Are you fluent in American Sign Language (ASL)? If not, would you know how to communicate with a deaf individual if he or she needed to visit your organization or place of business? Let’s start with the law. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for persons with […]
You’ve contacted a company to translate a document for you, worked with them to define exactly what you need, and received the completed translation. What’s next? Can you feel confident publishing it? Many people in your shoes would feel better if someone else reviewed the document first, someone in their organization. This process is known […]
Without knowing both languages, and knowing them well, it’s nearly impossible for you to determine how good a translation is. I’ve had this problem myself when looking at documents in Chinese. While I do speak some Chinese, reading and writing is something I’m still working on. When I see something translated into Chinese, I can […]
There are a myriad of questions you could ask to determine if a medical interpreter is capable of doing a good job. During the patient encounter, of course, you can’t audit their performance because you don’t know the language—that’s why you need them in the first place! So here are some straightforward questions you can […]
Coming into the language industry and not speaking a foreign language, I did not realize the importance of interpreters. More importantly, I did not know about the seriousness of documenting interpreting services in order to comply with the law. Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects people from discrimination based on race, national […]
The market for translating and interpreting is awash with new technology, which is great for patients and providers—when it works. As a primarily face to face interpreter, I have often heard doctors and nurses complaining about poor connection or sound quality when using a telephonic or video interpreter. Luckily, interpreter technology, along with broadband speeds, […]