SWEB 119: Localization
Adapting Your Statewide Website to Better Reach Non-English Speakers
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Today’s Training Strategies for prioritizing content
translation (with limited staff and resources),
Important considerations when reaching out to non-English speaking audience
Technical considerations surrounding multilingual content online
Review of best practices for creating and maintaining multilingual content
Creating multilingual content despite staffing and resource limitations Setting Priorities for Translated Content
Review of the LSC requirements for native language services
Other data to reviewAvailability of translators and partner
organizations
Review of the LSC requirements for native language services
Tillie Lacayo – Legal Service Corporation Review of the Federal law and regulations
related to LEP services. Key elements of an LEP outreach plan Assessment of LEP efforts (TIG
guidelines) Introduction of LEP concepts for websites
The LAWThe Civil Rights Act of 1964 - Title VI of The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting
national origin discrimination
Executive Order 13166, “Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency”, signed by the President on August 11, 2000.
1. Requires Federal agencies to examine the services they provide identify any need for services to those with limited English proficiency (LEP), develop and implement a system to provide those services so that LEP
persons can have meaningful access to them2. Requires Federal agencies to work to ensure that recipients of Federal financial
assistance provide meaningful access to their LEP applicants and beneficiaries
Guidance for Executive Order 13166 - The U.S. Department of Justice policy guidance document, “Enforcement of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – National Origin Discrimination Against Persons With Limited English Proficiency”
Sets the compliance standards that recipients of Federal financial assistance must follow to ensure that their programs and activities normally provided in English are accessible to LEP persons and thus do not discriminate on the basis of national origin
LSC Specifics1. The LSC Act (42 U.S.C. §2996, et seq.) Section 1006(b)(6) of the LSC Act, provides that
“[i]n areas where significant numbers of eligible clients speak a language other than English as their principal language, the Corporation shall, to the extent feasible, provide that their principal language is used in the provision of legal assistance to such clients under this title.” 42 U.S.C. §2996(e) (2004).
The LSC Grant Assurances – The applicable LSC Grant Assurance for the 2008 year provides that programs will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age, disability, national origin, sexual orientation, or any other basis prohibited by law against: (1) any person applying for employment or employed by the Applicant; or (2) any person seeking or provided assistance from the Applicant or other program(s) supported in whole or in part by the grant.
LSC’s Strategic Directions - Objective 3, under Goal 2, of LSC’s Strategic Directions: 2006–2010, states that an LSC objective will be to
“Work to improve support for hard to serve areas and populations, e.g., rural areas, migrants, Native Americans, limited English proficiency clients.”
“Technologies That Should Be in Place in a Legal Aid Office Today”, issued by the Legal Services Corporation in May 2008, contains the following expectation with regard to statewide websites:
What should be in place - Web-based legal information and self help support - Needed capacities or functions:
“A statewide website with the …[c]apacity to serve persons with limited English proficiency”
LSC Program LetterLSC Program Letter 04-2, “Services to Client
Eligible Individuals with Limited English Proficiency” Provides a context and guidance for LSC-funded
programs with eligible individuals in their service area who are persons with limited English proficiency.
Aims to ensure access to justice for communities of potentially eligible clients who do not speak English proficiently
A full copy of the letter is available in the resources section of the training online at: www.lsntap.org/SWEB119
What does a LEP policy include? Assessment of Language Needs (of the
client population) Staffing Training Interpreters/Translators Translation of Documents Outreach Oversight
LEP Plan Website Related Issues Interpreters/Translators –
obtaining competent interpretation services for each of the major languages in the program’s service area
Translation of Documents – translation of all “vital program documents”
What are vital documents?
In the LEP target languages for those groups constituting five percent of the client population
Outreach strategies for disseminating information about the availability of
bilingual staff or free interpreters and legal services revising and translating a program’s community outreach materials
into appropriate languages
How LSC assesses a program’s LEP/language access efforts Competitive Grants Process:
reviews of applications for funding from existing grant recipients and potential new grantees, using the Legal Services Corporation Performance Criteria as our guide. The Performance Criteria are located at www.lsc.gov
On-site program quality and program engagement visits
Ongoing periodic in-person contact and phone contact with program executive directors
Assessment of LEP for TIG LSC requires all TIG recipients to consider the needs of
LEP clients.
TIG’s grant assurances on LEP provide as follows:
“In the development of any Web site, pro se materials, or other grant-supported product, the recipient shall consider the special needs of persons with limited literacy, limited English proficiency, limited experience with or knowledge of computer-related technologies, limited access to computers, or who have limited access to most Web-based or other computer-related systems for any reason.”
Introduction of LEP Website Concepts1. Translated home page - Home page translation into the
targeted language(s)2. Basic Information about the legal service program:
Services available - Information in the targeted language(s) discussing the services - including legal assistance - provided by the program
Addresses and telephone numbers of the program’s office(s)
3. A “click here” button - A button on the home page, in the language of the target population, that indicates that persons who speak the particular language should “click here”. The visitor to the website is then directed to the website content in the appropriate language
Introduction of LEPWebsite Concepts4. Resource information concerning interpretation services
available in the program’s service area for the target language group(s)
5. Community Education materials - Educational materials (brochures, etc.) in the targeted language(s) providing information in a variety of substantive law areas of interest to the client community.
6. Video presentations - Videos in the targeted language(s) to reach persons of limited English proficiency who are not literate in their native language
7. Links – Links to other websites with relevant legal information content in other languages
Other Resources www.lep.gov – The website of the Federal Interagency Working Group on
Limited English Proficiency. Acts as a clearinghouse, providing and linking to information, tools and technical assistance regarding limited English proficiency and language access services for federal agencies, recipients of federal funds, users of federal programs, and federally assisted programs, and other stakeholders.
www.lri.lsc.gov – The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Resource Information electronic library. Provides information about legal services management and delivery approaches and tools. Items posted are from both LSC-funded and non-LSC civil legal services providers and other law-related organizations and institutions.
www.healthlaw.org – The website of the National Health Law Program contains materials related to language access and health care Both the “Diversity” and “Special Populations/Access Barriers” content areas
contain L.E.P. resources and information LEP section contains articles, information on intake systems, manuals, LEP
policies, projects, reports, technology, LSC’s LEP activities, and links to additional sources of LEP information
These are all available in the resources section for this training at www.lsntap.org/SWEB116
Contact Tillie
Tillie Lacayo – tillie[at]lsc.gov or [email protected] on LEP activitiesNew additions to multi-lingual website contentOther technology projects reaching LEP
audienceConsultation or assistance developing an LEP
plan of project.
Prioritizing Content: Assessment of Need Look at census, school or other recent
data Suggested data sources:
http://www.lep.gov/demog_data.html Local or specialized reports Assess what the particular community’s
potential legal needs are (can be very different across ethnic and national groups)
Review Organization Data
Review Case Management data for most needed languages and potential common issues by language.
Talk to hotline and intake staff for up to date information about communities requesting assistance.
Work with Community Organizations
Work with community organizations to understand issues affecting specific language groups:• Will help ensure most relevant content is
translated• May provide partnership to assist with translation• Provides support and partnership for outreach
efforts
Prioritizing translation
Inventory existing high-quality resources Develop new materials and prioritize
translation around your assessments Make sure to develop language materials
to compliment the overall LEP goals or vision of the organization or statewide justice community.
Tips for TranslationOnce you’ve decided what content to translate into certainlanguages:
Don’t substitute quality for quantity. (Accurate translation is critical so prioritize limited translation if necessary to ensure it is well done.)
Use pictures and images to provide explanation wherever possible. American Translators Association – Getting it Right
Translate only relevant sections of existing documents or produce shorter documents in your own language and have those translated. American Translators Association – Getting it Right
Consider video and audio translations for unwritten or difficult font languages.
Finding the Right Translator Whether professional or volunteer
Get background information Experience and references Seek specialists in legal field. If a professional, seek
someone with certification. Ask for “per page” or or “per word” quotes
Establish the editorial process to ensure quality Independent editing by a second translator Proofing Some translation agencies will also test your translation
with a focus group. If not, arrange your own community review.
Community Review Bilingual staff and/or community
partners evaluate the translation for accessibility
If translators and community reviewers disagree, ask this clarifying question:
“Will the suggested changes improve the quality or accessibility of the translation without making a substantial departure from the source document?”
Examples of Certifications General certifications:
American Translators Association (ATA) (www.atanet.org) UN: (www.un.org) Society of Translators & Interpreters of British Columbia (
www.stibc.org) Court Certifications:
California (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/programs/courtinterpreters/)
Washington (www.courts.wa.gov/programs_orgs/pos_interpret)
National Center for State Courts (www.ncsconline.org) Federal Court Interpreter Certification (
www.cps.ca.gov/FCICE-Spanish/aboutus.asp)
Source: http://transcend.net/accreditation.htm
Other Considerations For Translation A Plain Language source makes translation
easier and more effective A Plain Language document typically has 40%
fewer words than the original. As translations are billed on a per word basis, translation costs will be lower. - Transcend.net
Work with access partners to develop uniformity in translations of common terms
e.g. “defendant” and “small claims”
Taking a Holistic Approach Challenges to serving LEP clients Language and cultural differences can be
an added obstacle to accessing needed services
Lack of familiarity with legal services Mistrust of entities perceived to be
governmental agencies Differences in access to and use of
technology
2007 CA Conference on Self Represented Litigrants, Providing Services to Limited-English-Speaking Litigants http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/programs/equalaccess/2007Materials.html
Online resources should not exist in isolation as a delivery system
Will most benefit the target community when they are supported and promoted by an access-oriented delivery system
Cultivate broad partnership networks Self-help centers - Health clinicsLaw libraries - Law schoolsSocial service providers - Local media outlets
Taking a Holistic Approach
Resources
NCSC LEP Resource Guide Limited English Proficiency Guide (LEP) Resource Guide
http://www.ncsconline.org/wc/CourTopics/ResourceGuide.asp?topic=CtInte&guide=179#1007
Legal Glossaries in Arabic, Armenian, Hmong, Mien, Mong, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Urdu and Vietnamese by the Superior Court of California, Sacramento County Courts:
http://www.saccourt.com/geninfo/legal_glossaries/legal_glossaries.asp
Empire Justice Center Language Access Resource Center (LARC)http://70.86.230.142/archive/larc/newsitedesign/LARC.htm
Technical Considerations
Displaying Western European languages on the Web has never been a problem
Problems arose with the creation and rendering of non-Latin alphabets
Modern browsers have better support for them than in the past
Unicode
Unicode is an international standard that includes most non-Latin characters and makes storage and retrieval of non-Latin characters on the Web much easier
Many of the workarounds that programs used to display non-Latin languages on their site are no longer necessary
Multilingual Content and Your CMS Modern CMS’s feature strong multilingual
content support Among open source platforms, Plone,
Drupal, and new versions of Zope all have multilingual support that will meet most sites’ needs.
Pro Bono Net also have very strong multilingual support
Machine Translation… Still not there Translation tools have existed for years, but are
still not capable of the type of accurate translation required for legal content
John C. Dvorack, PC Magazine:A few gizmos out there can say "Hello, where is the train station?" or "I have a blue pencil" in 40 different languages. But we're still yearning for a real translation system. Most written translations I see of memos, newspapers, books, and magazines are a joke. Sometimes it is a miracle if you can even get the gist of the text.
PC Magazine, Computing’s Final Frontiers, February 08, 2008
The Mobile Web andMultiligual Content 84% of English-speaking Hispanics have a
cellphone As programs begin to explore the Mobile
Web and technologies like Short Message Service (SMS), it’s important to keep multilingual content development in mind.
Multilingual Content & Document Assembly A2J supports the creation of Spanish
language interviews Interviews have a Spanish interface but
deliver an English legal document In the future, NPADO will feature a
Spanish interface
Idaho - Formas Interactivas
Guidelines for Website Language Projects
Create a Content Management Plan:
Suggestion: 1 point person to manage content
translation and maintenance Tracking translation process
Use project management software Use naming conventions for documents
eg “Eviction 2007 SP draft 1”
Maintaining Multilingual Content
Tickler system to remind you when English versions are updated
Northwest Justice Project has advocates “adopt” specific publications or subject areas.
Periodic review Advocate edits the English version with “track
changes” Point person forwards those notes to
translator
Community Examples: Legal Aid Society of New York
Received funding to create new community legal education materials in Spanish and French
Used outside translators Client legal aid materials available at Law Help New
York: http://www.lawhelp.org/NY/index.cfm/language/39/state/NY.
Process Phase 1: translation with outside vendor and initial
revisions Phase 2: review with second outside vendor, develop
style guide and glossary
Community Examples: Legal Aid Services of Oregon
Developed Spanish and English language websites at the same time
Used existing translations and then “filled in the gaps”
Availability and importance of Spanish language materials helped focus content efforts on both sites
Final product: http://www.OregonLawHelp.org/index.cfm/language/39/state/OR
Community Examples: Northwest Justice Project
Ongoing project outsourcing the translation of self-help documents into Spanish and Russian
Consults hotline staff and advocates and evaluates outside content requests to prioritize translations
Critical subjects: public benefit termination and denials, help with eviction, domestic violence information and farm worker rights.
Washington LawHelp: http://www.washingtonlawhelp.org/WA/index.cfm
Tips from “Mile Markers Along the Road Across the Linguistic Divide”
Share financial and planning resources with other organizations
Take advantage of technical assistance available through professional associations
Develop a uniform working manual on interpreting and translating services
The full document is available on the NTAP website: http://lsntap.org/sites/lsntap.org/files/MileMarkers.pdf
Additional Resources www.lep.gov – The website of the Federal Interagency Working Group
on Limited English Proficiency. Acts as a clearinghouse, providing and linking to information, tools and technical assistance regarding limited English proficiency and language access services for federal agencies, recipients of federal funds, users of federal programs, and federally assisted programs, and other stakeholders.
www.lri.lsc.gov – The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Resource Information electronic library. Provides information about legal services management and delivery approaches and tools. Items posted are from both LSC-funded and non-LSC civil legal services providers and other law-related organizations and institutions.
www.healthlaw.org – The website of the National Health Law Program contains materials related to language access and health care
Both the “Diversity” and “Special Populations/Access Barriers” content areas contain L.E.P. resources and information
LEP section contains articles, information on intake systems, manuals, LEP policies, projects, reports, technology, LSC’s LEP activities, and links to additional sources of LEP information
Additional Resources Serving Non English Speakers in US Public Libraries (2008 report with
good statistics):http://www.ala.org/ala/olos/nonenglishspeakers/docs/Linguistic_Isolation_Report-2007.pdf
Serving Non-English Speakers in the Virginia Court Systemhttp://www.courts.state.va.us/interpreters/guidelines.pdf
Public Management and MultiLingual Resourceshttp://www.managementpartners.com/successstories/6-1-07ICMA-PM-ManagingDiverseCommunities.pdf
Article about new Language Line Service with Some Interesting Statisticshttp://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2007_Sept_17/ai_n19521598
TechSoup on Multilingual Web Sites http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/webbuilding/page5379.cfm
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