Newsbriefs: September 29, 2023

Get Ready to Celebrate International Translation Day Tomorrow!

September 30th is International Translation Day! It’s a chance to remind the world just how critical translators and interpreters really are!

It wouldn’t be possible without translators and interpreters!
A United Nations resolution passed in 2017 recognizes International Translation Day (September 30) as the day to pay tribute to the work of language professionals. ATA invites you to celebrate by enjoying this short video featuring members sharing a glimpse into their work as translators and interpreters and what they love about what they do.

Please help us celebrate ITD 2023 by sharing the video, our premade graphics, or your own post with colleagues and friends through your social media channels (remember to tag us or insert the #ATAITD2023 hashtag). This is your chance to raise awareness within your professional and personal network about the importance of the T&I professions and your role in it!

Happy International Translation Day from all of us at ATA!

ATA Elections: Get to Know the Candidates

The slate is set, the candidates are ready, and your opportunity to learn more about who’s running for the Board is right here in front of you.

Who’s on the ballot?
ATA will hold its regularly scheduled elections at the upcoming ATA 64th Annual Conference in Miami, Florida (October 25-28, 2023) to elect a president-elect, secretary, and treasurer for a two-year term, as well as three directors for a three-year term. The Annual Meeting of Voting Members and Elections will be held October 26, 2023 (8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. EDT). In addition to electing Board directors, Voting members will also vote on proposed Bylaws amendments.

This year’s candidates are:

President-elect
Geoff Koby
Meghan McCallum

Secretary
Eve Bodeux
Jaime Russell

Treasurer
Robin Bonthrone
Marian S. Greenfield

Director
Yasmin Alkashef
Analía Bogdan
Jessie Liu
Daniel Sebesta
Robert Sette
Chaowei Zhu

Become an Informed Voter
Take time to learn more about the individuals on the slate—from background to experience to what they hope to accomplish as a member of ATA’s Board. And don’t forget to vote!

• Candidate Statements: Read the individual candidate statements on ATA’s website HERE or on the ATA Chronicle-Online (login required) to find out what skills each will bring to the Board and what they hope to accomplish, if elected. Even if you’re not a Voting member, check out what this year’s candidates envision for ATA’s future.

• Podcast Interviews: In Episode 93 of The ATA Podcast, Host Matt Baird asks the candidates about the T&I work they do, why they joined ATA, why they are running for office, and what is an area of ATA where they feel they can have the most impact, if elected. Listen now!

• Breakfast with the Candidates: If you’re attending ATA64, you’ll have the chance to meet the candidates at breakfast on Thursday, October 26 (7:00 a.m. – 8:15 a.m. EDT).

Attention Voting Members
ATA has partnered with Survey & Ballot Systems (SBS) to administer the 2023 elections. Voting members will receive proxy ballots and instructions by email on October 5. All voting will be electronic—there will be no paper
ballots on-site.

• If you are an ATA Voting member and do not receive the email from SBS: Voting members who do not receive the election email October 5 should click HERE and enter the email address they have on file with ATA. The election login information will then be sent to that address.

• For technical support: Technical support is available Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CT, excluding holidays. Call +1-952-974-2339 or submit a question or chat at https://www.directvote.net/ATA/Support.aspx.

• Important! Add SBS to your safe sender list: To ensure receipt of the proxy and voting instructions, please add noreply@directvote.net as an approved sender in your email settings.

Read the Candidate Statements

Industry News

Massachusetts Governor Signs Executive Order to Improve Language Access across State Government

Mass.gov (MA) (09/13/23)

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, joined by members of the Latino Advisory Council, signed Executive Order #615 to increase language access across state government. The executive order aims to make the delivery of services and resources more accessible and equitable for residents with limited English proficiency by requiring executive department agencies to develop language access plans.

“Everyone in Massachusetts, regardless of what language they speak, deserves equitable access to government services and resources, but we recognize that language often poses a major barrier,” Healey said. “This executive order will help break down language barriers and bridge gaps by instructing state agencies to conduct a thorough assessment of their language access capabilities and develop a plan for improvement. We’re proud to take this important step toward making state government more accessible and equitable.”

“One in four Massachusetts residents speak a language other than English, which underscores why this executive order is so critical,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “It is essential that we are setting people up for success by ensuring that they are able to read and engage with information provided by their state government.”

Executive Order #615 directs executive department agencies to identify a language access coordinator and develop a language access plan. These plans should include assessments of the agency’s services for residents with limited English proficiency, the languages spoken by the people they serve, their current policies and practices regarding language services, and the capacity of their staff to deliver services in languages other than English. The plans will also include specific actions and policy changes to reduce language access barriers.

Pennsylvania Court System Pilots Program to Help Pennsylvania Dutch Speakers become Certified Interpreters

WITF (PA) (09/19/23) Martínez, Gabriela

The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC) is partnering with Safe Communities, a nonprofit in Lancaster County, and other nonprofits to encourage Pennsylvania Dutch speakers to become certified court interpreters.

Natalia Petrova, administrator of AOPC’s Interpreter Certification Program, said people from other states with Mennonite communities often contact Pennsylvania to find certified Pennsylvania Dutch speakers only to find there are none. “Everybody assumes Pennsylvania should have some interpreters of Pennsylvania Dutch, but we have not historically had anybody,” she said.

Petrova said a growing awareness of sexual abuse in Mennonite communities has sparked interest among members of that community to become interpreters for those navigating the criminal justice system.

AOPC is using money from the U.S. Department of Justices’ STOP Violence Against Women grant program to create and deliver a trauma-informed curriculum that educates participants on sexual and domestic abuse cases. Safe Communities also received a $10,000 grant from the Lancaster Law Foundation to work with members of the Plain community interested in becoming interpreters. (The Plain community includes Amish, Mennonite, and other Anabaptist denominations.) The YWCA in Lancaster County is also providing grant money to help participants cover the cost of the program.

Currently, 15 people are enrolled in the pilot workshop and are practicing for the English written exam, a requirement to be a certified court interpreter. The handful of people who have tried to become certified in the past failed the English exam, Petrova said, because of low levels of English proficiency in the community and lack of experience with standardized exams.

Mark Harris, assistant director of Safe Communities, leads workshops in the Mennonite community and said everyone has different reasons for pursuing a court interpreter certification. “Some might be looking to address specific issues in their community, but others want to learn a new trade,” Harris said. “We have folks who are Amish. We have folks who are ex-Amish and ex-Old Order Mennonite, and they’re all learning together in the same room, and it’s going very well.”

Petrova said it’s crucial to have court interpreters with a solid grasp of the language and the cultural aspects of the community so survivors of sexual abuse or witnesses in such cases can accurately convey their testimonies in court or in conversations with attorneys. “The interpreter becomes the voice of that person,” Petrova said. “The jury hears their version, so what is interpreted has to be absolute.”

American Sign Language Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Callers Added to 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DC) (09/08/23)

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the addition of American Sign Language (ASL) services for people who are deaf and hard of hearing to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

“Individuals across America who use ASL as their primary language can now readily access the support they need during a mental health crisis,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “With the introduction of 988 ASL services, we are taking a significant stride forward in providing inclusive and accessible support for the deaf and hard of hearing community. This is a testament to our ongoing commitment to ensure that no one is left behind when it comes to mental health support.”

Callers who are deaf, deaf-blind, deaf and disabled, hard of hearing, and late-deafened can connect to a trained 988 Lifeline counselor by clicking the “ASL Now” button on 988lifeline.org and following the prompts. Direct dialing to 988 from a videophone will be launched in the coming weeks.

“With the addition of ASL services, the 988 Lifeline reaffirms its commitment to providing comprehensive crisis care that caters to the diverse needs of all individuals,” said HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Miriam Delphin-Rittmon. “This new service is one more critical step toward making mental health support more accessible and inclusive for all.”

National Association of the Deaf Chief Executive Officer Howard Rosenblum said the ASL Lifeline service “was made possible thanks to funding from HHS through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration toward implementation of the program by the nonprofits DeafLEAD and Vibrant Emotional Health.”

“The introduction of 988 ASL services is a reflection of our collective pursuit of a society where no one feels isolated in times of crisis and ensures that the deaf and hard of hearing community have equitable access to a vital and life-saving service,” said DeafLEAD Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Logan.

Maine’s Multilingual Driving Schools Help Immigrant Learners Get Up to Speed

Maine Public (ME) (09/06/23) Snider, Ari

Multilingual driver education programs in Maine help teach immigrant motorists the rules of the road, with Bourge’s Driving School in Lewiston among those offering such services.

Saint Clair Biro, owner of Bourge’s Driving School, said he often juggles a combination of languages in the classroom, with students speaking French, Portuguese, and Lingala while course material is mostly written in English. Biro, who is originally from the Central African Republic, said he started the school to help multilingual students. Teaching certain English words is also on the curriculum. “So, you must know ‘left,’ ‘right,’ and ‘reverse’—all those things,” Biro said.

Beth Stickney, an immigration law and policy consultant, said obtaining a driver’s license is important for new immigrants who want to settle in Maine. “That is just hugely important for work and family mobility,” she said. However, other challenges besides language barriers await immigrant student drivers, like understanding that another licensed driver is still required to be in the vehicle, even after they get their learner’s permit.

Multilingual driver education programs are not the only option for English language learners. The Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) said it provides free interpreters to students enrolled at state-approved driver education programs. Rilwan Osman, owner of S&A Driving School in Lewiston, sees regular demand for direct instruction in Somali. He said “older generations” of Somalis often seek out instruction in their native language.

Osman added that the BMV doesn’t permit interpreters to ride along during road tests because the lag time in communication could present a safety risk. Since a driver’s license allows someone to take the wheel independently, the BMV states the test should also be taken unassisted.

Osman said he urges his students to call him the day of the test to review key vocabulary like e-brake (emergency brake) and high beams, so they won’t fail solely because of challenges understanding the terminology. “I will give you one hour to kind of go through the things that they might ask you when you go for your road tests,” he said. “So that at least you have an idea of those basic things.”

ATA News

NEW! ATA Introduces Special Interest Groups

ATA has created three special interest groups (SIGs): Financial Translators (FT SIG), Interpreters & Translators in Education (ITE SIG), and Southeast Asian Languages (SEAL SIG). Similar to divisions, members of SIGs get access to private discussion groups where members can discuss terminology, share training opportunities, and find support for their unique challenges. To join or learn more, contact ftsig@atanet.org, itesig@atanet.org, or sealsig@atanet.org.

Don’t miss these online SIGs meetups!

Interpreters & Translators in Education SIG
Monday, October 2 at 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. EDT
To register, email itesig@atanet.org

Southeast Asian Languages SIG
Thursday, October 5 at 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. PST
To register, email sealsig@atanet.org

Attendees to ATA64 in Miami will have the opportunity to meet the moderators of each SIG in person at the Division & Special Interest Groups Mix and Mingle. The event will be held on Wednesday, October 25 from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., directly after the Welcome Celebration.

Listen to the Latest Episodes of The ATA Podcast!

Invest Your Marketing Budget Where It Counts

Whether you want to reach an estimated 1,300 conference attendees in Miami or thousands more ATA members, ATA’s 64th Annual Conference can make it happen!

Become an Exhibitor
Connect with new customers that you plan on doing business with for years to come, or meet face-to-face with the customers you have been doing business with for years. Learn more!

Become a Sponsor

Upcoming Webinars

Upcoming Events

20th Annual Midwest Association of Translators and Interpreters Conference
September 30: 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. EDT
IUPUI Campus Center, 420 University Blvd.
Indianapolis, IN
Join the Midwest Association of Translators and Interpreters for our 20th Annual Conference in Indianapolis on September 30th, International Translation Day! Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to learn and connect with your colleagues. This year’s conference theme is “Interconnections in Our Community.” Register Here

ATA German Language Division Co-Working Session
October 19: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EDT

Introducing memoQ Translator Pro Subscription:
Special Offer for ATA Members

We are happy to announce that memoQ has introduced a subscription offering for memoQ translator pro! Subscribe now for a year and use all the perks of memoQ translator pro (including access to new features, the latest versions, as well as support) for a limited-time introductory price of $320 instead of $400 until October 6th, 2023!

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