Tools & Resources

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1. Resources from the Asian & Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence
2. Courts
3. Glossaries and Dictionaries
4. Language Access Plans
5. Language Identification Tools
6. Interpretation and Advocacy for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals
7. Manuals, Models, Training Curricula
8. Technologies for Interpretation
9. Translation

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1. Resources from the Asian & Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence

A. Resource Guide

Resource Guide for Advocates & Attorneys on Interpretation Services for Domestic Violence Victims illustrates how individual and systems advocacy can be integrated to improve language access for limited English proficient victims; by providing practical information in chapters on:

1. Providing Meaningful Access
2. Interpretation: Definitions, modes, legal interpretation (proceedings, witness, party)
3. Language Access Rights & Laws: Title VI, E.O. 13166, ADA, language access plans
4. Interpreters: Qualified, certified, registered, provisionally qualified; KSA, ethics, responsibilities (conflicts of interest, confidentiality, limits of practice)
5. Understanding How Bilingual Speakers and Interpreters Differ
6. Interpretation Services: Determining needs, points of contact, finding interpreters, who pays for services?
7. Sign Language Interpretation for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf-Blind Victims: Deaf culture, social contexts, serving deaf immigrants/refugees with limited ASL proficiency

• Resource Guide for Advocates & Attorneys on Interpretation Services for Domestic Violence Victims

B. Interpretation Technical Assistance & Resource Center (ITARC)

ITARC offers advocates, interpreters, and social and legal services providers:

• Technical Assistance
• Training
• Materials

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2. Courts

Brennan Center for Justice

Language Access in State Courts - A study of 35 states with the highest proportion of limited English proficient people (as a percentage of population), to determine their compliance with guidelines regarding the competency of interpreters; and the provision of interpreters in all civil cases free of charge.

National Center for State Courts

• Court Interpretation: Model Guides for Policy and Practice in the State Courts
• Telephone Interpretation (In Model Guide)
• Serving Limited English Proficient Battered Women

New York State Unified Court System.

Court Interpreting in New York: A Plan of Action - Analyzes existing court interpreting services and describes action plan of new resources and initiatives to improve language access to the courts.

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3. Glossaries and Dictionaries

ACEBO

Recommended Reference Works - A list of reference works for interpreters, including dictionaries recommended for use by court interpreters.

Migration Policy Institute (MPI)

Language Portal - A Translation and Interpretation Digital Library.

National Center for State Courts (NCSC)

Glossaries for 2010-2011 Test Development - Glossaries and dictionaries used in the development of the court interpreter certification examination for Armenian (Eastern), Khmer, Korean, Mandarin, Punjabi, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese.

Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento

Legal Glossaries - A thorough list of legal terms with clear explanations translated into: Arabic, Armenian, Hindi, Hmong, Mien, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese.

Washington Courts, Administrative Office of the Courts

Glossaries of Legal Terms - In Arabic, Western Armenian, Hindi, Hmong, Mien, Punjabi, Romanian, Spanish, Russian, Urdu, and Vietnamese.

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4. Language Access Plans

American Bar Association, Commission on Domestic Violence

Integration of Interpreters - Integrating interpretation in civil representation of domestic and sexual violence victims.

DOJ, Office of Civil Rights, Executive Order 13166 Limited English Proficiency Resource Document.

Tips and Tools from the Field for law enforcement, domestic violence specialists and service providers, 911 call centers, courts, federally conducted programs and activities.

Legal Services Corporation

Guidance to LSC programs on training, procedures and policies.

Migration Policy Institute (MPI) National Center on Immigrant Integration

Language Portal - A Translation and Interpretation Digital Library. A digital library of ~600 resources on language access in health, education, legal/criminal justice, public safety, and social services. The Portal includes legal guidelines, service models, master contracts for service providers, hourly translation and interpretation rates for different languages in key areas of the U.S., pay differentials for multilingual staff, and sample translated documents.

Summit County Sherriff’s Office & City of Lorain Police Dept

Resource Document for Law Enforcement - A resource document for law enforcement on interpretation and translation services.

Venkatraman, Bharathi A

Lost In Translation: Limited English Proficient Populations and the Police - Discusses the benefits of language access planning for law enforcement and provides guidance to law enforcement on developing a language access plan.

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5. Language Identification Tools

California Department of Social Services

I Speak Cards - Pocket-sized cards (in English and foreign language) for LEP individuals to obtain interpretation services by identifying the language spoken by them. In Spanish, Laotian, Russian, Cambodian, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Vietnamese, Hmong, Arabic, Armenian, and Tagalog.

Census Bureau

Language Identification Flashcards to identify Arabic, Armenian, Bengali, Cambodian, Chamorro, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Croatian, Czech, Dutch, English, Farsi, French, German, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Hmong, Hungarian, Ilocano, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, Tongan, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, and Yiddish.

Minnesota Department of Human Services

I Need an Interpreter Card with statements in English and foreign language; available in Arabic, Hmong, Khmer (Cambodian), Laotian, Oromo, Russian, Serbo-Croatian (Bosnian), Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Saheli (domestic violence program in Austin TX)

I Speak Card - The card [a] Identifies the foreign language spoken individual; [b] Asserts the right to language access, stating, “I am Limited English Proficient and speak only___. According to Title VI, Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 13166, ‘Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency’ I am entitled to meaningful access to your services. Please provide me appropriate language assistance. Thank you.” [c] Provides the name and contact information of a bilingual advocate.

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6. Interpretation and Advocacy for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals

Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services

www.adwas.org - Provides training, technical assistance and publications on safety protocols and interpretation in ASL.

Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services for the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Model Protocol on Safety Planning for Domestic Violence Victims with Disabilities

Accessing Safety Initiative

www.accessingsafety.org - Resources to meet the needs of women with disabilities and Deaf women who are victims or survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

API Institute

TIP SHEET | Serving Individuals with Limited ASL Proficiency who are Deaf

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence

vawnet.org - Resources on violence in the lives of the Deaf or Hard of Hearing, including directory of organizations (listed by state) providing services to Deaf victims/survivors.

Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (RID)

www.rid.org - A national membership organization that works towards establishing a national standard for quality interpretation and transliteration. RID’s American Sign Language Interpreter certifications are recognized throughout the United States.

Practice of Interpreting - Provides a brief overview of sign language interpretation.

Supreme Court of Ohio

Working with Interpreters for Deaf or Hard of Hearing Persons in the Courtroom

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7. Manuals, Models, Training Curricula

Masaki, Beckie; Kim, Mimi; and Chung, Cristy

The Multilingual Access Model: A Model for Outreach and Services in Non-English Speaking Communities. National Resource Center on Domestic Violence.

National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT)

NAJIT Position Paper: Language Assistance for Law Enforcement - Practical guidelines to facilitate and monitor language services, in particular, interpreting in any law enforcement setting.

National Center for State Courts

Court Interpretation: Model Guides for Policy and Practice in the State Courts.

National Center for State Courts

Serving Limited English Proficient Battered Women: A National Survey of the Court’s Capacity to Provide Protection Orders - A survey of a select group of courts and community-based organizations, and the assessment of selected sites that can serve as national models.

Police Professionalism Initiative

Police Outreach to the Hispanic/Latino Community: A Survey of Programs and Activities. University of Nebraska and National Latino Peace Officers Association. A brief overview of outreach programs from police departments to the Latino community on different approaches to the organization and delivery of outreach.

Uyehara, Paul

Making Legal Services Accessible to Limited English Proficient Clients. Management Information Exchange Journal, 17(1), 33-37.

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8. Technologies for Interpretation

National Center for State Courts

Telephone Interpretation (In Model Guides)

Rahman, Insha; Hirsch, Joe; and Shah, Susan

Overcoming Language Barriers in the Criminal Justice System: Can Language Assistance Technology Help? Vera Institute of Justice.

Wisconsin Court Interpreter Program

Best Practices: Remote Interpreting in Court: Telephone, Videoconferencing and VRI (Video Remote Interpreting).

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9. Translation

American Translators Association (ATA)

Code of Professional Conduct and Business Practices - A professional association of translators and interpreters, offering certification exams for translators in 24 language combinations.

Migration Policy Institute (MPI)

Language Portal: A Translation and Interpretation Digital Library - Master contracts for service providers, hourly translation rates for different languages in key areas of the U.S., and sample translated documents.

National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT)

General Guidelines and Minimum Requirements for Transcript Translation in Any Legal Setting - This position paper sets out the requirements that NAJIT requires to ensure the production of accurately translated court transcripts of forensic recordings.

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