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Interpreters play a critical role in allowing people from different linguistic backgrounds and experiences to communicate seamlessly with one another. Whether it’s helping a patient with limited English proficiency (LEP) communicate with their doctor or enabling people to call helplines based in different parts of the world, interpreting is no small feat.  Still, there are a lot of misconceptions about how interpreting services work. From minor misunderstandings like mixing up interpreters and translators to more serious errors like allowing a child to interpret for their parent, misconceptions about interpreting can make it harder for you to get the best interpreting services possible. In order to ensure that things go smoothly and efficiently, it’s important for buyers of interpreting services to understand the basics of how interpreting works. Here at Avantpage, we have decades of experience providing interpreting services — here are some of the most common misconceptions we hear from clients who are buying interpreting services.
One of the most common misconceptions interpreters encounter is that interpreters and translators are interchangeable. There is, however, a major distinction between the two professions: Interpreters convert speech from one language to another in real time, while translators do so with text after it’s already been written down. While some professionals perform both tasks, this isn’t always the case, so be sure you know which kind of services you need. Interpreters work to enable multilingual communication in meetings, doctor’s appointments, trials, phone calls, and other real-time conversations, while translators work with pre-written documents. For example, an election office would hire a translator to translate a voter’s ballot, while they would hire an interpreter to enable communication with LEP voters at the polls.
While the primary focus may be the person contracting their services and the individual with LEP, interpreters don’t only interpret conversation between these two parties. They must also interpret any audible conversation in the same room. Likewise, interpreters may have to have “side conversations” to provide critical cultural context. While extrapolating too much is largely discouraged, there are some instances where it is necessary.
While interpreters certainly need to be proficient in both languages, bilingualism does not necessarily make somebody a good interpreter. Interpreting involves a combination of different cognitive and communicative skills that not every bilingual individual has — this is especially true when it comes to more specialized interpreting settings like legal or medical interpreting, where an interpreter’s knowledge of certain jargon needs to be extremely precise.
All too often, parents and other family members bring their bilingual children to meetings or appointments to have them interpret for them. Interpreting, however, requires a great deal of training and maturity that children simply don’t have — regardless of a child’s linguistic abilities, they simply aren’t suited to take on the responsibility of an interpreter.
Interpreters are not an active member of the conversation they’re interpreting, nor are they a representative of either party — instead, they should be a sort of “fly on the wall” figure. When speaking to an LEP individual with the aid of an interpreter, you should look at the LEP individual and interact with them, not with the interpreter.
Purchasing interpreting services from a language service provider involves a lot of set-up and training — different companies have different platforms and processes for requesting services, after all. Once you’ve established a relationship with a vendor and trained your staff, you’re good to go, but the training work doesn’t end there. As new staff come in and new technologies are developed, you’ll need to continue training people in your organization and setting up new tech. At Avantpage, we pride ourselves in being helpful and supportive throughout this process. In addition to the initial set-up, we’ll help you with regular check-ins to make sure that your staff are up to date and that our processes are working for you.
While this is certainly important to know, it’s not the only thing you need to keep in mind when requesting interpreting services. After all, many languages have dialectal variation. It’s not enough to request a “Chinese” interpreter — you need to know whether the other party speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, or some other dialect of Chinese.  Your vendor should be able to guide you through this, but try to get a better understanding of the other party’s linguistic background. Knowing where someone grew up or was born can go a long way toward identifying the correct dialect of a given language.
Not all interpreters can be a good fit for your needs — interpreters tend to have different specializations that you need to keep in mind when requesting interpreting services. Fields like law, government, or medicine feature lots of complicated language that may not be familiar to every interpreter, and as such, you need to make sure that your interpreter specializes in your field. Some interpreters take on more general assignments, while others will be better suited to interpreting in a specific setting, so consider the nature of your meeting before requesting service.
While an interpreter’s gender isn’t always important, some individuals—particularly those from certain religious or cultural backgrounds—do prefer to work with interpreters of the same gender. Additionally, in a medical setting or following traumatic events, some LEP individuals will feel more comfortable being interpreted by somebody of the same gender or sexual orientation. As such, if an individual requests an interpreter of a certain gender or an LGBTQ-friendly interpreter, that is their right.
Interpreters are trained professionals who aim to face all kinds of situations, but at the end of the day, they’re humans too. Interpreting is not only a very cognitively demanding job — after all, you’re constantly flipping between one language and another — but it’s an emotionally demanding one as well. It’s well-documented that interpreters who have to interpret traumatic or unfortunate stories, may experience “vicarious trauma,” which can be emotionally exhausting.
These are some of the most common misconceptions about interpreting that we encounter here at Avantpage. But they’re not the only ones — in order to ensure smooth and thorough language access, we recommend asking for clarification about anything you’re unsure of regarding interpreting services. If you have any questions about buying interpreting services or need to connect with an interpreter soon, contact us today at [email protected] or (530) 750-2040.

In the United States, correctional facilities are legally required to provide language access to inmates with limited English proficiency (LEP). Still, many prisons have difficulty providing adequate, equitable language services, resulting in significant challenges for prisoners with LEP. This can prevent inmates from participating in essential programs, have health implications, and isolate them from social interactions. Even worse, when prisoners are unable to communicate with other prisoners and prison staff, they also become vulnerable to mistreatment. For example, a Salvadoran prisoner in Virginia was placed in solitary confinement for more than a decade — an injustice that occurred in large part due to his LEP. His only way out of solitary confinement was a program that was offered only in English, rendering it completely inaccessible to him. While it’s an extreme example, this program is just one of many that are practically impossible for prisoners with LEP to access — other, lower stakes services include libraries, academic programs, re-entry training, GED programs, and more. In one of the country’s most linguistically diverse states, New York, 2,295 incarcerated individuals under custody or on parole were estimated to have LEP in the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision’s 2022 language access plan — that’s about 3% of the state’s overall incarcerated population. Because they make up a fairly small portion of the incarcerated population, it can be easy to overlook this group of prisoners. Additionally, a historical lack of transparency has made it difficult to gauge just how thorough language access in prisons actually is — much of the information available today is from 2021 onward, indicating that this topic is only recently coming to light. Still, language access is a human right — it’s important to ensure that these individuals are able to navigate the justice system effectively and in their own language. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the challenges that prisoners with LEP face in this country, and why it’s important to enact language access measures for this group of particularly vulnerable individuals.
There are several barriers that make it challenging for prisoners with LEP to access the services and programs that they need. Here are some of the biggest ones, and how they can negatively impact prisoners in the system.
Individuals with LEP often face significant barriers in understanding their rights — particularly their right to an attorney and an interpreter, at no cost to them. This misunderstanding begins in the booking stage, and can continue through their stay in prison.  Sometimes, a prisoner’s preferred language is misidentified, often due to the lack of trained staff or the individual’s reluctance to disclose their language out of fear from previous discrimination. The intimidating environment of a correctional facility — be it the presence of armed officers or threatening inmates — may exacerbate this issue.
Correctional facilities enforce strict rules on technology use, limiting access to the internet and other tools that can be used to provide remote interpreting services. Many prisons lack the necessary technological infrastructure to support these services, further complicating efforts to ensure language access. Without reliable access to video interpreters, LEP individuals may not be able to fully participate in essential activities such as legal consultations, medical appointments, and educational programs. This technological gap may prevent them from receiving necessary support and information, ultimately exacerbating the challenges they face within the correctional system.
Language access measures in correctional facilities predominantly focus on Spanish, which is by far the most commonly spoken language other than English in the US. While Spanish-speaking inmates may be able to rely on the word of other Spanish-speaking inmates, speakers of less common languages may be totally isolated.   This, combined with a lack of resources in non-Spanish languages, leaves significant gaps for speakers of other languages, who will face even greater challenges in accessing essential services and programs. How to Provide Language Access for Indigenous Languages
Grouping inmates by shared languages for ease of communication can foster socialization, reducing the extreme isolation that many LEP individuals face. However, the legality of this practice is somewhat murky, and as a result, some prison coordinators may not place emphasis on grouping LEP prisoners of the same languages together. This results in severe isolation, ultimately hindering rehabilitation efforts.  Ensuring that LEP inmates have opportunities to communicate and socialize with others who speak their language can mitigate these harmful effects and promote a healthier, more rehabilitative environment.
Prisoners with LEP are in a particularly unique situation when it comes to language access — although federal law requires prisons to comply with many of the same language access measures that other government agencies must, prisoners with LEP tend to fall through the cracks.   Language access measures in prison have a long way to go — here are a few of the barriers LEP prisoners face today: At Avantpage, we offer translation, interpreting, and language access planning services to government agencies across the country — if you’re looking to improve language access for LEP prisoners in your system, contact us today at [email protected] or (530) 750-2040.

Navigating the legal system can be tricky enough as it is for native English speakers — for those with limited English proficiency (LEP), it’s an even bigger struggle.  Luckily, there are rules and regulations in place to provide language access to LEP defendants, plaintiffs, witnesses, and others involved in the legal system. But while courts must provide LEP folks with an interpreter at no cost to the individual, this is often easier said than done. From correctly identifying the language an individual speaks to finding an available interpreter in a low-resource language, there are several language access challenges that can hamper the court’s efforts to seek justice.  Here are six of the most common challenges we’ve identified in our work with courts across the United States, as well as how court systems can work to overcome them.
Individuals with LEP may not know that language services are available to them for free. If this is the case, this could slow down your court case, as they may have difficulty navigating the legal system in English and may attempt to communicate in English despite struggling to do so effectively. Upon recognizing that an individual has LEP, inform them that they can work with an interpreter at no cost to them. It’s also important that the courts make an effort to advertise the fact that language services are available to folks with LEP. Make sure signage is placed in highly visible areas, notifying folks that services are available and how to access them — this signage should be written in multiple languages that are spoken commonly in your jurisdiction. It’s also important to place such notices online as well, so that individuals can access them before they get to the courtroom.
At times, it can be a challenge to determine what language an LEP individual speaks. While you may be able to figure out their nationality simply by looking at documentation on hand, it’ll take a little bit more work to figure out their preferred language. For example, while Spanish is the official language in most Central American countries, many immigrants and asylum seekers from these countries speak indigenous languages — that is, you can’t simply assume you’ll need a Spanish interpreter for an LEP individual from, say, Guatemala. If you contract a Spanish-English interpreter for a Q’anjob’al speaker, for example, you could negatively impact the outcome of their case, as they will likely not be able to effectively communicate through the interpreter. If you can’t easily determine which language somebody speaks by asking them, there are other ways to do so. Language identification cards can be a useful tool to determine which language an individual speaks. It’s also a good idea to identify languages that are in high-demand and how often certain languages are misidentified — this way, you can take a data-oriented approach to language identification.
Legal interpreting is a highly specialized field — just because somebody works as an interpreter doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re qualified to interpret in a court setting. Be sure to seek out experienced interpreters who are qualified to interpret in a legal setting. Checking an individual’s credentials and certifications can be a good start, but note that not all languages have legal interpreting certifications. When seeking out interpreting services, it’s a good idea to keep a reference guide outlining the qualifications needed for different languages and legal situations, which should make it easier for court staff and lawyers to find the right interpreter fast.
Securing qualified interpreters for legal proceedings is essential but can be challenging due to the limited availability of certified professionals. Courts can address this challenge by proactively planning ahead and requesting interpreter services well in advance of scheduled proceedings.   In addition to proactive planning, courts can enhance interpreter availability by establishing partnerships with language service providers. These partnerships can provide access to a consistent pool of qualified interpreters, helping to meet the demand for language services more effectively.
Depending on the details of your court case, you may need to work with more than one interpreter — more complicated proceedings that take up a long period of time may need a team of two or more interpreters. Cases that involve sign language may require one interpreter for the proceeding and another table interpreter, meaning that lengthy cases could require a team of up to four interpreters.   And if the LEP individual speaks an especially uncommon language, you may need to do what’s known as “relay” interpreting — one interpreter will interpret between the LEP individual’s preferred language and a more common language such as Spanish or Chinese, and another will then interpret that into English. Be sure to communicate as many details of the case as you can to your language service provider, so they can give you an idea of how complex the interpreting services will be. If multiple interpreters are needed, they’ll help you get things sorted out without slowing down the case.
Be careful not to underestimate the amount of time needed — interpreters book their time according to what you’ve requested, so if you request somebody from 12:00 to 2:00, they likely won’t be able to work for you before or after that. If you need the interpreter to work after that period, you run the risk of having to reschedule a second session.   While you may not be able to determine exactly how long an individual case will take, try to be as accurate as you can — we recommend partnering with a language service provider to reduce lead times on securing an interpreter and also to determine realistic cut-off times and thresholds for the interpreters you work with.
While courts are required by law to offer language services to individuals with LEP, there are a few challenges courts must overcome when addressing the linguistic needs of immigrants and other people with LEP.  If you’ve found yourself struggling with any of these challenges — or others — Avantpage is here to help. Our network of highly experienced legal interpreters in more than 250 different languages can help you deliver justice in any language. Contact us today at [email protected] or (530) 750-2040.

State departments of revenue play a vital role in our civic ecosystem — they make possible many of the public services and programs we enjoy on a day-to-day basis. From registering small businesses to offering programs for community and economic development, these entities are important beacons of financial responsibility. Still, one of our most frequent interactions with these agencies — tax season — tends to be a stressful time for many Americans. It can be difficult enough for native English speakers to wade through all the rules and regulations regarding our taxes. For taxpayers with limited English proficiency (LEP), it can be even more frustrating. While it may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of tax season, language access is key to upholding the legal rights of all taxpayers and ensuring that residents with LEP understand how to submit their business and individual taxes in an accurate and timely fashion. With tax season 2024 finally behind us, it’s worth taking a step back to look at how state departments of revenue can enact language access measures that simplify the next tax season for Americans with LEP  Here  at Avantpage, we offer translation, localization, and other language services to several different government offices and agencies that deal with taxes and revenue, such as: State departments of revenue typically seek a wide range of language services, including translation, over-the-phone interpreting, and alternative format services (braille, large print, audio recordings), just to name a few. These offices can reduce overhead and improve their efficiency by improving their language access — be it through multilingual outreach to translating vital documents and communications with taxpayers. Read on to learn a little bit more about how language access measures can help state departments of revenue across the country better serve taxpayers across the country.
It can be tricky enough for English speakers to understand what’s going on with their taxes. In order to improve your agency’s efficiency, clear, easy-to-understand communication is absolutely critical. Language access streamlines things for taxpayers with LEP, as it allows them to understand what they need to do to comply with tax rules and regulations. Multilingual outreach efforts and translating communications into high-demand languages can ultimately save you money in the long run. When LEP taxpayers can understand and fulfill their tax obligations voluntarily and accurately, it decreases the need for enforcement actions and audits which can be costly to your agency — keep in mind that the cost of translating a few vital documents is almost certain to be far less than the cost of auditing hundreds or even thousands of taxpayers. By investing in a comprehensive suite of language services, state departments of revenue can also minimize delays in funding for essential government services, directly benefiting the community they serve.
State departments of revenue benefit financially from providing language access to immigrant taxpayers. After all, if you’re not communicating rules and regulations to immigrant taxpayers in their language, they may not know or fully understand how to comply. Immigrants often pay taxes at higher rates and have higher rates of business ownership compared to their native-born counterparts, meaning that your city or state could be missing out on an important source of revenue if you’re not communicating effectively with taxpayers who have LEP. Translating relevant tax laws, regulations, and compliance requirements into multiple languages can ultimately allow revenue agencies to ensure immigrant taxpayers are contributing their fair share to the state’s revenue stream.
State departments of revenue serve to collect taxes and distribute them to government agencies that provide critical public services and programs — effective revenue collection is necessary to efficient government services and administration. By providing language access, state departments of revenue can streamline their own operations, reduce administrative burdens, and enhance overall efficiency. This enhanced efficiency ultimately enables more effective redistribution of funds to support statewide goals, such as economic development, education, and public safety.
State departments of revenue play a crucial role in fostering compliance with tax laws and ensuring the availability of revenue to fund government programs. By prioritizing language access, you can unlock three key benefits: At Avantpage, we’ve worked with several state departments of revenue and their offices to improve language access and reduce noncompliance among taxpayers with LEP. See for yourself how our language and accessibility services can benefit your team — contact us today at [email protected] or (530) 750-2040.

With Earth Day right around the corner and summer fast approaching, many of us here in the northern hemisphere are enjoying the green spaces in our lives just a little bit more lately. As the weather warms up, we tend to appreciate our parks — from the local park on the corner to the sprawling landscape of national parks — more and more. It’s important to remember that access to nature is not just a luxury, but a necessity for the health and well-being of communities. However, disparities in access — particularly among people of color and linguistic minority communities — persist, perpetuated by historic redlining practices (to name just one factor). Several studies have shown a direct correlation between access to nature and health, highlighting the urgency to address these disparities. In a 2016 study, researchers found that folks who lived in regions with denser tree canopy tend to be healthier than those without access to such green space; likewise, a 2018 study showed that converting dirty, trash-ridden vacant land to a clean green space with trees and grass reduced feelings of depression among the local community. Initiatives to improve public health through green spaces must keep linguistic minorities and people of color in mind. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at how five different government programs are addressing disparities in access to green spaces for linguistic minority communities, bridging the gap through language access.
The benefits of green spaces are clear — however, people of color, immigrants, and people with limited English proficiency (LEP) often have historically had less access to these spaces than native-born English speakers. In 2020, the Center for American Progress and the Hispanic Access Foundation reported significant racial and economic disparities in access to green space. Black and brown communities were found to be three times more likely than white communities to be “nature-deprived,” meaning that they had less access to nearby forests, wetlands, streams, and other natural places. According to the report, more than 76% of low-income communities of color were nature-deprived. By making an effort to develop green spaces and improve access to equitable green spaces, we can make strides toward improving public health in vulnerable communities. It’s important to make sure that these efforts to improve access to green space also take into account our nation’s population with LEP, who face unique challenges compared to English-speaking minorities. Here are five government-led initiatives to develop equitable green space that are prioritizing the needs of linguistic minorities in their community. The city of Providence, Rhode Island boasts a tree canopy that covers roughly 27% of the city — but when you zoom in on communities of color, that number declines sharply. So, the city is making an effort to improve tree coverage, and making sure people of color are involved in planning the initiative from the get-go. By involving community members of color who’ve spearheaded multilingual outreach, they ensure that historically marginalized communities have a voice in increasing canopy coverage. Effective engagement is key to creating inclusive, equitable green spaces. Trust for Public Land in Chattanooga has placed an emphasis on involving multilingual communities, in an effort to build trust with community members who don’t speak English. In the agency’s outreach and engagement efforts, they make an effort to engage community members in the language that they’re most comfortable in, whether that’s Spanish or Q’anjob’al, allowing community members to feel heard regardless of their English level. The USDA and other government agencies partnered up to create this 40-page guide for historically underserved farmers and ranchers. Not only did they emphasize resources for farmers and ranchers from low-income and culturally underrepresented backgrounds — they also made sure to communicate those resources in several different languages other than English. The guide is available in seven languages and provides readers with resources such as maps, educational workshops, inclusive language materials, facilitating greater participation and understanding among linguistic minority communities. The Urban Wildlife Conservation Program by the Department of Fish and Wildlife focuses on creating green spaces within urban areas, making nature more accessible to all residents. By prioritizing urban communities, this program promotes equity in outdoor recreation and education opportunities.   Communities with limited English proficiency and communities of color tend to be concentrated in urban areas. Initiatives like this make nature more accessible to folks who live in cities, allowing them to visit green spaces near where they live, rather than having to travel far outside of the city. Educational workshops like Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Project WILD/ Growing Up WILD Workshops are a great way to teach community members about the benefits of green space. Texas Parks and Wildlife has also offered these workshops in Spanish, ensuring that Hispanic community members who do not speak English are able to learn about the green spaces around them.
This Earth Day, let’s take a step back and consider how we can prioritize language access in the development of equitable green spaces. We can learn a lot from these five government initiatives. If you’re looking to emphasize language access in your efforts to develop equitable green spaces, Avantpage is here to help — contact us today at (530) 750-2040 or [email protected]

English-learning students and their parents face unique challenges in our country’s education system. A thoughtful language access plan can help them surmount those challenges. English learners make up a significant chunk of students in the United States — roughly 10% of students in the country have limited English proficiency (LEP), though that number is significantly higher in states like California and Texas (17.7 and 20.1% respectively). Having LEP in the education system can be a struggle: Students with LEP have difficulty catching up to their peers when instruction is English-only, while parents with LEP may have trouble communicating their student’s needs effectively. Except for dual-language programs, which emphasize the development of literacy in two different languages, the vast majority of education in the United States is conducted in English, which can, of course, present a challenge for English learners and their parents. The Civil Rights Act and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act both require schools to enact measures to identify and accommodate English learners. That means that English learners are “entitled to appropriate language assistance services to become proficient in English and to participate equally in the standard instructional program within a reasonable period,” while their parents are “entitled to meaningful communication in a language they can understand, such as through translated materials or a language interpreter, and to adequate notice of information about any program, service, or activity that is called to the attention of non-LEP parents,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education. Addressing the linguistic needs of English learners and parents with LEP isn’t just important because it’s the law — it’s critical to ensuring children across the country have equitable access to a high-quality public education. English learners need to be able to learn at the same level as their peers; likewise, parents need to be able to make informed decisions about their child’s education, regardless of their English ability. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at just what those requirements are and what it looks like to be a student or parent with LEP in the education system today. Table of Contents Welcome Centers: The First Touchpoint Language Access for Students Language Access for Parents Frequently Asked Questions About LEP in Education Settings Summary Before a child enrolls in the public school system, their parents will likely encounter a welcome center, which provides them with information about their child’s future education and how to enroll. Now, this isn’t always the case, but welcome centers are becoming increasingly more common in the nation’s more diverse school districts. Families can also refer to these welcome centers year-round for enrollment information, transferring to a different school and applying to middle and high schools within the district. As sources of this critical information, welcome centers must provide parents and students with LEP access to resources in the language they’re most comfortable with. Welcome centers are often the first place parents with LEP can go to learn about the language services offered in their school district. It’s a good idea to hire bilingual staff and work with a language service provider to offer interpreting services to ensure that parents with LEP can understand all of the information offered at these family welcome centers. Additionally, they should be able to communicate with somebody about their student’s needs as an English learner — if a child needs extra classroom support, this is where parents can inform the district. Language access is critical to the academic success of children with LEP in education. Inadequate language access can hurt a student’s academic success and it may be hard to catch up later on in their education. English as a second language (ESL) programs play an important role in their educational journey. These programs provide targeted instruction tailored to the linguistic needs of students with LEP, helping them develop proficiency in English while also supporting their academic growth in other subjects. In addition to ESL programs, students can benefit from various support mechanisms offered within schools. This includes access to interpretation services during classroom instruction and assessments, as well as translation assistance for educational materials. If an English learner has a disability covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, they may also be eligible for special education services through an Individualized Education Program (IEP). This plan should also consider the unique challenges faced by English learners when devising a thoughtful approach to future education. After all, the IEP acts as a sort of roadmap for their academic career and can have a profound impact on their overall success as a learner. The IEP team should include at least one bilingual teacher who can communicate with the child in their native language, while other members of the IEP development team should have a basic level of cultural competency. Effective communication between parents with LEP and school staff is crucial for fostering parental involvement and supporting student success. By providing access to interpreters during parent-teacher conferences, meetings, and school events, schools ensure that language barriers do not hinder meaningful dialogue. Additionally, translation services for important documents, such as report cards, school notices, IEPs, and educational materials, enable parents to stay informed about their child’s progress and school-related information. Emails and text messages to parents should also be available in a parent’s preferred language so that they can stay up to date on what’s going on in the classroom. When it comes to the complex process of developing an IEP for students with disabilities, parents with LEP need to be able to participate actively in the meetings held with teachers, administrators and other relevant specialists. Schools should work closely with interpreters to make sure that parents can understand what’s being said in these meetings. Since these meetings can get deep into the weeds of legal and educational jargon, it’s important to employ specialized interpreters familiar with the IEP process for the job. And while not every state requires schools to translate an IEP for parents who don’t speak English, it’s good practice to do so if you want parents to be fully involved in their child’s education — and some states, like Colorado, are making an effort to mandate this practice under the law. In education, LEP stands for Limited English Proficiency. The LEP meaning in education settings refers to students or parents who do not speak English as their primary language and have a limited ability to read, write, speak, or understand English. Schools that receive federal funding are required under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act (EEOA) to provide these individuals with meaningful access to programs and information in a language they can understand. LEP students are children enrolled in school who are not yet proficient in English and therefore require language support services to participate fully in the academic curriculum. These students may be enrolled in ESL (English as a Second Language) or dual-language programs, and they may also qualify for accommodations during assessments or classroom instruction. LEP students are sometimes referred to as English language learners (ELLs) or emergent bilinguals, depending on district or state terminology. In special education, LEP refers to students with limited English proficiency who may also qualify for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). For these students, language access and disability services must be coordinated, often through an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). IEP teams must account for both language and learning needs, and parents with LEP must receive interpretation and translation services to fully participate in IEP meetings and decisions. Failure to do so may violate civil rights laws and special education regulations. Yes. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and previously reinforced by Executive Order 13166, schools that receive federal funds are legally required to provide language assistance services to LEP individuals. This includes providing interpreters for meetings and written translations of vital documents such as enrollment forms, report cards, and IEPs. While some documents must be translated in all covered languages, others may be translated on a case-by-case basis depending on need and language access policies. At a minimum, schools should provide:
- Oral interpretation during meetings, parent-teacher conferences, and school events
- Translation of vital written documents (report cards, IEPs, enrollment paperwork)
- Language identification tools like “I Speak” cards or welcome center support
- Access to qualified bilingual staff, interpreters, and translations
- Digital translation support for apps, emails, and school messaging platforms While schools are obligated to provide qualified interpreters, parents do not necessarily choose who interprets. However, they have the right to decline services or express gender cultural, or modality preferences. Schools should avoid using untrained individuals, such as students or siblings, to interpret, and must document when an LEP parent declines offered services. Not exactly. “LEP” is a legal designation used primarily in federal policy. “English Language Learner (ELL)” or “Emergent Bilingual” are more current and inclusive terms used in educational contexts. “ESL student” typically refers to a student enrolled in an English as a Second Language program. All of these terms describe individuals who are acquiring English proficiency, but “LEP” is the most commonly used in regulatory frameworks. Schools must assess the student’s primary language and English proficiency level upon enrollment, usually through a Home Language Survey and a standardized English language learner’s assessment. Based on results, students may be identified for language support services and parents must be notified in their preferred language. Welcome centers or registrars must also ensure interpreters are available and that translated materials are provided. Cultural competence refers to educators’ and administrators’ ability to interact effectively with individuals from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. For LEP families, this means staff should be trained to recognize how culture, trauma, and immigration experiences may affect communication, learning styles, or parent engagement. Culturally competent schools are more likely to earn the trust of immigrant communities and increase parent involvement. Failure to provide language access for LEP individuals may lead to complaints being filed with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Education. It can also lead to loss of federal funding, legal consequences, or negative impacts on student achievement. Proactive compliance protects both students and school systems. Students and families with LEP in the education system have to deal with a unique set of challenges that their English-speaking peers simply do not. Here are just a few things to consider for your school system’s language access practices: If your school district is looking to improve its language access services for families with LEP, we can help. At Avantpage, we’re familiar with the needs of LEP families and are happy to provide interpreting and translation services for education agencies — contact us today at [email protected] or (530) 750-2040.

All too often, conversations about language access focus on languages that are spoken most widely throughout the country — think languages like Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog or your local threshold languages. And while it’s certainly important to cater your language access plan to speakers of these languages, it’s also important to factor in the unique considerations that have to be made when providing language access to speakers of less widely spoken Indigenous languages as well. While an organization might have all the tools and resources needed to provide services to a Spanish speaker with limited English proficiency (LEP), chances are that its language access services for, say, Q’anjob’al speakers, are much more limited. And that’s a big problem — Indigenous people from Latin America make up a large proportion of immigrant families in shelters, meaning organizations that regularly work with immigrants and refugees must be prepared to offer their services in Indigenous languages. According to a 2021 report, roughly 62% of immigrant families in shelters were from Guatemala, 30% of whom spoke an Indigenous language like Q’anjob’al or Nahuatl. Many organizations and government agencies across the country are struggling to meet the needs of Indigenous language speakers with LEP, oftentimes in spite of an otherwise well-informed language access plan. Our country simply needs more training and certification programs to create opportunities for bilingual speakers of Indigenous languages to prepare themselves for a career as an interpreter or translator. More funding toward the creation of such programs is one long-term solution, but in the meantime, there are several other things we can do now to fill the gap. At Avantpage, we’ve worked hard to improve language access services for Indigenous languages at organizations — here are a few considerations and approaches your organization ought to keep in mind when providing language access services to Indigenous communities.
As a result of centuries’ worth of repression, Indigenous languages are not particularly well-understood outside of their speaker communities and as such, providing language services in these languages is a bit more of a challenge than languages like Spanish or Chinese, for instance. The number of immigrants speaking languages Indigenous to the Americas is bound to grow in coming years. Immigration – and the ability to support new immigrant communities – is a critical force driving the United States’ economy and growth. And in the coming years, we can expect to see even more Indigenous people of Central and South America immigrating here in response to climate change and political instability – it’s important that we are able to serve them in their language to ease things up as they transition to life in a new, unfamiliar country. To enhance language access for Indigenous languages, organizations must adopt strategies that address the unique situation of these languages.
Proactive planning is essential for any language access services, but perhaps especially so for Indigenous languages, as it can be harder or more expensive to procure services in these languages at the last minute. You may want to consider setting up contracts in advance through a request for proposal (RFP) process, a less formal request for inquiry (RFI), or even research to find out what “piggy-back” contracts are already in place that you can leverage. This way, you can establish a relationship with language service providers (LSPs) who are well-qualified to fulfill your needs and differentiate contracts based on the services you need (perhaps one provider is better suited for threshold languages but another is specialized in indigenous languages). During the contractual design, you might consider multiple vendors for added resources, or even separating your RFP/RFI requests based on language or modality (onsite, remote, translation). This can better ensure the right organization can qualify to submit their services to the bid, expanding your own pool of resources and options. Know the different services offered — ideally opt for an agency that can provide in-person interpreting, but if it’s necessary phone or video interpreting is also a viable service, and a critical back-up option to have available. Low resource languages often encounter more difficulty in coverage. Back-up options, like the use of relay interpreting (3 interpreters across 3 languages), can help close the gap. A trusted LSP may be able to help you connect with and onboard freelance interpreters and translators as well. Additionally, if you prefer to gather a pool of freelancers to provide their services as needed (instead of or in addition to working with a larger agency), court websites can be a useful tool for finding potential freelancers who work in the language you’re looking for.
While bilingual staff are not a replacement for professional interpreters, they can be helpful in situations where an interpreter is not immediately available. Bilingual staff can communicate with individuals who have LEP and help them access your services as needed. Hiring bilingual staff is not sufficient on its own — it’s important to conduct a thorough linguistic assessment to ensure that they’re able to perform all the necessary functions of the job in the target language. Training and placement are also crucial — if you have multiple office locations, it will be most useful to place bilingual staff in locations where they are most likely to use the language. Conduct demographic research to see which languages are in highest demand at specific branches so you know where to place bilingual staff. It’s also a good idea to maintain a bilingual staff directory — this has been used among state and local government offices as a back up option, and it serves well to facilitate internal access to diverse language skills. However, it’s imperative to document staff qualifications and provide guidance on when to utilize bilingual staff based on their expertise, ensuring effective language support.
Community-based organizations (CBOs) play a pivotal role in addressing the unique needs of local Indigenous and immigrant communities. Partnering with these organizations, which represent community needs, can enhance outreach and build trust with local immigrant populations and Indigenous-language speakers. CBOs can offer insights into local needs and facilitate a more profound understanding of historically underserved communities. For more information on how and why you should partner with CBOs, take a look at our guide to partnering with CBOs.
Of course, you can’t provide adequate language access services to somebody if you’re unable to identify their language. All too often, Indigenous languages of Latin America are mistaken for Spanish due to a general lack of awareness of these languages. And while it can certainly be difficult to identify the language somebody else is speaking if you have no prior knowledge of it, there are a handful of tools that can help. Language identification posters, I-Speak cards, and phonetic pronunciation guides aid frontline staff in correctly identifying languages. Make sure the tools you’re using for language identification include several Indigenous languages so that you’re able to identify the languages that are in demand. Training programs for staff can also enhance awareness of linguistic diversity, mitigating the risk of mislabeling languages. In non-urgent situations, it’s worthwhile to suggest alternatives to the individual, such as rescheduling an appointment for a date when an on-site interpreter will be available.
Demand for language access in Indigenous languages is bound to rise — be sure your organization is just as prepared to offer services in Indigenous languages like Mixtec or Nahuatl as it is to offer services in English or Spanish. Here are a few strategies you can employ to improve language access for these languages: At Avantpage, we’re acutely aware of the unique considerations that must be made when providing language access for Indigenous languages. To learn more about how our interpreting, translation, and localization services can fit into your language access plan for Indigenous languages, contact us today at (530) 750-2040 or [email protected].

Developing and executing high-quality diversity initiatives — both internally and externally — should be a no-brainer for any organization looking to promote equity and inclusion in their community. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) have become major pillars in today’s world — and for good reason too. And it’s not just a moral imperative for organizations to engage communities of all socioeconomic backgrounds — embracing minority-led businesses and amplifying non-English voices is also a strategic move for agencies looking to have a more equitable impact on their community. One way to improve your organization’s approach to diversity is to begin working with vendors that uphold the core tenets of diversity and employ workers from many different backgrounds, whether that be in terms of the language they speak or their gender identity. Chances are, your agency works with other businesses to outsource certain, more specialized tasks — whether that’s translation, copywriting, design, videography, etc. If you’re looking to improve your DEI strategy, working with diverse, minority-owned suppliers for these tasks can be a good start. By working with diverse suppliers to provide services in an equitable manner, your organization can become well-poised to reach communities that have historically been underserved. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the profound impact that working with diverse suppliers can have on your organization’s approach to equitable services.
By intentionally choosing to work with diverse suppliers, you contribute to the economic empowerment of underrepresented communities. This in turn helps close gaps in equity, while also allowing your organization to develop a more diverse and innovative approach to the services you offer. Research has shown that minority-owned small businesses are at a higher risk of failure than their counterparts — during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, Black-owned businesses were significantly more likely to close their doors than white-owned businesses. When you make an effort to contract diverse suppliers, you can help promote economic development for groups that have historically been socioeconomically marginalized.
Improving language access is an important way to foster diversity within your organization. After all, DEI isn’t just about diversity in gender or ethnicity — it’s also about linguistic diversity. As such, working with specialized language service providers to translate your content and marketing materials is an important part of promoting diversity within and outside of your organization. By translating your message into another language, your message has the potential to resonate with members of your community that you may not have been reaching before. For example, roughly 39% of the United States’ Spanish-speaking population has limited English proficiency — that means that translating your content and messaging into Spanish could have a profound impact on your organization’s engagement levels. Given the United States’ growing diversity, multilingual engagement is an absolute must. Making your services and programming accessible in multiple languages — whether that’s Spanish or another language spoken widely throughout your locale — ensures that you’ll be able to reach people who have historically had difficulty in seeking them out.
Employing vendors from a diverse range of backgrounds can also make your organization more innovative. When you bring fresh perspectives and worldviews into your process, your team is bound to come up with more varied and creative ideas than it would if it were composed of people from similar backgrounds. This results in more innovative solutions to problems and can help your organization achieve its goals and beyond.
Just as it’s important to promote the economic growth of minority-led businesses, it’s also critical that we amplify non-English voices in both our internal and external communication. By boosting non-English messaging, your organization can show its support for linguistic diversity and enhance your message’s ability to resonate with prospective clients. This goes beyond mere translation; it involves understanding the nuances of different languages and the cultures to which they belong. Organizations that prioritize linguistic diversity create an environment where everyone’s voice is heard, fostering a culture of respect and appreciation for differences. This can, in turn, improve individuals’ perception of your organization, and, in the case of internal communications, make employees from diverse linguistic backgrounds feel more welcome in the workplace.
At Avantpage, we pride ourselves on our status as a diverse supplier of language services. Our founder and CEO Luis Miguel Musi started Avantpage with the goal of making public services and healthcare more accessible to residents of the United States who have limited English proficiency. We not only champion diversity in our vendor relationships but also within our internal teams. As of 2023, our workforce comprises 40% Latino/Hispanic employees, and 60% of our leadership positions are held by women. We take pride in being a minority-owned and small business, actively contributing to the economic empowerment of underrepresented communities. Here are just a few ways that working with diverse suppliers can help your organization grow to its fullest potential:

Earlier this year, Avantpage teamed up with the Athena Group, a women- and minority-owned consulting firm focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), to host a virtual event on how to forge connections and build resilient, inclusive communities. This event brought together government stakeholders seeking to enhance their approach to language access and equity within their organizations. Attendees were eager to explore successful strategies and identify common challenges, and one overarching theme emerged: the challenge of creating programs and services that center the voices of diverse communities with limited English proficiency (LEP) from the very beginning of a project. If you missed our session with the Athena Group, fear not — in this blog post, we’ll dive into some of the key topics discussed at the event, namely common challenges and solutions to engaging diverse communities from the very get-go.
If your organization is looking for ways to better serve people with limited English proficiency, it’s important to seek input from individuals who actually have LEP. Asking for and actually incorporating feedback from diverse communities into your programs and services is critical to making sure that your organization can effectively serve these people. However, that can be a lot easier said than done. Here are some of the main challenges organizations face when it comes to trying to engage diverse communities, particularly those with LEP — and more importantly, solutions that you and your team can implement to get around those challenges. Rural communities often face barriers that communities in big cities and even the suburbs do not — research shows that people living in rural areas typically face a lack of important resources compared to their urban counterparts. And as the population of folks with LEP in rural areas grows, organizations need to be able to address the unique needs of people from diverse linguistic backgrounds living in rural areas. Building relationships with local organizations is key, as this helps bridge the gap between your organization and the community you’re targeting. By forming partnerships with local organizations that are knowledgeable about a given community in a rural area, your team can be more considerate of the needs of the rural communities that you serve. Community members with LEP are fairly unlikely to participate in — or even show up to — public meetings conducted entirely in English. After all, would you feel comfortable attending a town hall in a language you can’t understand without any accommodations made to help you do so? Make sure to offer language services like interpreting and translation at public gatherings with local communities, so individuals with LEP feel welcome and like their voice will be heard. Leading up to the event, make sure to clearly communicate what language access services will be available, so that prospective participants know what to expect. And beyond language services, it’s also important to make sure that the timing and location of your meeting are accessible as well, so that you’re able to reach as many community members as possible. Offering incentives for participation is also a good idea — by compensating participants for time otherwise spent, you lessen the burden of attending a meeting. Engaging with frontline communities can be challenging. Leveraging existing relationships with trusted community groups like nonprofits and community-based organizations (CBO) is a good strategy to invite under-connected populations such as communities of color, low-income individuals, youth, elderly communities, immigrant communities, those with disabilities, and young families. And if you don’t already have existing relationships with local CBOs, read our guide on partnering with CBOs and how they can be an especially helpful resource in your efforts to engage local communities. One reason people — particularly people with LEP — often feel disengaged or uninterested in an organization’s services is simply because they are presented using language that is challenging to understand. Oftentimes, organizations use complicated jargon that might make sense internally, but confuses their audience. Working with a skilled copywriter and a language service provider is crucial to ensuring that the language you use doesn’t overwhelm and alienate your audience. It may also be helpful to brainstorm different ways to present the information as well — infographics can be a really helpful way of simplifying and visualizing concepts without writing too much copy. Plus, they may also be easier and quicker to translate for audiences from different linguistic backgrounds, as they tend to be lighter on copy than, say, a blog post or a dense informational pamphlet. Low participation and attrition rates can also hinder your organization’s progress. To address this, you may want to consider providing hourly stipends for targeted engagement as a way to alleviate the costs of participation, which might include taking time off work, arranging childcare, and transportation. Alternatively, you could also consider providing meals or other items that could encourage people to show up. Additionally, try to be mindful of the information that you collect during registration, especially when working with immigrant communities. And as we’ve mentioned before, be sure to inform attendees about the availability of free-of-cost language services and accessibility — while it’s great to offer language access services, they won’t be very helpful in attracting participants if prospective participants are unaware of their offering. Acknowledging that past actions may have caused harm to the marginalized communities that you’re looking to serve is a crucial step in co-creation, as it allows community members to develop a sense of trust in your organization. Start with internal work, such as implicit/explicit bias training, assessing the team’s intercultural competence, and developing a community charter to begin paving the way for more respectful and equitable collaboration.
It can be hard to engage diverse communities and incorporate their perspectives into your work — but it’s absolutely critical for any organization to do so. Here are some recommendations for mitigating some of the challenges your organization might encounter when attempting to co-create with diverse communities like immigrants or people with LEP:
At Avantpage, we’re proud to work with organizations looking to better engage communities with LEP. We provide translation, interpreting, and localization services to help you connect with people from all linguistic backgrounds — contact us today at [email protected] or (530) 750-2040 to learn more.

Public libraries are a lot more than just book repositories. Historically, public libraries in the United States have served as safe havens for community members from all walks of life. Beyond providing us with a wealth of free literature and knowledge, they also host programming, events, and resources that aim to promote a sense of equity within the community. Typically offered at little or no cost, these unique library programs serve to democratize human knowledge and make it more accessible than ever. Libraries play a particularly crucial role in fostering linguistic diversity and equity within their community by addressing the unique needs of minority populations. Libraries across the country may offer unique library programming like English as a second language (ESL) instruction for members of the community looking to sharpen their English skills, as well as programming and events hosted in different languages spoken prominently throughout their locale. And that’s not to mention that libraries also offer a huge collection of books, talking books, movies, and other media in several different languages spoken throughout their local community. In this blog post, we’ll examine the work that five public library systems are doing to promote a sense of equity in their local communities, taking a particularly close look at their work for community members with limited English proficiency (LEP).
In an effort to meet the needs of Santa Barbara’s growing population of Spanish speakers, the Santa Barbara Public Library formed its Spanish Outreach Team back in January 2022. Prior to the launch of the Spanish Outreach Team, the library’s employees had noticed a higher demand for Spanish-language services, and made a concerted effort to hire more Spanish-speaking staff. But to make sure that Spanish speakers in the community were aware of the diverse range of services the library system offered, they decided it wasn’t enough to hire Spanish-speaking staff — they also needed to target the Spanish-speaking community in their outreach efforts. By doing so, the staff say they’ve made Spanish-language titles more accessible to Santa Barbarans with LEP, while also allowing them to tap into just as much knowledge as their English-speaking counterparts.
New York City is widely cited as the most linguistically diverse place in the world, with more than 800 different languages represented among the city’s residents. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the city’s public library system is embracing the city’s linguistic diversity and promoting equity through multilingual services. New York residents with LEP can enroll in free English courses at the library, while learners of other languages can also take classes and participate in conversation groups as well. Members of the library also have free access to Mango Languages, allowing them to sharpen up their language skills from their own homes. Meanwhile, the library system also has a comprehensive outreach strategy that involves translating marketing materials and information on the library’s services into several languages spoken throughout the community. The library also has a huge slate of events planned for Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month this month, including bilingual storytimes for Spanish-speaking children. And every April, the library system hosts an annual World Literatures Festival, celebrating books and authors from all across the world.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 led to one of the largest refugee crises in Europe’s history. While most resettled in various locales throughout Europe, more than a quarter million found themselves displaced in the United States. To promote cultural awareness among residents of their local community, Kansas University and the nearby Lawrence Public Library partnered up earlier this year to host a series of panels and events on Ukrainian culture, history, and the ongoing war in the country. And this past spring, the library also offered Ukrainian courses for members of the community interested in familiarizing themselves with the national language of Ukraine.
Much like the city of Santa Barbara, Washoe County, Nevada has also seen a pretty big surge in the local Hispanic and Latino population over the last few years. With that rising population, the local library system has seen demand for Spanish-language services increase significantly. So, the Washoe County Library began hosting bilingual story time events, in which a reader shares a story to children in both English and Spanish. The team behind this effort believes that reading to children in both Spanish and English allows Spanish-speaking children to hear the language outside the home and “normalize” using it outside of their household. Over time, the library system has begun offering a wide range of programming and resources for Spanish speakers and folks from other linguistic backgrounds, including ESL courses and a Spanish-language research database.
As we’ve discussed above, bilingual story time events are a good opportunity for children from diverse linguistic backgrounds to practice their native language with people outside of their household. That’s why the Sno-Isle Library system in the state of Washington is planning on expanding its story time program to offer these events in Spanish, Russian, and Korean, among a handful of others. The library system recently received a $100,000 grant from the Gates Foundation, which it’s partly using to improve its outreach strategy. By working with speakers of different languages, the library system is hoping to make its resources and services more accessible to populations with LEP, allowing them to tap into the wealth of knowledge available through the library system.
Libraries hold great potential for promoting linguistic diversity and equity — from language courses, to multilingual story hours, to collecting multimedia in several different languages, libraries have the ability to empower individuals from all sorts of linguistic backgrounds. If you work for a library and would like to improve your multilingual programming, resources, and outreach to LEP communities, Avantpage is happy to help. We offer translation, localization, and interpreting services that can boost your multilingual, multicultural outreach efforts. Contact us today at [email protected] or (530) 750-2040 for more information.

At Avantpage, we pride ourselves on being a highly data-driven company. And we understand that our clients want to be able to access the same technology and insights into language data that we use internally — that’s why we developed our signature customer portal, AvantPortal. AvantPortal is a comprehensive platform that offers a wide range of features tailored specifically to our customers’ needs. From seamless service requests to streamlined invoice management, file organization, and communication between the client and Avantpage, the portal’s multifaceted capabilities empower clients to navigate translation projects with finesse. We’ve designed and developed our customer portal with your priorities in mind, ensuring that clients are able to tap into a wealth of insightful language data and more. This data can help you work smarter and faster, allowing you to reduce costs and get even more value out of our language services. In AvantPortal, you have access to a customized dashboard that includes all sorts of useful information at a glance, including translation criteria, current and past projects, quotes, contact information  — just to name a few. If you want to really get into the weeds, you can monitor the status of your entire project workflow to know exactly where you are on project delivery status, KPIs like project frequency, number of requests, timeliness, and more. We worked with our account manager Eduardo Diaz to help you come up with ways to leverage language data and make the most out of your experience with AvantPortal. In this blog post, we’ll shed some light on how clients like you can harness this resource to enhance your operational efficiency and strategic decision-making. So without further ado, here are five key things that Eduardo says clients should know about AvantPortal and how to make the most out of the platform to leverage your language data. AvantPortal is a powerful tool for clients, providing you with key data on translation projects and an easy way to contact key folks in our organization. Here are some tips to get the most out of AvantPortal. AvantPortal provides you with all sorts of spending data that you can use to your advantage when working on future projects with us. By evaluating year-to-date expenditures, clients can assess whether they align with projections or if you’re over-/ under-spending. You can also break down that spending data by language, team, and service to see where things are running most efficiently and where things can be improved. We encourage you to work closely with your account manager to find ways to decrease spending or delegate funding to other kinds of projects. And of course, the portal also allows you to swiftly check payment status and identify any outstanding invoices. Rush translations can run up your bill quite a bit, as they’re typically more costly than translation projects with a longer deadline. Thanks to AvantPortal, you can see which teams and individuals are requesting rush translations frequently so that you can educate them on the importance of preparing ahead of time. Data on rush translations — from who’s requesting them to when they’re being requested most frequently — plays a significant role in refining your operational efficacy (and ours!). In addition to using this data as an educational tool, we can also look at peaks and dips in rush translation demand throughout the year to streamline workflows and anticipate workload fluctuations. Data on translation memory (TM) usage is a goldmine for cost optimization. AvantPortal succinctly reveals the distribution of brand-new terms, fuzzy matches, and 100% matches. These insights can provide you with tangible evidence of savings derived from TM usage. And much like with spending data and rush translation data, you can also use AvantPortal to break down TM usage by language and identify areas for improvement. This in turn will improve your cost efficiency and optimize your savings. Understanding historical trends in service requests is an important part of efficient project management. We urge clients to delve into the peaks and troughs of project volume across months and quarters. This analysis will help you identify patterns of increased demand so you can prepare accordingly. Segmentation by departments, project types, and service categories enhances the precision of this analysis, facilitating more targeted decisions. Your account manager is here to help — AvantPortal makes it easy to get connected with them and take advantage of their wealth of knowledge. The account manager-client partnership thrives when clients provide feedback on how they want to visualize data, driving customized solutions that align with the organization’s unique needs. Our seasoned team of account managers possesses insider insights into industry trends and best practices that can guide you in finding the language data you’re looking for. But they won’t just help you find it — they’ll also help you figure out the best way to actually use it. At Avantpage, we’re proud to have an in-house tool as powerful as AvantPortal. This platform proves to be indispensable for data-driven clients who need insights into the translation project management process.To recap, here are five ways you can use AvantPortal to take your projects to the next level: From cost reduction through spendings analysis to process refinement via rush translation and Translation Memory data, AvantPortal equips clients with the tools they need to make informed decisions. Want to learn more about how you can use AvantPortal to leverage language data? Contact us today at [email protected] or (530) 750-2040.

If you’re trying to improve your company or agency’s relationship with local limited English proficient (LEP) populations, you may have been advised to partner up with a community-based organization — but what does that actually mean? Allow us to explain. As defined by the folks at Carleton University’s Community First initiative, community-based organizations, also referred to as CBOs, are “non-profit, non-governmental, or charitable organizations that represent community needs and work to help them. CBOs may be associated with a particular area of concern or segment of the community.” CBOs — examples include mutual aid groups, local LGBTQ centers, and legal funds, just to name a few — play a key role in addressing the unique needs of local communities. These organizations are usually staffed by members of the community or people who are intimately familiar with it, making them essential to creating sustainable change that centers the needs of the local community. If you’re looking to expand your outreach and build trust with local immigrant populations or people with limited English proficiency (LEP), partnering with CBOs is a good first step. Historically, immigrant communities and people with LEP may have developed low trust toward certain groups — for example, government agencies or healthcare providers — due to marginalization or mistreatment. Partnering with CBOs that advocate for the needs of immigrants can help your organization gain the trust of the populations you serve. By partnering with CBOs, you can learn more about the immigrant communities that your organization serves and get a better sense of how to best meet their needs. Building trust might not be easy at first, but over time, CBOs can help you develop a fruitful relationship with historically underserved communities. In this blog post, we’ll go over the how and why of partnering with CBOs, placing particular emphasis on their role in serving immigrant communities and people with LEP.
CBOs can be an extremely helpful resource when you need to gain a better understanding of your local community’s needs. If your organization works closely with immigrants and folks with LEP, partnering with a CBO can be the first step toward providing adequate, accessible services to the community. While working closely with a language service provider (LSP) is a good step toward providing language access, CBOs can better help you determine the unique needs of your locale. CBOs can help you with the things an LSP might not be able to — for example, finding and connecting with local communities, building trust and engaging with them, identifying micro-communities with unique needs, and more. LSPs, on the other hand, can help with language capabilities and processes, follow your unique privacy requirements, leverage data and technology tools to ensure high quality, accuracy, and speed of language service delivery. While LSPs are fairly approachable, many agencies and organizations are a bit unsure of how to go about partnering with CBOs to enhance their language access practices. Here, we’ve identified four key steps to developing a meaningful and mutually beneficial partnership with CBOs:
Partnering with community-based organizations is not just a transactional arrangement; it’s about building genuine relationships and co-creating solutions to address the specific needs of communities. By working together with CBOs, you can foster a sense of trust, inclusion, and belonging that leads to long-lasting, positive change for all parties involved. If you’re looking to learn more about how to combine the strengths of CBOs and translation services, Avantpage is happy to help — contact us today at [email protected] or (530) 750-2040 to speak with one of our experts.