and effective,” explained Dominika. She went on to share that by having this dedicated, in-house team, there will also be more internal control of these projects, leading to higher quality services, faster turnaround times, and better opportunities for quality control in specialized areas like machine translation post-editing (MTPE) and remote interpreting.  “All of us at Avantpage are very excited to bring in-house the Spanish linguistic function. We expect that it will be transparent to our clients who will only see that our services keep improving in quality and speed while remaining price competitive.” Luis hinted that Avantpage will be a company to watch over the coming years due to many different investments for improved client satisfaction, such as the launch of Avantpage Life Sciences division in Europe, and enhancements to proprietary client tools like AvantPortal and AvantData with new technology to supplement the company’s remote interpreting. “We are excited about Avantpage’s future and will continue to bring to the market services designed to support immigrants in the USA and Life Sciences companies in Europe!”  About Avantpage Translations  For over 25 years, Avantpage has partnered with both public and private sector organizations to help their diverse and limited English proficient audiences gain more equitable access. We translate, interpret, and localize in more than 150 languages, and we believe in showing Empathy Beyond Words through the humanistic qualities of your audiences. Our goal at Avantpage is simple: to help our clients create a linguistic bridge that connects people, cultures, and communities through mutual understanding. For more information visit www.avantpage.com. 

Translation and language services drive communication and business in the global marketplace and business world. The translation services industry was valued at over 39 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach over 46 billion by 2028. Despite the industry’s importance, you may have some preconceived notions about it if you haven’t done any or very little work with translations before. This leaves clients with knowledge gaps, leading to misunderstandings and uncertainty. The language service provider (LSP) should ensure everything is clear, and the client feels comfortable asking any questions they might have. In this blog, we’ll address 10 common misconceptions about translation. Here are basic definitions: Learn more about the differences between translators and interpreters. As we just described, a translator is about written communication, whereas an interpreter is about verbal communication. These two styles are very different, just as they are for all of us. Also, every individual has expertise, so a Spanish interpreter in the healthcare industry may not have the expertise to interpret in a legal setting. And marketing content requires a different type of translator than a technical manual. So many specializations exist, and a language expert can’t do everything.
Just because someone is a native speaker of a language doesn’t mean that they have the skills to be a linguist. Linguists are specially trained professionals with acutely developed skills. This comes by way of certifications, continuing education credits, professional development, learning, formal education, and professional memberships to hold everyone accountable to high levels of professional standards and code of ethics. Having a bilingual employee do translation work is not a sufficient way to deliver translation projects since: Learn more about the hidden costs of using bilingual employees for translation. “I need a sign language interpreter” is too vague to provide any meaning. A sign language interpreter is not just one type of interpreter. Between 138 and 300 different sign languages are used worldwide. In the US, the most common types are American Sign Language (ASL), Signed Exact, and Tactile. While many people who are deaf do know sign language, there are also many who know different varieties or home signs, or who have different levels of proficiency in a sign language.   In order to provide meaningful access, certain questions need to be asked to find the best suited interpreter match. Learn more about deaf or hard-of-hearing interpreter requirements. You may get a directive to “translate this into Spanish.” Yet Spanish isn’t a universal language; it’s the same idea as “needing a sign language interpreter.” So while the target language may sound simple—Spanish, French, Portuguese, Arabic or Chinese—many languages are regionally targeted. Some translations, especially in the US, need to use Universal Spanish to target multiple varieties and most common Spanish understandings. For regional language varieties, such as smaller, established communities, a Community reviewer might be necessary. A Community reviewer can help with these specialized language variations. Another misconception about languages is if a child is willing to interpret for a parent or guardian, and the adult says it’s OK, then it’s OK. This isn’t a good idea for several reasons: Using an experienced interpreter is the best way to go—not have a child do the work. If you received multiple bids on an RFP, know that the lowest bid charges aren’t necessarily the only charges you may incur. Hidden fees may pop up or the quality is poor, which results in more time to manage the project, re-do the work or worst case—errors go unnoticed and turn into a liability or lawsuit. In addition, over time, these costs and more might actually add up to a higher price than the best-value bids. Some agencies that appear to cost more outright might have technologies for built-in cost savings (e.g., re-using already translated terms, project management tools) that enable you to save money over time. While the most obvious thing that an LSP does is provide translation and interpreting, they do so much more, such as: Depending on the type of organization, you may be eligible for additional funding for language services. Sometimes grants are available that help fund language services. Find them and apply to grow your language access programs. For example, grants that promote equity in Social Determinants of Health among immigrant populations, improve student learning, and others are available. Having misconceptions about the translation industry is understandable, especially if you’re new to working with it. We’re here to help answer any of your questions. For more information, contact us at [email protected] or (530) 750-2040. Let us help you provide the best language services.

or individuals who are limited English proficient (LEP) or Deaf/hard-of-hearing  and need to participate in a court hearing, they have the right to an interpreter in federal, state, and local courts. An interpreter is required to protect one’s basic constitutional rights by providing equal language access. A legal interpreter plays an extremely important role in the court process, as the interpreter is the conduit between the individual and the English speakers. An interpreter must interpret the content without editing, summarizing, deleting or otherwise modifying the content. They must be impartial and able to serve the judicial process as required. In this blog, we’ll look at some of the legal interpreter qualifications and requirements used in the legal system. The federal government recognizes three types of legal interpreters. A federally certified interpreter has passed the Administrative Office certification exam. These exams are only available for Spanish, Navajo, and Haitian Creole interpreters. The local federal court will determine if an interpreter is professionally qualified or has the language skills for other languages. This designation is for all languages except Spanish, Navajo, and Haitian Creole. A professionally qualified interpreter meets the criteria for this designation. The criteria consider areas like tests and assessments, memberships, and other certifications. A language skilled / ad hoc interpreter demonstrates the ability to interpret court proceedings per the court’s satisfaction but isn’t a professionally qualified interpreter. While using a language skilled / ad hoc interpreter is not always appropriate, it may be acceptable in some cases. Each state has its own legal interpreter requirements. As an example, the state of California recognizes two types of interpreters: Review language access programs by state. Local and national organizations, such as National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT) may provide other labels for legal interpreters such as “conditionally approved” or “qualified.” These terms can vary a bit, but they essentially mean individuals pre-vetted by organizations, agencies, departments or otherwise based on references, skills assessments, previous work history, an association with industry organizations, and more. While hundreds of sign languages exist, American Sign Language (ASL) is one of the most common types in the U.S. Currently, there’s a shortage of ASL interpreters, and some certifications can’t be tested for anymore. Nationally recognized certifications include: Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART)
CART, also known as real-time captioning, is a method of transcribing spoken language and sounds. The transcription is displayed on computers, mobile devices or other screens. Those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing might prefer this method. LEP individuals may also choose this method over interpreting for various reasons. CART requires reading, and it’s often a one-way communication, although some versions can incorporate two-way communication. Specialists who provide CART services can hold certifications from the Association for Court Reporters and Captioners.

Organizations that Support Interpreters and Translators
Organizations that control assessments, codes of ethics, codes of professional conduct, and more to evaluate interpreter involvement include:
Legal interpreters have a very important job communicating between LEP, deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals. Legal interpreting is a highly specialized form of interpreting that not just anyone can do. As such, courts may require certain qualifications or a judge may inquire about qualifications, and may come up when a court case is challenged due to the interpretation, such as appeals on verdicts called into question due to the provided interpretation. We provide remote and in-person interpretation services for the legal industry. We partner with the Coalition of Concerned Legal Professionals, and we’ve worked with numerous state Superior Courts as well as Judicial Councils. To learn more, contact us at [email protected] or (530) 750-2040.

For this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month we wanted to celebrate the contributions and achievements of those who play such a large part in our U.S. identity. We decided to talk with Avantpage CEO & founder, Luis Miguel, a bit about Hispanic Heritage Month, his own background, and a few of the many ways these individuals have and continue to play such a big part of the U.S. In some ways I am a typical immigrant to the US, coming from Mexico attracted by the American Dream and looking for opportunity and a better life.  Yet my ancestors on both sides emigrated to Mexico from Lebanon in the 1920s, again looking for opportunity and a better life. And once in Mexico in the 1930s, both my paternal and maternal grandparents migrated from Teziutlan, Puebla, a small town to the grand metropolis, Mexico City.  So, I come from a family of immigrants with middle eastern roots, born and raised in Mexico, a country with a complex mixture of indigenous and Spanish peoples creating a pluralistic and rich culture.  The United States also has a rich and complex history and Spain, the Viceroyalty of New Spain and Mexico have prominent parts in that history. A huge part of the South and Western U.S. belonged to the Viceroyalty of New Spain, a Spanish colony, until 1821 when Mexico won its independence from Spain and became an internationally recognized new country. At that time, Mexico included modern day California, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado and Texas among others.  Over the next 50 years the U.S. annexed about 50% of Mexico’s territory, in the process leaving millions of Mexican citizens as U.S. citizens. In addition, the border between both countries has always been very porous, with millions of people moving back and forth to this day.  Hispanic heritage month reminds me of this rich cultural, economic and ethnic mix of both countries, something that the dominant European immigrant groups suppressed for many years until very recently. Spanish is the second most spoken language in the U.S., and several of the old Mexico states, like California and Texas, will soon have more Hispanics than any other ethnic group.  As I mentioned before, I was born and raised in Mexico. It is where most of my family still resides, and I have a deep love and respect for the country.  Since English to Spanish is about 50% of our translation work at Avantpage and we were getting most translations from Argentina [based linguists], in 2008 I decided to open an office in Mexico City to do our Spanish translation work. The translation industry in Mexico at the time was 100% focused on the internal market and had low levels of technology and modern business practices.  So I saw the opportunity to create a new translation agency niche in Mexico, modeled after the agencies in Argentina, that served the Spanish needs of the U.S. market. This provided new opportunities for work to both project managers and translators in Mexico.  So much substance and complexity! Not only do we have people from many Mexico regions, but also from many other former Spanish colonies including Venezuela, Argentina, El Salvador, Brazil, etc. So the ethnic, cultural and linguistic diversity within the hispanic population is enormous and very rich. The Cuban and Puerto Rican immigrants in Florida and New York have different dialects and cultures from the Mexican immigrants in Texas.  The linguistic scope of Spanish has steadily increased over the years, as the Hispanic populations continue to grow, integrate and become more varied.  In many locations you have Spanish immersion programs in public schools, websites, signage and notices in Spanish, and even ES/EN bilingual people serving the public.  I have no doubt that the penetration and influence of Spanish will continue to grow in the U.S. given the higher birth rates among the Hispanic population, and the continuing renewal through our porous Southern border. Luis Miguel, CEO of Avantpage Translations, joins SlatorPod to talk about the LSP’s mission over the past 25 years of helping immigrants and other limited-English-proficient (LEP) populations. Check out this list of resources from National Council of Hispanic Employment Program Managers National Park Service’s Telling All Americans’ Stories: Introduction to American Latino Heritage

Providing voting materials in non-English languages helps to encourage participation in the voting process and capture the voices of those in underrepresented and limited English proficient (LEP) communities. It also helps to sustain our society’s democratic process. Providing language access for LEP individuals also supports government in other ways. We’ll share how and provide five ways to increase voter turnout for LEP communities. Here are four ways multilingual materials support voter access. When LEP individuals have voting materials in their native language, it encourages them to participate in the process. It makes the entire voting process much easier and more engaging. Voter access by means of providing language access “encourages members of historically underrepresented communities to participate in elections, and ensures that all individuals can vote comfortably and knowledgeably.” The Voting Rights Act has increased voter turnout over time: In addition, language assistance is symbolic and helps to encourage participation in our democratic system for LEP individuals and English-speakers alike. There is a “sense that they feel more comfortable and welcomed in polling places in which there is increased descriptive presence from language-minority communities, and visible provision of multilingual services.” Language access motivates language minorities to run for office in more significant numbers. Community leaders have “explicitly acknowledged that the changes that enforcement activity brought about in the conduct of their local elections encouraged them to run for office.” With more significant numbers comes an increase in representation. Reports have shown that language access to voting correlates to improvement in faith to the law. By “deepening relationships between public officials, the communities they represent, and the voters who elect them, effective language assistance efforts increase faith and trust in government.” More voters will help support our democracy and society. Here are five ways to provide more language support to increase voter turnout. The more you know about your LEP communities, the better you can serve them. Learn more about locating language information in different demographic areas. This guide provides instructions on how to locate demographic data using data.census.gov. In addition to the federal requirements under the Language Minority Provisions of the Voting Rights Act, government agencies can take the following actions to support voter access: Look at local cultural organizations to find one you can partner with to get the word out about voting. Translate voting material communications, and share these with local organizations. Consider in-language pieces for local news, magazines or newsletters. Leverage interagency resources such as a Language Accessibility Advisory Committee (LAAC), Voting Accessibility Advisory Committee (VAAC) or other resources that cover languages. You can participate in these committees as they are open to the public, and they’re a good way to see what other officials are doing. For example, the California LAAC and the translation advisory council in Oregon have monthly webinars for any participants. Understand how your audience wants to be communicated with for different types of communication, such as print, digital or radio, as well as different platforms for diverse audiences. If you aren’t sure, look at your digital analytics or consult with local leaders to understand where these audiences go for information. Democracy benefits by having active participation in the voting process. Providing language support can encourage underrepresented and LEP communities to vote. State, country or city government agencies can support their LEP communities in several ways through language access. As a translation company supporting the language needs of immigrants and LEP communities, we’ve been translating election materials for over 25 years. We can provide you with language resources and experienced translators to translate the content. Contact us at [email protected] or (530) 750-2040 to learn more.

Language barriers can come in many forms, and reducing language barriers in healthcare needs to be innovative and detailed. Immigrants and limited English proficient (LEP) individuals have historically been marginalized and discriminated against due to accents or language capabilities, despite being integral members of our society.   Healthcare is one of the many areas where LEP individuals face communication challenges, sometimes resulting in negative experiences, care, and outcomes. These types of experiences may lead to avoiding care as a whole, resulting in more severe impacts on health when faced with things like:  Not providing full and meaningful language access creates uncertainty and complexity for the patient. To work towards an equity-based healthcare system that reduces health disparities, it’s important to make strides that create the opposite environment, working to eliminate harsh histories of discrimination. Healthcare organizations can do this by focusing on innovative ways to support and encourage the LEP voice in healthcare experiences.   To work towards a healthcare system that promotes equity for all, we need to actively work to reduce longstanding disparities in innovative ways. After all, improving access to care benefits LEP and underrepresented communities, and it improves the healthcare organization as a whole.   Organizations can start by creating a framework to advocate for and advance health equity. To create a culture of health equity, language should be written into internal procedures and processes, and training should be provided for staff. In addition, the messaging should be written into any content that involves patient quality and safety, and have a plan with measurable goals for improving care.   Here are some of the benefits that organizations can see.  If language preference isn’t addressed during a clinical encounter, the patient may receive lower quality and costlier care. LEP patients have an increased chance of readmission, risk of surgical delays, and longer hospital stays if an interpreter wasn’t available during admission and/or discharge.   In looking at readmissions, a study showed that over a 3-year period, readmissions were significantly fewer when telephone interpreters were available. Per the report, “language access represents an important service that all medical centers should provide to achieve equitable, high quality health care.”  One study found that only nine percent of people understand their health insurance. And that’s for people who speak English. For LEP patients, the complexity rises. However, when members understand their plan, it results in taking more action and receiving better care. Healthcare companies can help make their content easier for LEP members by translating their content, providing language access during the enrollment assistance program, and creating an outreach program to educate LEP communities.   When members understand their health insurance, financial incentives to seek higher quality doctors and hospitals can work. As a result, plan members can receive better care and plan performance can improve.  Improving patient satisfaction is a win-win for individuals and organizations alike. For patients, a better experience is directly tied to the process and providers of the care they receive, leading to better health outcomes.   On the business side, better patient experiences are tied to services provider loyalty, greater employee satisfaction and reduced turnover, financial incentives, and lower medical malpractice risks.   Staff can do a lot for LEP patients and their families if the environment is supportive and has the necessary resources for reducing language barriers in healthcare.  Organizations can support and encourage their staff to provide meaningful language access by using interpreters and sharing translated materials. Having a strategic and cohesive language access plan including training can help staff be better prepared and ready to help patients.  Patient handoffs are one of the most dangerous times of a patient’s care. And adding a language difference on top of that makes a situation even more complex. To minimize the difficulties during these times, standardize the process of language access during handoffs. For example, have an interpreter available during handoffs.  A study by JAMA Pediatrics found that children and their parents who face language barriers are two times less likely to say they’re unafraid of “asking questions when something does not seem right” and five times less likely to say they “feel free to question the decisions or actions of health care providers.  Providers should do more to make patients feel safe to speak up and ask questions. One way to help with this is to train staff to talk to LEP patients and their families about their care. Consider how questions are phrased. Simple yes or no questions are less encouraging for speaking up about questions or doubts. Providers can use questioning-tactics like asking the family to repeat their understanding, or what they can help further clarify are a few ways to encourage question-asking in a safe environment.   Even if patients speak some English, encourage them and their families to use an interpreter. Federal law requires that hospitals provide interpreters free of charge to those with LEP, so it’s their right to ask for this service. While a family member can pitch in if there isn’t another option, this can risk an increase of misunderstandings and create unnecessary complications. Therefore, it’s best to have a professional medical interpreter help with LEP patients.  Breaking through language barriers benefits LEP patients, their families, and healthcare organizations. Good care results in trust in providers, positive patient experiences, and better health outcomes.   We provide interpreter services for healthcare organizations, and we translate member and marketing materials. We want to help healthcare organizations reduce health inequities. For more information about our healthcare services, contact us at [email protected] or (530) 750-2040. 

Telehealth services can increase equitable healthcare or exacerbate disparities. Telehealth services needs grew exponentially during the pandemic: the number of Medicare visits handled through telehealth increased 63-fold, from 840,000 in 2019 to 52.7 million in 2020. Behavioral telehealth visits also increased 32-fold. And while telehealth provides many advantages, it also exemplifies health disparities. Those who are limited English proficient (LEP), have lower rates of digital literacy or don’t have Wifi are at a disadvantage when it comes to telehealth. In order to create more equitable healthcare, health plans need to create intentional strategies to address the gaps in telehealth to make it a more equitable healthcare option. Addressing these gaps can benefit for healthcare organizations and their members: Telehealth is here to stay, so how can healthcare companies increase telehealth equity? The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) produced a white paper called The Future of Telehealth Roundtable, which covers opportunities and solutions to reduce health disparities in telehealth. One of the three areas they cover is “tailoring telehealth use and access to individual preferences and needs.” This area includes things like language barriers, digital literacy, and comfort level, and it provides a big opportunity to increase equity for LEP patients and their families. The roundtable participants emphasized the importance of putting the patient first and prioritizing their preferences. Here are eight ways healthcare organizations can address telehealth inequities regarding preferences. For a more equitable telehealth experience, use a patient’s preferred language. This means translating content such as technology instructions and support materials, and providing an interpreter during the telehealth visit. Provide language access along the entire patient journey, including the: Language access should also include ensuring that content is culturally and linguistically appropriate. To guide health and healthcare organizations in advancing health equity, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services created Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS). CLAS is a set of 15 action steps that organizations can use as a blueprint to reduce health care disparities. Content that isn’t just translated, but also takes into account one’s culture, helps provide an equitable healthcare experience. It can include targeted information like statistics on the specific culture instead of general information or providing pictures of people who look like the culture you’re targeting. Read the CLAS guidelines for more information. Equitable healthcare can also stem from making the process easy for anyone regardless of their current capabilities. A patient’s decision to participate in a telehealth appointment is connected with their level of confidence in using technology. From basic tasks like downloading an application and opening a browser to more advanced needs, a patient has to know a variety of ways to use technology. Provide the best and most equitable possible telehealth experience by translating any digital literacy instructions, such as: If you plan to provide an interpreter, make sure any guidelines are also translated and communicated with the patient before the telehealth appointment. Also, if video resources are part of the pre- or post-visit, include voice-overs in the preferred language and translated captions. Consider running a multilingual self-audit once all these resources are in place to find and address any issues before implementing the resources. Those with disabilities face different challenges with telehealth. For example, a person with vision impairment may not be able to view the website clearly or a person who is deaf or hard-of-hearing may require sign language capabilities or closed captioning. Making equitable telehealth technology functional and accessible to those with disabilities increases the quality and functionality for everyone. Having features like closed captioning; a website that follows web accessibility guidelines to include white space, plain language, etc.; and providing written guidance on telehealth accessibility will make a telehealth experience better for everyone. Know the limited English proficient (LEP) community organizations and resources available to patients in their preferred language, and direct them to those resources when appropriate. Resources could include in-person services where patients can learn more or get support, online recorded videos, print materials, government services, and other supportive initiatives. Pre-visit paperwork can be confusing and time-consuming for anyone. Then imagine struggling with a language barrier. Providing accurate and complete information is a must for any patient. Analyze your pre-visit paperwork to make sure the language is clear. You can follow the U.S. plain language guidelines for language support. Also, consider if intake questions are culturally appropriate, so it doesn’t dissuade someone from answering or getting health services. Questions that ask about ID numbers or other questions that might involve legality status should be avoided if possible. Ensure patients understand their privacy rights by providing translated HIPAA statements and privacy policies. Make sure your platforms are also HIPAA-compliant, as technology changes have sparked needs for adjustments. For example, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) issued a Telehealth Notification in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This notification helped the health care industry quickly expand the use of telehealth services. Continuously monitor and adjust the process to positively impact patient-centered care for equitable healthcare. One way to do this is to provide a survey after a telehealth experience. Just like product and service reviews online, reviews can enable you to improve the process and adjust as things like technology evolve. Telehealth services have many advantages, but they also face health inequities. However, healthcare organizations can implement strategic initiatives to reduce these inequities. One of the areas is putting the patient first and prioritizing their preferences. We provide translation and interpretation services in more than 150 languages. We’ve helped numerous healthcare companies, including some of the largest providers in the nation, provide meaningful and equitable healthcare access for immigrants, provide HIPAA-compliant services for language access and accessibility compliance, and improve their communications. For more information about our language services, contact us at [email protected] or (530) 750-2040.

While students whose first language is English can focus on learning school materials, Limited English proficient (LEP) students have to learn the school materials and the language simultaneously, which can be a big challenge for students. And the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated disparities for these students and their families. “Roughly 5 million public school students are ELs (English Learners), accounting for about 10 percent of the K-12 population.” Source To reach these students and reduce educational disparities, educators may need to re-evaluate how they are meeting language access for LEP students and their families. In this blog, we’ll look at how the pandemic affected LEP students, the value of families on a students’ education, and ways to use language access to improve student outcomes. Many children and families struggled when the COVID-19 pandemic brought schools to a halt in 2020. Technology, digital literacy, and language differences affected children across the US. Those with a language barrier faced additional challenges. Here are just some of the many challenges LEP children and families faced during the pandemic. Approximately 19 million Americans, which is 6% of the population, don’t have access to broadband internet service at threshold speeds. People living in rural areas make up one-fourth of this group. And although broadband service is better in densely populated areas, these areas have a high concentration of poor students whose families can’t afford it. In addition to internet connectivity issues, when the 2020-2021 school year began, schools and families scrambled to find computer devices for children, and the supply chain couldn’t keep up. Besides the technology challenges, language barriers were evident with digital literacy. While children across the US were impacted by the learning challenges caused by the pandemic, English learners were disproportionately impacted. When the instructions for parents to help their children were in English only “Language access for parents to help them was also an issue…parents didn’t necessarily have the digital savvy, or the instructions in languages they understood, to be able to help students.” Furthermore, according to a report by the Department of Justice: Research has shown that when families take an active role in their children’s education, children “have better academic performance than children with less engaged families.” However, one of the many barriers to family engagement is “Language and cultural differences that make communication with schools intimidating or challenging.” “Children whose families take an active role in their children’s education—even if that merely means communicating that school matters—have better academic performance than children with less engaged families.” Source + Toolkit Another way to achieve successful family engagement is to make the school welcoming and friendly to families. In the next section, we’ll describe ways that schools can accomplish this through language services. Schools can encourage family involvement in many ways and help reduce the barriers that might be preventing engagement. that has important information about LEP services, such as available resources and how to get language support. Translate the slide deck into the local threshold languages, publish it digitally and print it, and then share it with those families who need it. that describes how language services are free and encouraged. Post these around the school. Make sure to include basic instructions on how to connect to live classes through zoom or other ways, how to get into whatever school program you might use, and other standard technologies. meaning that the messaging makes sense for each target culture. And avoid tools like Google Translate – these tools don’t account for cultural context, local language nuances, and specialized terminology. at school events, parent engagements, and other live events. Including parents in important events is key to instilling trust and participation by the students. Promote these services when communicating about the event. into the process for highly localized and contextual translations. Someone who speaks the language and lives in the community will be to validate localized content. —whether it’s via multilingual emails, texts, social media, phone calls or otherwise. If they use their phones or computers to get information, consider creating and localizing a separate website with easy access and visibility to translations for resources and information like this one. If they regularly consult social media, such as the school’s Facebook page, then ensure that you provide multilingual versions of the posts. for check-ins with the student and/or family to ask if they need help with anything. By being proactive and opening the door to questions, you might be surprised at how it encourages the relationship and participation between the families and the school, ultimately improving the student’s outcome. Have a template translated in each needed language that asks if the parent/student can take a call with an interpreter at a specific date and time, and provide instructions on how the process will work. You can schedule an interpreter for blocks of time by language to maximize process efficiency. from limited English proficient communities. The survey information will help you learn from your efforts and improve over time. Every person, location, language, country, culture, and interaction will all be different. Use feedback and firsthand knowledge to create innovative solutions that will promote equity in education and improve the chance of each students’ success. LEP students face plenty of barriers in education. Having family support and encouragement leads to better outcomes. Families should feel welcomed, and providing high-quality translated content and interpreters is important in welcoming families. However, using translation tools like Google Translate won’t cut it—these translations may come across as confusing or even rude in some languages. That’s why it’s important to partner with an experienced translation agency. How can we help you with language access? Contact us at [email protected] or (530) 750-2040.

Healthcare is one area where limited English proficient (LEP) individuals may face inequities in getting high-quality care due to language roadblocks. One federal agency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS), has made health equity the first pillar in their 2022 strategic plan. The plan has nine health equity goals and has charged their programs with integrating health equity into their core work. While the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid is a federal agency, they “call on private sector partners to engage with this health equity strategy to sustain long-term action.” While it may be challenging to conceptualize health equity and put it into action, the CMS strategic plan lays out nine specific goals with examples of how they’re putting these goals into action. Language access is a core component of providing equitable health care and can be a part of these goals. In this blog, we’ll look at five of the nine CMS goals, how language access supports these health equity goals, and ways you can implement language services.
All kinds of data exist to help companies better understand their demographics and patient KPIs that evaluate preferences, usage, satisfaction levels, health outcomes, etc. Data helps to understand where the needs are and where your organization currently is to then create a blueprint for action. Here are just some of the many available resources: Your language service provider (LSP) is another invaluable resource. An LSP has a broad range of data based on service type, region, language, and more. For example, our AvantPortal powered by AvantData gives our clients smart linguistic usage insights such as: The dashboards help capture historical data so our clients can predict needs and provide additional information for decision-making. Reach out to your LSP to see how they can help provide you with data. Language access is more than having translated content to support services—it also means making the content culturally and linguistically appropriate. The aim is to improve the end customer experience by providing language access to programs, services, and information targeted to specific groups, not just generic information. For example, suppose you’re trying to promote an educational piece about the danger of sun for skin cancer for the Latino community. In that case, you’d provide culturally relevant information such as statistics of skin cancer in Latinos—not Caucasians – as Latinos “do face rising melanoma rates, but still actually have a lower rate of developing melanomas than their white peers.” This measure isn’t just for CMS—the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services created a set of 15 action steps called Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) for health and healthcare organizations to advance health equity and reduce health care disparities. Although it may be tempting to use internal employees for translations to save money, that quite likely won’t be the highest-quality option for many reasons. For example, many healthcare organizations who even have dedicated staff linguists run into inconsistencies such as terminology that can slow down the translation process and reduce the quality. This organization enlisted Avantpage to partner on employee assessments for quarterly evaluations, creating recommendations, and helping with the increase of output production. “Does identity play a role in how we translate? The short answer is yes. As we go about the work of translation, we bring far more than the skills we’ve learned. We bring a lifetime of experiences along with attitudes that were formed in childhood and beyond. We come to our work with assumptions and biases embedded in the cultures of our families and communities beyond what we may realize. The way in which we render words in a target language is affected by our histories, perspectives, and biases, whether we’re aware of them or not.” Words Matter, Identity Matters  The Hidden Costs of Using Bilingual Employees for Translation However, if you work with an LSP, you’ll gain access to their networks of highly qualified individuals, employees, and technologies, which will provide the best opportunities for high-quality translations. For example, if you require interpreter services, an LSP can use their resources to provide interpreters with a medical background, who have certifications, etc. As a result, an LEP patient in a hospital should communicate better, leading to a better healthcare outcome. LSPs can also provide quick turnarounds that internal employees may not be able to do. For example, Notice of Action (NOA) or Notice of Appeal Resolution (NAR) letters require a quick turnaround. An LSP will have the resources to meet these needs. Many communities have programs that offer connection through parks and recreation services, special events, daily services, etc. These types of programs provide community participation, equity, and social/networking opportunities, leading to more connection and fulfillment. Translating program materials that bring awareness to events and promoting these materials makes these opportunities available for everyone. An LSP can provide not just translators, but also community reviewers—local individuals to help micro-localize your content by targeting highly specific groups of people. Reviewers create content that is sure to resonate with the end user. Applying any CMS initiative to your organization should get you closer to closing the gaps in health care. To take it a step farther, one way to reach LEP communities is to do multilingual outreach with your language offerings. So instead of just translating your educational content and putting it on your website, you can give hard copies to local organizations for them to disperse, mail your hard copies to LEP communities or hire bilingual representatives to go out in the community. These kinds of proactive actions will help your target audiences learn about who you are and what services you offer, and in turn, help to raise awareness and health literacy. Much work is needed to advance health equity. We support our clients in advancing health equity by providing nuanced and linguistically appropriate translation and language services. We want to help all end customers improve their health literacy and experience by providing our clients with high-quality language services for health care programs, services, and information. To learn more about how we can help you with your language service needs, contact us at [email protected] or (530) 750-2040.

In government agencies, procurement (also known as purchasing) can choose between different types of bidding for proposals (RFPs) from vendors for their services. A low-cost bid looks only at the cost of a service and no other factors. With a best-value RFP, the government employee requests information about important components for that service and then scores the RFP based on their value to select the winning bid.  While a low-cost RFP gets the job done for the lowest prices, it can come with risks. It’s important to ask the right questions and know what to look out for. It’s also important to understand how to weigh evaluations and the risks when choosing low-cost over best value. It can be tricky when procurement officials manage the RFP process across many services since each one is unique and has different requirements. We made this quick guide that you can share with local procurement for language services to help them navigate the RFP process for language services.  There are risks to understand with low-cost language services. Bidders for low-cost bids are going to need to cut costs to provide competitive prices. Usually, those cuts will be seen in quality, time or management. As a result, low-cost RFPs become “a race to the bottom,” which puts pressure on the language service industry to provide quality services at a sometimes unreasonable price. Language service providers do this in a variety of ways:  Low-cost bids can also be risky for a variety of reasons.  A best-value bid has a lot of benefits since it takes more factors into account besides just budget. It also weighs scores according to the agency’s needs. As a result, the agency chooses a partner based on who they believe has the most relevant experience and can provide the best value, while the vendors compete on what differentiates their services and their team, rather than on how low they can price their services.  Some ideas of what to include in an RFP for language services include:  When customizing the scoring for the agency’s needs, the benefit is that you get the best match to meet your language access goals. Consider which components should be weighed more heavily than others. Make inclusions and exceptions based on your agency’s needs. Common scoring areas include:  Low-cost bids might look great on paper due to saving money, but they can have opportunity costs that negatively impact the communities you serve and your organization. Some of those opportunity costs can mean you:  Consider a best-value bid for a holistic approach to language services. A best-value bid ensures that the perceived value matches what your organization and its multilingual audience members need.  For more information about the RFP process for language services, contact us at [email protected] or (530) 750-2040. 

In the US, everyone has the right to language access. Having language access for those with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) or other communication challenges helps to reduce disparities within social determinants of health and provide equal opportunities for those who have historically been marginalized. Over time, laws have been put in place to address language access. Some of the federal laws that pertain to language access include: So where does a language access plan fit in? A language access plan is a policy that an organization creates to discuss how they intend to provide language services to those individuals who are: A language access plan is a blueprint for an organization to outline and share its strategic approach for meaningful communication with those who need additional language services. It can include creating materials in other languages, interpretation and/or other communication paths. Some organizations, such as schools, healthcare providers, and government agencies, must provide a language access plan. For other organizations that provide services for LEP communities or individuals with other communication challenges, having a language access plan is a benefit and guidance for these services. While there isn’t a single method to follow, we have identified common components. We’ll share those in this blog. Based on publicly available government agency plans, organizations typically include the following components. The first section is usually a needs assessment that explains how an organization will assess the language assistance needs of the communities it serves. An organization can analyze these needs in a variety of ways: Based on the findings, the organization will gain insights and predictions to help the quality and breadth of its necessary linguistic reach. A designated language access coordinator(s) is one who will be responsible for the language assistance needs, such as: In addition to the language needs section, this section lists community leaders, stakeholders, and groups that work with LEPs or LEP communities. These organizations can be useful to get feedback, assess quality, determine priorities, get data about experiences, and more. Provide names of advisory committees, working groups, forums, resource sharing, and partnerships with other agency networking options to gain insights, information, tactics, and pool resources. Add information dissemination methods that reach multiple channels in print, digitally, onsite or otherwise. Participate and partner with organizations, programs, events, public meetings, key community stakeholders, social media, and more to ensure the communities have the information. Provide ways in which you plan to clearly track the quality of the language assistance. This can be done in a variety of ways, including an internal audit with reports; reviewing data from the LSP regarding complaints, timeliness of the deliverables or other success metrics; having the community stakeholders review content; or interagency/working groups review content to make sure the translations are accurate. In addition, provide how to onboard, gather customer feedback, track data, establish partnerships, maintain linguistic assets, and more. Describe how you’ll track language service usage over time, primary and secondary languages, and initial data intake from LEP individuals. In addition, know what tracking systems are available to you through overarching or interagency organizations. Additional line items that we’ve seen but less frequently include: The contents of a language access plan vary, as it’s really an individualized document for an organization. However, the components that we’ve shared in this blog post are quite common. An LSP can be a partner and consultant in helping you develop and execute a language access plan. An LSP can help you strategize about making your plan more efficient, saving you money and time, reducing risks, and increasing service quality. So take advantage of what your LSP, plus your resources and network, can offer. To learn more about how we can help you with your language service plans, contact us at [email protected] or (530) 750-2040.