Blogs

The International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA) has been recruiting medical interpreters interested in doing field work in Haiti. The USNS Comfort is assisting Haitian victims since the disaster took place. The American Red Cross in Miami is organizing the placement in the USNS Comfort and has requested the assistance of the IMIA to recruit professional Haitian medical interpreters. Over 100 interpreters were deployed last month and there will be rotations of 34 interpreters each month.
Click here to find the recruitment criteria, guidelines and the deployment guidelines. Please read the document carefully.
The Red Cross will pay for travel to Miami and provide lodging and meals aboard the USNS Comfort as well as telephone cards. Term of field work is 30 days. If you are seriously interested and committed to volunteering for this specific field work at the USNS Comfort, please do the following:
Thanks!

According to data from the United States Census of 2000, the top five languages other than English most widely spoken by Californians in their homes are Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Korean. Together, these languages are spoken by approximately 83 percent of all Californians who speak a language other than English in their homes, or more than 9.96 million people. When you consider that it can be difficult even for native English speakers to understand a complicated real estate contract, it's not hard to imagine that limited-English individuals are especially susceptible to fraudulent lending practices. California Assembly Bill 1160, passed in 2009 and in effect as of January 1, 2010, addresses this. If negotiations for a real estate transaction are conducted in Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, or Korean, the borrower must be given a written translation of the contract and/or the appropriate disclosures and forms. If there are any substantial revisions to the contract, then these revisions must be translated as well. Avantpage has released a special report called "New Standards For Contract Translation In California." The report discusses the full implications of the new law as well as strategies for lenders and brokers seeking compliance.

Today Avantpage Translations released a special report called Translation Law and The Pharmacy: Protecting The Consumer's Right To Understand. Healthcare providers, insurers, and managed care organizations have already changed the way they interact with limited-English proficient (LEP) clients. With recently settled lawsuits in New York and upcoming changes in enforcement in California, the new focus is on pharmacies. How can pharmacies meet the new translation requirements effectively and ensure compliance? What will new guidelines mean? This topic is especially timely because the California State Board of Pharmacy in the Department of Consumer Affairs is in the process of defining compliance with Senate Bill 472, which requires standardized pharmacy labels. The Board has recently adopted draft regulations and is accepting comments until January 4, 2010. They will hold a hearing on the issue on January 20, in Sacramento at 1625 N. Market Blvd. in the Hearing Room at 9:30 a.m. Avantpage will continue to examine the linguistic issues that affect healthcare and keep clients informed as the regulations change. You may also contact Avantpage at (530) 750-2040 or at [email protected] for more information.

The California Board of Pharmacy recently adopted draft regulations for the standardization and translation of prescription drug labels.  We think this is a great step forward, but the Board needs to go farther--specifically, by requiring labels to be translated into every patient's primary language. In doing so, the Board will be supporting stronger regulations for language access.  If you'd like to express your thoughts on label translation, send your comments by January 4, 2010 to:  Carolyn Klein  Manager, Legislation and Regulations  California State Board of Pharmacy  1625 N. Market Blvd., N219  Sacramento, CA 95834  Fax: (916) 574-8618  Email: [email protected] There will also be a hearing on the issue on January 20, in Sacramento at 1625 N. Market Blvd. in the Hearing Room at 9:30 a.m.  When you comment, we suggest including these messages, created by CPEHN: Thanks for supporting stronger regulations for language access!

Today, Avantpage Translations and School Innovations & Advocacy (SI&A) released a special report on ways that properly and accurately translated documents-not just the ones required by law-can enhance relationships and overall results for schools. Research shows conclusively that parent involvement in their children's education improves student achievement. In particular, children from low-income and culturally and racially diverse families-students most often affected by racial and ethnic "achievement gaps"-benefit from increased involvement. Schools are searching for ways to close these achievement gaps-and translation is a cost-effective solution that should be explored. It's easy to see how school districts can realize higher rates of participation and improved results when they speak the community's language. The complete report can be downloaded here. Avantpage continues to address the linguistic issues that affect education in California and around the country.

Avantpage has been awarded a contract with the California Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) through a competitive bid process. Avantpage will translate State of California Child Support Services' official documents, forms and publications from English into six languages - Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, Armenian, Simplified Chinese, and Hmong. Avantpage will also provide reverse translation services by translating into English, documents received by DCSS that are written in languages other than English. Avantpage is proud to work with the DCSS on these important documents and looks forward to the opportunity of serving the families of California.

Today, in celebrating our 13th "lucky" year of excellence in helping people better communicate with and understand each other, Avantpage Translations has released a report called Avantpage: Translating 13 Years of Experience into Continued Success. This informative report takes a look back at 13 years of change in the translation industry and how the new global economy and the Internet have affected companies' translation needs. In addition, Avantpage CEO Luis Miguel shares his passion for the translation industry, his insights about the future, and emerging translation trends that may have a major impact. Here's to the next "lucky 13" years!

It has already become apparent to many companies that communication in diverse languages is imperative in order to build and maintain a global brand in the 21st century. Less clear (at least to those not already acquainted with the translation industry) is the terminology associated with translation services. L10N, GILT, DTP, I18N... what does it all mean? Avantpage is here to help you navigate these sometimes confusing terms in a special report called "Translation 411: A Quick Guide To The Services You Need In The 21st Century Global Economy".  Avantpage's special report has been written as a service to help organizations better understand the terminology and the necessities of the globalization process. We'll continue to examine all of the linguistic issues that affect business and keep our clients informed. You may also contact Avantpage at (530) 750-2040 or at [email protected] for more information.

Five leading pharmacy chains in New York state have announced they’ll be providing prescition drug information to their customers in their primary language.

In today’s global economy, it is an absolute necessity that your company be able to communicate to Spanish speakers of all cultures. Our priority as a premier Spanish translation provider is ensuring that your message is clear. Establishing a worldwide presence requires quality Spanish translation services that work for you – and nothing less. Our native-speaking Spanish translators understand that Spanish is a living language-a language with many different dialects and shades of meaning.  So whether you’re doing business in Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, Spain, or the United States, our sensitive Spanish translations will be just right for your audience. Statistics show that by 2016, the Latino/Hispanic population will make up 16% of the entire United States workforce, or 26.2 million people, and by 2050, the Latino/Hispanic group will make up 30% of the US population. Establish a positive corporate image for your business in Latino/Hispanic communities by creating Spanish-language messaging that is on target linguistically as well as culturally. Why is quality so important when it comes to Spanish translations? There is no margin for error. You have one opportunity to make a dynamic and lasting impression-a chance to show your Spanish-speaking audience that you understand who they are and what they want. High-quality translation will solidify your market position, strengthen your relationships with your audience, and more effectively brand your business. At Avantpage, we are here so that you succeed. We partner with you every step of the way, offering responsive, accommodating, and flexible Spanish translation service designed to meet your objectives, exceed your standards, and to produce a consistent message that delivers. We take a personal interest in your business and provide you with exceptional Spanish language services in a variety of subjects such as medical/healthcare, financial, business and technical.

The AHIP Institute is coming up soon (June 3-5) and Avantpage is very excited to be part of the Virtual Exhibits Area. We invite you to stop by and learn about the translation solutions we offer so your organization can increase its ethnic membership. Learn how to capture the Latino, Asian, and other ethnic markets with culturally sensitive translations from Avantpage. See you in San Diego!

We’re glad to let you know that the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has chosen Avantpage for exclusive language translation of its marketing communications documents and website pages. Avantpage was awarded the two-year contract because of high ratings on areas such as its proven ability to manage multiple projects under tight deadlines, and for its commitment to value. Avantpage will translate into Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian, Hmong, Korean, and Tagalog languages. Serving more than 590,000 residential and commercial customers in a 900-square mile area, SMUD provides Spanish translation for its website. This allows SMUD to communicate necessary information-such as education and safety, bill paying, ways to save energy, how to schedule repairs, online account information, and much more-to customers who may have limited proficiency in English. By presenting their website in English and Spanish, SMUD is doing more than connecting cross-culturally with its existing customers–it’s reaching out to potential customers too. “SMUD and Avantpage are a perfect fit, as they demand technically sophisticated file handling, quick turnarounds, and excellent linguistic quality that is easy to understand-all Avantpage strengths,” says Luis Miguel, Avantpage CEO.