A2I Presents Cultural Training to Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities

Access 2 Interpreters held a Cultural Training session with Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities (FCBDD) in Westerville on January 31, 2018. The presentation was conducted by Access’s Chief Operating Officer Chris Stein and Interpreter Trainer Dr. Ali Al Safi.

The first segment examined the interpreter’s role during the interpretation session. This section reinforced the protocols interpreters follow in the field. This part of the presentation also clarified the interpreter’s boundaries before, during, and after the interpretation session.

The second segment focused on the cultural traditions of several Limited English Proficiency populations that live in Columbus. Stein and Al Safi discussed how family, religion, and education affect social etiquette and communication between people. This part of the presentation provided insight and advice for bridging the gaps between social and cultural barriers.

“Access 2 Interpreters has a great reputation in the Central Ohio area for providing quality interpretation services. However, many clients are unaware of our other great services such as facilitating Provider Training Seminars like we conducted yesterday. FCBDD got tremendous insight into the legal basis, duties, and expectations of the interpreters we send out into the field. Furthermore, we were able to tailor the seminar specifically to identify and help with the nuances of the in-home appointments that the caseworkers at FCBDD encounter,” said Stein.

“Columbus is a diverse city with approximately 70 different spoken languages, and interpreters help families and clients effectively communicate with one another. However, most clients struggle with how to approach the cultural differences between their staff and the families they serve. We believe that the information we provided was helpful to FCBDD. We received a lot of positive feedback regarding the material we covered during the seminar,” added Al Safi.

Access 2 Interpreters can provide similar training seminars to its clients upon request. Each event is specifically tailored to the particular needs of the hosting organization.