Michael J. Mulé’s Post

Using Simplified Language in Translations for Immigrants in the US: Enhancing Accessibility and Understanding https://lnkd.in/e9vef9ER

📝 It’s been a mandate for more than half a century that programs receiving federal funds, including at the state and local level and by private entities such as hospitals, ensure that their information and services are accessible to people who speak languages other than English. Yet this provision of meaningful language access remains an unmet goal.  In our latest policy brief, Margie McHugh and Jacob Hofstetter:  🔹 Assess the history, nature and reach of federal requirements to offer language access  🔹 Identify gaps in the current language access framework  🔹 Offer potential strategies to improve coordination, accountability, and support across all levels of government and nongovernmental programs that receive federal funds. Read the brief:  https://lnkd.in/gtWcbxav #languageaccess #limitedenglishproficient #lep 

At the Asian Pacific Fund, we recognize the importance of language access, which is why this week, we are proud to support interpretation services at the Asian Pacific Islander Council of San Francisco (API Council) Mayoral Town Hall on Thursday, September 26. In partnership with API Council, we aim to ensure everyone can fully engage in the electoral process and access the critical information they need to make informed decisions. Time and again, we have seen how language accessibility empowers the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community, and we are committed to supporting AANHPI voters in San Francisco in making their voices heard. With interpretation available at this event, AANHPI voters can better understand each candidate’s stance, plans, and how they will address the issues that matter most to our community — ensuring that a language barrier is never a factor in casting an informed vote. Despite its importance, language access remains a persistent challenge. Federal standards mandated the provision of interpreter services 23 years ago, and almost 50 years after the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, numerous government agencies and systems continue to fail to provide these vital services — effectively shutting out people with limited English proficiency from accessing job training programs, benefits, and life-saving health care services. In a recent survey by our partner organization AAPI Data, 28% of Asian Americans had difficulty accessing health services because of a language barrier. That is almost a third of the Asian American population who could not even talk to someone about getting help because of a lack of language access. We must continue to address language access and ensure an equitable society where everyone can fully participate regardless of language ability. Together, we can break down barriers and create a more inclusive future. #LanguageAccess #AANHPI #AAPI #Vote #Election2024 #2024Elections

"Robust language assistance programs protect Asian American and Pacific Islander workers from exploitative practices & enable them to fully participate in the workforce," according to EPI's Adewale Maye and Stevie Marvin in a new blog examining the economic impact of language proficiency on Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. Read their policy recommendations at the link below: https://lnkd.in/eeQiSBZP

Dive into the complexities faced by migrant students in Chicago's schools. Explore the challenges of language barriers, access to bilingual resources, and the struggle for stability in an over-extended system.

6/26: Migration Policy Institute (MPI) Webinar- Next-Generation Strategies to Improve Language Access in Federally Supported Programs. 6/26 at 2 ET. Register at: [https://lnkd.in/eX2hZSvP]. "During this webinar, speakers will discuss new research from the Migration Policy Institute’s National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy that details next-generation strategies the federal government can use to support state and local programs in effectively operationalizing and sustaining meaningful language access. Speakers will also highlight current challenges in providing language access in federally supported programs and offer recommendations for how to weave language access into existing processes; maximize limited resources; and foster a more coordinated, effective, and efficient federal response to agency and public needs." Jacob Hofstetter Joann Lee

"Despite backlash from some pockets of the US population, Spanish has quadrupled in speakers over the past decades, with predictions to hit 138 million Spanish-speakers by 2050 — which would make it the largest Spanish-speaking nation on the planet. Speaking a second language has proven social, economic and mental benefits, so perhaps now is the perfect time for North Americans to broaden their language horizons — rather than build walls designed to keep Spanish-speakers out. The United States is a nation built upon conquests and immigration, so it should come as no surprise that there is not only one popular language within its borders. English is the most spoken language within the country; about 80% of the population speaks it as a first language. However, in total, there are more than 350 different languages used by US inhabitants, with the second-largest being español." #interpreter #translation #translationservices #translationagency #traduction #languages #languageservices

✏More than 25 million people in the U.S. are limited English proficient (LEP). Federal law has long required recipients of federal funds to provide public information & services to those speaking languages other than English. Yet the mandate remains far off from realization, as our 📑new policy brief explains.   Learn how the federal government, with some next-generation solutions, can ensure that state, local, & other entities receiving federal funds can bridge the access gaps & meet a mandate that is more than half a century old. ⤵ #languageaccess #limitedenglishproficient #lep  https://lnkd.in/gtWcbxav

8/12: U.S. Department of Labor- "The U.S. Department of Labor is marking the 24th anniversary of Executive Order 13166 – which requires the federal government to improve access to services and programs for persons with limited English proficiency – and affirming its commitment to improving communication accessibility for all workers." "Since the release of the updated Language Access Plan and the establishment of the Centralized Office of Language Assistance, the department has continued to make improvements to communication accessibility, including through the following:  🔘Translating vital materials and information into additional languages and developing outreach and engagement strategies for connecting with communities representing individuals with limited English proficiency.  🔘Translating Worker.gov, Employer.gov and MigrantWorker.gov into additional languages including Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Tagalog and Vietnamese, among other languages. 🔘Continuing interpretation services in over 170 languages through the National Contact Center to ensure it responds to individuals in their preferred languages. 🔘Providing resources and guidance to the department’s agencies to improve access for non-English speaking workers and those with limited English proficiency. 🔘Working with the department’s office and agencies on enhancing their own language access plans tailored to agency missions and programs."