Breakout Room 1 Notes

Language Access Work Group

Notes from 

Meeting 5 Breakout Room 1

September 19, 2023

Breakout Room 1 Participants                                       Breakout Room 1 Facilitator

Rep. Carolyn Eslick                                                                         Scott Hubbell

JoAnna Gaffney

Ruiqin Miao, PhD

Leroy Mould

Hugo Nuñez

John Rogers

Elena Vasiliev

 

 

Homework: Please share what you would like to see in a draft recommendation, or what you have already shared in a draft recommendation, regarding prerequisites and screening, test content, and test quality. For:

 

  • Strategies for increasing access to language access providers in rural communities and for languages of lesser demand.

  • Strategies for certified language access provider workforce resiliency, including adequate workload and compensation.

  • Standards of ethics and professional responsibility for language access providers.

 

  • Make virtual/online tests more accessible for remote areas.

  • Demand fluctuates and more money is needed to cope with rapid increases in demand - travel costs are key. Consider premium rates for travel; consider ferry, bus rates, etc.

  • In-house strategies for verifying interpreter competency.

  • Increase access, transparency, communication with medical clinics; prevent travel for cancellations, etc.

  • Consider the unique needs and approaches of ASL (American Sign Language) as compared to spoken language.

  • Use of technology for appropriate reminders when possible. Is it possible for interpreters and clients to communicate ethically before a scheduled appointment?

  • Clinics should take responsibility for improved confirmation of appointments to help prevent unnecessary travel and time for canceled appointments.

  • Interpreters should not be given a client’s private number for many reasons.

Upon not hearing her ideas expressed during the breakout room recap, Ruiqin Miao, PhD, of DSHS’ Office of Equity, Diversity, Access & Inclusion shared strategies for increasing language access in rural communities and for languages of lesser demand:

  1. An important approach is to make testing available in rural communities and communities of rare languages through online/remote testing. In-person testing centers tend to be in densely populated areas, but remote testing can be easily accessible by candidates anywhere without the need for a long-distance drive.

  2. Regarding another participant's view that interpreters should be paid for their mileage and through other means to increase compensation for their services: Compensation for mileage has been incorporated into the hourly pay in the current CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement). It takes in-depth research to have a more comprehensive picture of what would be reasonable pay rates for interpreter services. It is hard to say whether Washington State agencies are paying lower or higher than they should.