Yana Schottenstein, founder of Access 2 Interpreters, was asked to do an interview for the Executive Influencer issue for The Daily Reporter.
Access 2 Interpreters has grown into one of the largest translation agencies in Central Ohio, providing interpretation and translation services for a variety of clients.
Through high-quality products and a team of talented interpreters, Access 2 Interpreters is able to overcome obstacles and continue to grow.
“I think Columbus in particular, Ohio in general and the U.S. as a whole, provide good opportunities for people who have initiative, who don’t stop, who try,” Yana Schottenstein stated. “As far as people who immigrate, I think that applies to them too. So many people come here. This country is build on immigrants, and I believe that those people who come here are so motivated to succeed.”
Non-English speaking parents of special-needs students in six central Ohio school districts are outraged that important information relating to the care of their children isn’t being translated. On the 27th January 2015, a federal complaint was filed to take action against the discrimination in the hope that proper translation and interpreters are provided in the future.
According to The Columbus Disptatch, The report was filed on the behalf of 21 families who feel as if they are being shown prejudice by not fully understanding the English language. Their desired outcome is for the districts to recognize what families require translators and to educate the school staff on the requirements to provide language assistance.
The districts accused are Groveport Madison, Dublin, Columbus, South-Western, Toledo, Whitehall and Westerville. Leading the charge is Disability Rights Ohio, an organization that campaigns for people with disabilities in Ohio and another Toledo-based group dedicated to upholding basic legal equality for all.
By Federal law, all public school districts must provide parents with the vital information on their children’s requirements in a language they comprehend. While many of the documents the families receive are translated, the issues arise around not-standard documents that aren’t readily available. Meeting notices, students’ progress reports and individualized education plans are all usually released in English only. Reaching out to the Department of Education could resolve the matter, however, not being able to properly communicate their problem could still hinder a satisfactory outcome.
Representatives from the schools of the accused districts were not familiar with the case and couldn’t provide any insight. In spite of this, they were quick to state that their districts do provide translation and interpretation services regularly. Interpreters are used at a parents request or when the teacher is aware of language difficulties.
However, parents say that interpreters aren’t always present at special-education meetings and when they are in attendance, the translation is poor and parents are often left confused and misinformed.
The problem has been ongoing since 2011 when parents approached the superintendent at a Toledo school district directly to try and resolve the issues within the school system. Being no further forward four years later, the affected families have now instigated legal proceedings.
The Strategic Plan for Language Access in the California Courts calls for a consistent statewide language services plan to ensure language access for limited English proficient (LEP) speaking court users in California.
The historic vote came after an 18-month effort by the Judicial Council of California and a 60-day formal public comment period on a draft of the plan. The plan includes the 58 superior courts in the state and will also include the immediate formation of an implementation task force that will recommend and implement the plan.
Reason for the Plan
Approximately 7 million LEP residents and court users are spread out over vast areas of California and speak over 200 languages. This highlights the fact that California is one of the most diverse states in the country.
Unfortunately, this is also part of the main problem: the language barrier excludes a significant portion of residents from any meaningful participation in the judicial process. In addition, many LEP litigants even show up without lawyers and/or a qualified interpreter leading to the courts having to rely on friends and family who are unqualified to acts as court interpreters.
Although the need for language access services in California has been around for a long time, the Language Access Plan finally represents a truly comprehensive system that ensures LEP court users get meaningful representation.
Implications of the Plan
With the approval of the Plan, California courts can now expect to see an expansion of qualified spoken language interpreters in all court manners. Scheduling protocols will also be created to ensure that these interpreters are used in the most efficient ways.
In addition, investments in technology solutions such areas as video remote technology and multilingual audiovisual tools are planned.
The increased court resources will necessitate additional funding to meet the increased demands of language access without having to sacrifice any other court services.
