States Communicate with Translation Services

12/16/2004

Government agencies, such as the Oregon Office of Public Health Preparedness, Mississippi Department of Health, and California Department of Social Services, are focusing on ways to improve communication within the limited-English proficiency (LEP) segment of the population. Through online translation services, agencies are more effective at communicating important information such as, emergency public warnings and notices and other program information to the LEP community.

According to the U.S. 2000 Census, 18 percent of the United States population speaks another language at home. Of that, 8.1 percent have limited English proficiency; making it challenging for government agencies to effectively communicate with all members of the United States population. As the number of LEPs grow, the need to communicate in a variety of languages increases for government agencies. For example, in the state of Oregon 12.1 percent of the population speak another language. The state needs to reach the Hispanic, Russian and Vietnamese populations in particular.

By using viaLanguages online translations services, Oregon state agencies can communicate important and urgent information accurately and clearly and can do so in a culturally sensitive way.

The United States is really a country comprised of immigrants, said Robert Cortez, Limited English Proficiency Coordinator, State of Oregon, With 33.7 million of the population being foreign born, its important that all levels of the government have the ability to communicate effectively with limited English speaking people. Leveraging a translation service like viaLanguage addresses this very important need.

For more information: http://www.vialanguage.com