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Connecting People Through Language
Language Services Work Towards Health Equity Strategies
Healthcare is one area where limited English proficient (LEP) individuals may face inequities in getting high-quality care due to language roadblocks. One federal agency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS), has made health equity the first pillar in...
Low-Cost vs. Best Value Procurement for Language Services
In government agencies, procurement (also known as purchasing) can choose between different types of bidding for proposals (RFPs) from vendors for their services. A low-cost bid looks only at the cost of a service and no other factors. With a best-value RFP, the...
Common Components of a Language Access Plan
In the US, everyone has the right to language access. Having language access for those with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) or other communication challenges helps to reduce disparities within social determinants of health and provide equal opportunities for those...
Language Access and Services for People who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing
Based on standard hearing exams, one in eight people in the US aged 12 years or older has hearing loss in both ears. This number equals 13 percent of the population or 30 million people. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires title II (state and local...
What is the California Voter’s Choice Act?
California Voter’s Choice Act (VCA) California lawmakers approved the Voter’s Choice Act (VCA) in 2016, known as Senate Bill 450. The VCA “modernizes elections in California by allowing counties to conduct elections under a model which provides greater...
10 Ways to Plan for Election Translations
Providing language access to election materials helps to ensure more equitable elections in the U.S. If a person has a hard time understanding a ballot, that person will be less likely to vote. Unfortunately, this leaves a portion of the limited English proficiency...