Guidance for requesting other forms of interpretation

The State of Maryland provides government agencies (including Baltimore City) options to subcontract with an on-site/in-person interpretation (oral translation) company to minimize language barriers. Please note that this service is not covered by MIMA. Instead, agencies must contact the on-site interpretation company to set up a User ID account and find out further information about user training. 

For more information on how to access on-site interpretation services, please visit the State of Maryland website.

If you are doing virtual interpretation

The on-site interpretation company also offers interpretation for virtual gatherings, like video conference calls. When requesting interpretation, you will be asked to provide the following information:

  • What’s the topic of the event?
  • What’s the date of the event?
  • What’s the time of the event?
  • How long will it last? It is important to know the length of the events to determine how many interpreters should be scheduled.
  • In what language(s) is interpretation requested?
  • What is the platform? Zoom is preferable, as it has some built in features for channels in multiple languages. Details about alternatives platforms should be discussed with the vendor.
  • Who is in charge of tech setup?  The agency should have a contact person who will work with the interpretation company to set up the tech.
  • When is the technical run-through?  The technical run is typically scheduled to happen the day before the event to ensure that everything is working properly. The agency contact person meets with the vendor to test the technology and confirm that everything is functioning properly.
  • When do you need a quote?  The quote will be sent to the agency for approval at least a week before the day of the event.
  • Who is paying for the virtual interpretation?  Agencies are responsible for their own virtual interpretation costs. MIMA’s Language Access Coordinator will provide guidance about this process when necessary.

If you are doing in-person interpretation

Be sure to provide the following information:

  • What’s the topic of the event?
  • What is the date of the event? What is the start time of the event?
  • How long will it last? It is important to know the length of the events to determine how many interpreters should be made available.
  • In what language(s) is interpretation requested?
  • Where is the location of the event? Please provide an address.
  • Who is paying for interpretation? Agencies are responsible for their own on-site/in-person interpretation costs. The MIMA’s Language Access Coordinator will provide guidance about this process when necessary.

 

Case Study: Reaching LEP Audiences in Virtual Feedback Sessions

Picture of various people in a Zoom meeting 

The purpose of holding the AAPI Community Feedback Session, and all of the other feedback sessions, was to ensure that all of Baltimore contributed to the production of what would become the City’s Violence Prevention Plan, including those with language barriers.

The Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) solicited feedback from the community on the draft Violence Prevention Plan (VPP) in two ways: through an online survey and a series of virtual listening sessions.

During the listening sessions, the team presented on the three pillars of the VPP and then used additional time for feedback from community members on the call.

Each call was directed towards a certain micro community, such as returning citizens and the Latinx community. As MONSE began brainstorming groups that needed to be specifically heard from, they recognized the need to engage the AAPI community, especially since a drastic increase in hate crimes against this micro community was part of a national conversation.

Process in structuring the event with language assistance services

MONSE first locked down a date and scheduled the session with our team. They then met with Councilwoman Odette Ramos and her team to discuss community engagement and language access for both the Latinx and AAPI communities in Baltimore. Following that meeting, MONSE connected and coordinated with MIMA to gain access to translators and discuss best practice for event promotion. They utilized our social media channels and reached out to various AAPI groups to ask for partnership in promoting the event.

Takeaways from the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood and Safety Engagement:

MONSE‘s participation in this session was high, though all who joined spoke English (with most if not all of them being local AAPI activists). If MONSE were to hold a session like this again, they would consider the following:

  • Coordinate with MIMA further in advance to elongate our reach to the micro community and have more time to promote the event.
  • Connect with more Community Based Organizations that directly service AAPI groups.
  • Have presentation materials translated. Even though our event did have both Mandarin and Korean interpreters present, we used Eventbrite for session registration (not language accessible) and our PowerPoints were not translated.
  • When reaching the AAPI audiences in the City, our suggestion is to utilize the Baltimore chapter of Stop Asian Hate and to work with the council members as they have large social media reach.