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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. 

Although it’s illegal for rental agencies and mortgage lenders to discriminate against individuals on the basis of their English proficiency, we would be remiss not to acknowledge a clear reality: Individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) tend to face greater housing instability than their English-speaking counterparts. This makes immigrant housing assistance absolutely critical to ensuring that individuals with LEP have a fair chance at securing housing and remaining housed. When it comes to home ownership, areas with high concentrations of LEP have been found to have a rate of home ownership that’s 5% lower than those with lower populations of individuals with LEP. Meanwhile, some rental agencies still refuse to rent to individuals with LEP — one in New York even caught the attention of the US Department of Justice after being accused of refusing to work with LEP individuals even after they offered to pay for their own interpreting services. Communities with LEP comprise a diverse group of people — immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and other displaced individuals, just to name a few. Among individuals with LEP, refugees and asylum seekers face unique challenges, as they often lack the resources to prepare for immigration or establish themselves in the country after leaving politically unstable regions. As refugees and asylum seekers arrive in the country, one of their most pressing needs is finding and securing housing accommodations. These individuals tend to be some of the most vulnerable to housing instability, as they may not be immediately ready to navigate the complex housing market upon arrival, especially if they don’t have a strong grasp of English or an established network within the country. Organizations like housing counseling agencies (HCAs) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provide immigrant housing assistance resources and services to equip these folks with the aid that they need. However, it’s crucial to provide these services alongside adequate language access services; otherwise, immigrants and refugees with LEP may not be able to take full advantage of housing assistance. In this blog post, we’ll explore the intersection of language access and immigrant housing assistance, highlighting the importance of equitable language access to support immigrant populations in their pursuit of suitable housing.
To effectively assist immigrant populations with their housing needs, it’s important that housing assistance — whether that’s emergency shelter needs or helping members of a family avoid eviction from their rental unit — be provided in a language that individuals can readily understand. There are a lot of key elements that go into making sure that individuals with LEP are able to find and access housing assistance services — here are just a few tips for housing organizations to enhance outreach and support for individuals with LEP: While it’s clearly important for agencies to provide services to individuals with LEP in a language they can understand, it’s equally important for said agencies to reach those individuals in the first place. After all, if individuals struggling with housing are not aware of or do not fully understand the available assistance, they may not be able to access the help they need. Because of this, it’s important that HCAs and other organizations providing housing assistance to immigrants make an effort to connect with individuals in their advertising and outreach materials — for example, translating (or even transcreating) informational pamphlets into languages that are in high demand within the local community, or directing social media and advertising campaigns toward non-English-speaking communities that are most in need. Partnering with CBOs that have established connections with immigrant communities can significantly improve language access in housing assistance. These organizations can provide valuable insight and cultural expertise to ensure effective communication and service delivery. Not only can they help you with your outreach plans, but they can also help give you an idea of the languages that are most in demand, and also provide consulting as you develop a language access plan. Although English is the most common language on the internet, it’s clear that people prefer accessing websites in their native language. Individuals with LEP will almost certainly be using the internet in a language other than English — so if your website is English-only, people in need may not easily find your website on search engines. That makes it absolutely essential for housing organization websites to localize their websites to cater to diverse linguistic communities. For tips on localization practices, visit our recent blog post on localization mistakes to avoid.  A robust language access plan is an absolute must-have for any organization providing immigrant housing assistance. A good language access plan will guide the ways in which your organization interacts with individuals who have LEP, including (but not limited to) the following actions:
These are just a few important considerations when establishing a language access plan — for more information on creating an effective language access plan, click here. Developing an online portal specifically designed for immigrant housing assistance, translated into multiple languages, can help streamline things for individuals with LEP. This portal can help connect clients with housing counselors who speak their preferred language and can also allow individuals to easily access translated vital documents. Individuals can also use the portal to schedule counseling sessions and communicate whether or not they’ll need an interpreter before their session begins, so the agency can be well-prepared ahead of time.
One’s level of English proficiency should never impact their ability to secure or remain in suitable housing. By recognizing the intersection of language access services and immigrant housing assistance, HCAs and other organizations providing housing assistance can serve their clients with LEP effectively and efficiently. Here are five tips to get you started: Avantpage is proud to help housing organizations provide effective and inclusive language services for some of the most vulnerable individuals. If your housing agency is looking to develop a language access plan or simply needs translation, localization, or interpreting services, we’re here to help — contact us today at [email protected] or (530) 750-2040 to learn more about our services. 

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. Case Study: How Avantpage Completed Website Localization for Covid19.ca.gov in 7 languages with +10 million views
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.

Are you developing a language access plan? Here’s how you can get started with community and language assessments A language access plan is a must-have for many organizations: healthcare providers, public agencies, legal firms, the list goes on and on.  In recent years, lawmakers and the general public alike have grown increasingly aware about the importance of language access. The turn of the 21st century also marked an important turn in advocacy for language access: Executive Order 13166, signed in August 2000, required federal agencies to develop a plan to ensure that individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) could receive “meaningful access” to their services. Since then, language access bills and advocacy efforts have sprung up all across the nation. Take for instance the recently launched Office of Language Access in the state of New York, which is overseeing the enforcement of the state’s new language access policy. Meanwhile, a similar bill passed the New Jersey state senate in March 2023.  Given our nation’s status as one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world, it’s no surprise that language access has become an important part of our cultural dialogue. Of course, talking about language access isn’t enough — in order to take meaningful action toward progress, it’s important for agencies to take a thoughtful, principled approach to devising a language access plan. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to language access — as such, each organization will need to take different steps toward providing adequate language access services. And that’s where the language access plan comes in. By taking the time to research your community’s linguistic needs and examine your organization’s services, you can create an actionable language access plan. If you’re looking to build an effective and equitable language access plan, this blog post can serve as a launching point for you to begin creating that plan. Here, we’ll explore how to get started with developing a language access plan and highlight some of the essential steps you need to take.
One of the first steps toward creating a meaningful language access plan is identifying the languages that are particularly prevalent in your community. Pre-assessment research allows you to determine which languages have the most demand — that is, what languages are most frequently spoken among populations with LEP? You can begin conducting research by looking through data from the U.S. Census Bureau, such as the annual American Community Survey. Not only does this data allow you to identify widely spoken languages in your community, but it also allows you to identify which languages are most widely spoken among groups that tend to have low levels of English proficiency.  By doing this research, you’ll have a better understanding of the linguistic diversity of the community and the types of services that individuals with LEP need.
Once you’ve identified a set of languages that are in high demand, it’s important to critically analyze your organization’s services and pain points that individuals with LEP might face when attempting to access these services. While some of this work can be done internally, it’s important to seek out the perspective of the community you’re serving, to get an external point-of-view. One option for identifying community needs is to conduct this community research in-house, hosting surveys, focus groups, and doing other data analysis. Many federal and state programs offer funding for such community research, so a good first step is to look for grants that your organization is eligible for and apply for them. Another step is to work with community-based organizations or consulting firms. In many cases, seeking out help from these organizations may be a more straightforward approach to sussing out the community’s needs.  Community-based organizations are likely to be quite tuned in to the needs of your consumers, while consultative organizations that specialize in language access or diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) can provide particularly helpful guidance on developing effective plans. Additionally, language service providers can also provide valuable insights and support in developing a comprehensive language access plan.
In addition to getting to know your community, it’s also essential to consider how members of the community interact with your organization and use your services.  It’s a good first step to identify all of your organization’s vital documents. You’ll likely need to commission translations of these documents into the languages you identified in the previous steps, so having a running list of these documents is a good first step. Next, it’s important to think critically about how people in your community use your services. Moreover, ask your team how frequently do individuals with LEP interact with your agency or organization — government agencies in particular will also want to consider how many individuals with LEP are eligible for their services. In conjunction with the information gathered and analyzed in the previous steps, this step will allow you to prioritize certain aspects and goals in your language access plan. For example, an agency that frequently works face-to-face with LEP individuals will want to prioritize hiring bilingual staff and contracting interpreters, while organizations that do not have many walk-in clients might focus more on written communications first.
These three steps don’t make a language access plan all on their own — but they do provide you with a strong foundation for one. By researching the linguistic demographics of the community that you serve and analyzing your organization’s services, you’ll be well-prepared to begin developing a methodical and thoughtful language access plan. In short, here are some steps to conducting the research that underlies a successful language access plan: Building a language access plan can be a challenging process, but it’s essential for any organization that serves diverse communities. If you need help getting started with your language access plan, Avantpage is happy to help provide consulting, translation, and interpreting services to agencies and organizations across the country. Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] or (530) 750-2040 for more information about our 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.