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Speaking of Language
Our team has a lot to say on the subject of language, along with the people, processes and technologies that surround it. Our thoughts are collected here, with frequent additions to keep the conversation fresh. Check back often for new posts, and Contact Us with any questions or topic ideas. Posts are displayed by date with the most recent first. To narrow down by topic, please use the categories to the right.
If you’re planning to do business in a new country, you want to make sure it’s, well, the business. That means a lot of up front planning. Here are three essential areas for you to cover. 1. Know the Climate First of all, you have to understand the climate. That includes knowing the political setup and being aware of issues that could affect the way you do business. It also means figuring out the commercial
Know your customer. It’s the golden rule of doing business, both online and offline. Whether you’re a freelance service provider or you’re running a multi-million dollar enterprise, failure to understand your customers means your business is less effective than it could be. These days, when so much business is going global, that’s more important than ever. You may have a handle on your home market, but if you’re expanding abroad, you must account for
CLAS Standards of Healthcare – Ensure the Competence of Individuals Providing Language Assistance
Category: Compliance
In Part 1 of this blog series, we discussed National CLAS Standard 5: Offer Communication and Language Assistance and learned that, at its heart, this standard requires offering interpreters and translated documents to Limited English Proficient and sensory impaired patients and caregivers. In Part 2, we examined Standard 6: Inform Individuals of the Availability of Language Assistance and learned the importance of both verbal and written notification of language services. In Part 3, we will
CLAS Standards of Healthcare – Inform Individuals of the Availability of Language Assistance
Category: Compliance
In Part 1 of this blog series, we discussed National CLAS Standard 5: Offer Communication and Language Assistance. We learned that, at its heart, this standard requires providing qualified interpreters and translated documents to Limited English Proficient and sensory impaired patients and caregivers. In Part 2, we will examine Standard 6: Inform all individuals of the availability of language assistance services clearly and in their preferred language, verbally and in writing. The Department of Health
The National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care (aka “The National CLAS Standards”) were developed by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, with a goal of helping to eliminate health care disparities for culturally and linguistically diverse patients. Closely aligned with Joint Commission Hospital Accreditation standards, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Executive Order 13166, implementing the
When you’re thinking about translating content, one rule applies: garbage in, garbage out (GIGO). The phrase is originally from computer science, and it means that the output you receive is only as good as the original input. What does this have to do with translation? It’s easy. If you don’t have quality content at the start of the translation process, the final product won’t miraculously turn into a masterpiece at the end. Trust me;
By Amelia Rodriguez CEO, Vocalink Language Services Can’t Read, Won’t Buy: I love this title! It comes from one of my favorite companies in the whole world, Common Sense Advisory. They are the gods of language industry research. Studying about our industry has made them wise beyond their years. I quote: “Common Sense Advisory polled 3,002 consumers in 10 countries in their languages to test the hypothesis that companies can increase their sales by localizing
Let’s face it, if you have dealt with translation projects, then you know translation is complex, subjective and definitely not an exact science. Translation “quality” often conjures up differing thoughts in the minds of different people. There is more to consider than a “right” or “wrong” translation. Client-Side Reviewers –the bilingual people on the client’s side who will review the final, translated work – have varying linguistic preferences and language knowledge. One reviewer might think
In a ceremony held last night, the Dayton Business Journal honored their Businesses of the Year. Vocalink accepted awards for both Minority Owned Business of the Year as well as Community Supporter of the Year. Sitting in a room full of Dayton’s shiniest business stars on a beautiful Fall evening is a treat in and of itself. The room truly crackled with excitement and energy and promise. The city of Dayton is in a similar
Stoic or Expressive? Culture’s Part in Communication
Category: Compliance, Interpreting, Translation/Localization
“You learn something new every day” is one of my favorite sayings … because it is just so true. Last week, I stumbled across a reference to Geri-Ann Galanti’s Caring for Patients from Different Cultures, 4th Edition (Univ. of Penn. Press 2008, Kindle Edition). [1] Delighted to find it available for Kindle, I downloaded it and read it in a single day. This book explores cultural diversity in healthcare, using short case studies to make
July 18th is coming! Are you ready? On July 18, 2016, the long-awaited final rule implementing Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA): Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities goes into effect. The new rule tackles two vital issues for patient-centered care: language access for Limited English Proficient, deaf, hard-of-hearing, blind and visually impaired patients and gender identity discrimination. Next week, Vocalink will issue an in-depth summary of the language access regulations in the
On July 31, 2015, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals issued its decision in Martin v. Halifax Healthcare Systems, Inc.This decision addresses the question, “must we provide round-the-clock, in-person ASL interpreters at the request of a deaf patient or caregiver?” This is one of the most frequently asked questions I get as Compliance Counsel from health systems and hospitals that frequently interact with deaf patients and caregivers. The decision also provides meaningful insight on video remote
