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The Vital Role of Language Services in Palliative Care: An Essential Guide for Healthcare Professionals

Posted on by Ximena Garcia
14 min read

In palliative care, where every word matters, effective and empathetic communication forms the cornerstone of high-quality holistic services. For patients and families with limited English proficiency (LEP), language barriers can severely impede understanding, erode trust, and diminish dignity. 

In an article from Hospice News, an NHPCO spokesperson said, “Trust serves as the center point for whether patients and the community utilize hospice care or not. Trust shows up in different forms, like language and consistency in what the hospice organization states that their resources are. The other key factor is that providers are not having the important discussions early on, [likely] because of the lack of managing language barriers and staff who can relate to the patient and family and help build trust.” 

Partnering with an experienced language service provider, like Language Services Associates (LSA), makes it easier for your team to connect patients and families with the language access they deserve at every touchpoint. Whether it’s quick access to phone, video, or onsite interpreters—or built-in connections through the Epic Toolbox—LSA helps your team reach the right support quickly, when families need it most. 

Implementing professional interpretation and translation services is not just an advantage; it’s an indispensable component of delivering fair, ethical, and patient-focused palliative care.  

In this guide, we’ll explore why communication is at the heart of palliative care, the real impact of language barriers on patients and families, and how practical solutions like LSA’s can help your team provide more equitable, compassionate care. 

Communication Is Care

Language barriers significantly hinder access to vital palliative care, result in lower hospice utilization, and limit essential conversations about care goals.

In many cases, this starts before LEP patients have even had a chance to consider their care options.

Palliative care encompasses intricate conversations about symptom management, care objectives, advance directives, and end-of-life decisions. These discussions are profoundly personal and emotionally charged. Without the assistance of professional interpreters and translators, patients risk missing vital information or feeling excluded from their own healthcare experience.

And the risk doesn’t stop there. Patients with LEP are twice as likely to experience medical errors due to communication issues.

When patients get assistance in their own language, they can:

  • Clearly understand their diagnosis and treatment options
  • Communicate their values, cultural beliefs, and personal goals
  • Actively participate in shared decision-making

This not only leads to improved clinical outcomes but also better emotional well-being for both patients and their families.

LSA’s integration with Epic ​and ​Toolbox designation provides instant access to medical interpreters directly through your EHR.

Cultivating Trust Through Cultural Competence

In a study about clinicians’ awareness of language access and barriers, 95.6% of clinicians surveyed agreed that language barriers and cultural differences impact patient care.

Overcoming these barriers requires more than language proficiency. Interpretation goes beyond words; it involves understanding emotions, culture, and context. Even if you have bilingual staff available, they may struggle with these nuances.

Skilled medical interpreters, particularly those with a background in palliative care, recognize the critical role of tone, empathy, and cultural awareness.

Their involvement:

  • Averts miscommunication that could lead to mistrust or anxiety
  • Bridges cultural divides that can impact decision-making and perceptions of illness
  • Fosters a strong therapeutic partnership between the care team and the patient/family

This vital human connection, created through accurate and compassionate communication, lies at the heart of palliative care.

LSA’s expert medical interpreters are carefully vetted, ensuring they have the experience and background to provide critical language services in situations that require sensitivity, cultural competence, and a clear understanding of medical terminology and nuances.

Maintaining Ethical and Legal Standards

Utilizing professional language services is not only a best practice, but also a legal requirement. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, along with various state health regulations, mandates that individuals with LEP have meaningful access to services.

Neglecting to provide interpretation can lead to:

  • Insufficient informed consent
  • Violations of confidentiality
  • Higher chances of medical errors and liability issues

It is crucial to avoid using family members, particularly children, as interpreters. This practice can be emotionally inappropriate, often inaccurate, and carries significant legal risks.

Additionally, using untrained bilingual staff presents the same issues. If you have bilingual staff you would like to use as ad-hoc interpreters, LSA offers Language Assessments and Testing. These assessments test language proficiency and determine if your employee meets the requirements set forth by The Joint Commission and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.

Assisting Families in Navigating Difficult Decisions

Palliative care isn’t just for the patient, it’s​ ​also for their family. Access to language services enables families to:

  • Receive clear updates and guidance
  • Engage in care planning and decision-making
  • Feel empowered and respected during an extremely challenging time

Providing translated materials—like POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) forms, pain management instructions, or grief resources—offers clarity and solace that extends beyond the bedside.

When families need support, they often need it in the moment. Our interpreting services, like Over the Phone Interpretation, allow for fast access to interpreters to reach a family at home. LSA has expanded its OPI service with features and add-ons like Reverse Call Flow and Scheduled OPI, by connecting directly to an interpreter via a toll-free number before calling your facility.

How a Partnership with LSA Improves Palliative Care for Doctors, Clinicians, and LEP Patients

Palliative care isn’t just clinical work—it’s deeply human work, guiding patients and families through moments that will stay with them forever. By incorporating interpretation and translation services into your processes, you help eliminate disparities and reinforce the message that every patient is valued, regardless of language or background.

We know that busy teams often worry about adding “one more thing” to their workflow. That’s why LSA focuses on making language support easy to access, whether through quick phone or video connections, built-in access in the Epic Toolbox, or tools designed to fit the way your team already works.

LSA has served hospital and healthcare facilities’ interpretation and translation needs for over three decades, delivering medical language services around the clock through all modalities. Palliative care requires more than just an interpreter, it requires experienced experts capable of providing comprehensive care, 24/7/365. LSA’s medical interpreters are carefully vetted and provide the highest level of support to staff and LEP patients.

Behind the scenes, our technical team works to keep services fast, secure, and user-friendly. We develop our own applications and software explicitly tailored to our clients and over the phone and video remote interpretation services.

With an ever-expanding suite of language services, LSA outfits your team with the language tools you need to deliver optimal palliative care for your LEP patients. Our open API allows for integration with all major telehealth platforms, and LSA’s designation in the Epic Toolbox affirms that LSA uses the required technologies that meet Epic’s recommended integration pattern for next-level service through your EHR.

We also offer unique tools like AI Video Dubbing to create natural-looking patient education or instructional videos in over 75 languages, so patients and families can better understand their care.

Prioritizing language access is not merely an additional task — it’s essential to protecting patient well-being and making sure every family feels seen, heard, and cared for when it matters most.

LSA’s full suite of language services.

Over the phone interpretation icon

Over the Phone
Interpretation

Video Remote Interpretation

Video Remote
Interpretation

Onsite interpretation

Onsite
Interpretation

American Sign Language_2

American Sign
Language

Translation & Localization

Translation &
Localization

Telehealth Solutions

Telehealth
Solutions

Language Assessments and Testing

Language Assessments
& Testing

LSA AI Video Dubbing

AI Video
Dubbing

AI Machine Translation+

AI Machine
Translation+

AI Interpretation

AI
Interpretation

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Interpreter Scheduler

Ready to upgrade your palliative care service with advanced technology and language solutions?

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How to Maximize Your Global Events with Language Services

Posted on by Ximena Garcia
13 min read

Event managers planning global events like conferences, trade shows, and summits know that they offer valuable opportunities for businesses to expand their reach. However, for those events to achieve growth results, they must plan for communications that effectively cross linguistic and cultural barriers. This is where professional interpretation and translation services become essential. 

Without these services, meaningful communication with potential clients, partners, and investors who do not speak the language will not happen, limiting your ability to grow. Organizations without language services will struggle to fully connect with audiences and engage participants in panel discussions and networking events, missing out on valuable industry insights and losing out to competitors that come prepared to communicate with a multilingual audience. 

Partnering with a language service provider like Language Services Associates (LSA) will outfit your company with a strategy, the right tools, and a comprehensive plan to effectively engage multilingual audiences on the global stage.

Conference Interpretation

The Role of Language Services in International Events

Global events gather diverse audiences, including industry leaders, policymakers, and potential clients from various countries and backgrounds. To maximize these opportunities, businesses must prioritize clear and accurate communication. Language services are essential in this context for several reasons: 

  • Facilitating real-time communication – Live interpreters ensure that attendees understand speakers accurately.
  • Enhancing audience engagement – Providing multilingual content, such as translated materials, subtitles, and dubbed videos, allows audiences to engage with presentations and discussions in their preferred language.
  • Strengthening brand presence – Companies that offer multilingual support demonstrate cultural awareness and inclusivity, positioning themselves as global leaders.
  • Increasing market reach – By overcoming language barriers, businesses can attract a wider audience and effectively engage international stakeholders. 
  • Improving networking and relationship building – Clear communication helps build trust and strengthen partnerships with global clients and collaborators.
  • Boosting reputation – Organizations prioritizing language access demonstrate professionalism and a commitment to inclusivity, increasing their credibility in international markets. 

Types of Language Services for Global Events 

To effectively manage events, organizations should consider the following language solutions: 

  • Simultaneous interpretation – This service is ideal for large conferences and keynote speeches. It allows interpreters to translate spoken words in real time without interrupting the flow of presentations. LSA will provide professional interpreters experienced in your field and ensure you are using the most appropriate equipment and technology. 
  • Consecutive interpretation – Best suited for smaller meetings, panel discussions, and one-on-one sessions, consecutive interpretation requires the speaker to pause so that the interpreter can convey the message accurately. LSA’s onsite conference interpreters are accustomed to event interpreting and can assure every word is understood. 
  • Translation of event materials – Translating event materials such as brochures, programs, videos, slide decks, and press releases guarantees that attendees can access important information in their native language. LSA provides standard translation services, including our AI Machine Translation+ option for more affordable translations with faster turnaround times for non-sensitive materials.  
  • AI Video Dubbing – LSA offers voiceovers in over 150 languages, using AI to clone your voice and synch your lip movements. This results in natural looking videos where it truly appears as if you are speaking the target language, maximizing engagement. 
  • AI Interpretation – Instant language support by integrating AI interpretation, offering real-time language conversion capabilities, allowing seamless communication between speakers of different languages. 
Technology and language solutions for your next conference or global event

How to Prepare for a Multilingual Event 

To enhance the effectiveness of language services at a global event, companies should prepare. 

  • Plan ahead – To create a memorable and inclusive multilingual event, it’s essential to understand the language needs and preferences of your target audience. Here are some important steps to follow when planning your event: 
    • Identify the languages spoken by attendees and arrange for professional interpreters and translators well in advance. Partnering with an experienced language service provider like LSA is your best option to guarantee comprehensive coverage at an affordable rate.
    • Plan your multilingual registration process. 
    • Consider adding American Sign Language (ASL) services to make your event accessible to everyone. 
  • Registration, information, and marketing materials – Once the necessary language services have been determined, consider streamlining the registration and ticketing process for attendees. Here are some effective strategies to enhance this experience:  
    • Send email invitations and event registration updates in the target languages to increase attendance and response rates.  
    • Offer multilingual customer support and follow-up communication through phone, email, or chat in the attendees’ preferred languages.
    • Promote event sessions by providing translated marketing materials and programs in targeted languages.
  • Leverage technology – Using AI-powered translation tools and remote interpreting platforms to complement traditional language services can be a game changer – cutting costs, improving services, creating better workflows, etc. LSA offers a comprehensive suite of language solutions, including AI options, to enhance the multilingual experience. We will help you plan, choose the right technology, and assist you with our advanced technological solutions for smooth interactions. 
  • Train speakers and staff – Be sure event presenters and team members are trained to work effectively with interpreters to ensure smooth communication. LSA can provide your team with training materials, reference guides, and training before the start of services during implementation. 
LSA can help you ensure the ideal services and languages are in place to maximize your reach. 
Multilingual support for your global event

Keep the Conversation Going   

After your event, take advantage of the opportunity to reach a wider audience by translating and dubbing your recordings and materials into multiple languages. Here are a few ideas to help you get started:  

  • Translate or dub audio and video recordings into multiple languages for continued accessibility.
  • Expand your event’s reach by sharing key moments in multiple languages across your website and social media.

Partnering with LSA for Optimized Conference Support

As enterprises hold more international events to drive their growth, impact, and reach, companies prioritizing effective language services will gain a competitive advantage. Whether through real-time interpretation, document translation, or multilingual engagement strategies, businesses can make a lasting impression on the global stage. By investing in professional language solutions, organizations can confidently navigate these opportunities, ensuring that language barriers never stand in the way of success. 

LSA will manage your specific requirements and guide you through the process, including any equipment rentals, practice demos, and interpreter coordination. We provide professional interpretation and translation services for all types of events, including medical conventions, trade shows, employee gatherings, shareholder meetings, seminars, and global business retreats.  

LSA has been a leading language provider for over three decades. We offer a comprehensive suite of language services solutions, including Over the Phone Interpretation, Video Remote Interpretation, Onsite interpretation, AI Machine Translation+, AI Video Dubbing, Translation & Localization (written word), Language Assessments & Testing, the LSA Scheduler, and additional features and add-ons to ensure your program is fully customized to fit your needs. With thousands of clients worldwide, more than 7,000 carefully vetted interpreters, and expertise in hundreds of languages, LSA stands out as the language provider of choice for conference support. 

Ready to reach a wider audience by speaking their language? Contact us now to explore customized language solutions for your next international event. 

LET'S GET STARTED

Improve Service and Cut Costs with LSA’s Over the Phone Interpretation Features and Add-Ons

Posted on by Ximena Garcia
14 min read

Cut costs without cutting services at hospitals and medical facilities.

 

Delivering care promptly and accurately can be a challenge for medical facilities when servicing a large population of patients who do not speak English. Hospitals can spend considerably more time and money on each limited English proficient (LEP) patient without the correct language services and tools than on English speakers. By partnering with an experienced language service provider, like Language Services Associates (LSA), doctors and medical staff can improve care while reducing time and money spent. 

Just about everyone is familiar with LSA’s incomparable Over the Phone Interpretation (OPI) services. But did you know we offer several additional features and stand-alone phone solutions to accommodate various needs?  

LSA’s OPI service is a lifeline for many, ensuring 24/7/365 access to high-quality interpreters on demand in hundreds of languages. With just a push of a button (or a quick phone call to your dedicated toll-free number (TFN)), medical professionals will be connected with a carefully vetted multilingual expert in your field. 

There’s more…

Our latest additions and features take our services a step further, enhancing accessibility for non-English speakers and improving workflows for our clients. Let’s take a look at two features that can be useful for your organization:

Save on Time and Costs with LSA’s Reverse Call Flow

Determining a patient’s language, waiting on hold, and ensuring interpreter introductions are performed before the start of a call can impact your workflow when a non-English speaking patient calls your facility and cannot express to you which language they speak. While LSA’s coordinators are highly trained to assess a patient’s language using proven techniques, allowing your patient to connect with an interpreter before calling your facility can save time and money. 

In the traditional call flow, a medical professional will call our call center to request an interpreter, who will then join the call. In our Reverse Call Flow, your non-English-speaking customers or patients can call LSA directly via a dedicated TFN and be joined with an interpreter before connecting with your user. The benefits of this service include:  

  • Removes call handling time entirely

    The reverse call flow allows limited English-proficient (LEP) patients and customers to connect directly to an interpreter before contacting your facility. This reduces the time and steps required to begin an interpretation session, significantly cutting call handling time and leading to more efficient and seamless interactions.

  • Saves time to improve workflows

    When an LEP patient or customer can connect with an interpreter before contacting your facility, it saves time for your employees and improves workflows.

  • Enhances customer/patient experience

    Cutting down call handling times eliminates wait times for your staff and LEP customers or patients. The less time your staff spends helping one individual caller, the more time they can spend serving other patients or customers. This improves overall patient and customer satisfaction for English-speaking and LEP individuals. Additionally, by allowing callers to connect in their language, they receive services in a language they can understand from the second their call is answered.

Improve Patient Experience

Two Ways to Utilize the Reverse Call Flow Service 

1. We can create a voice prompt to be included in your IVR. The call will come directly to your main line, and the LEP caller will hear an option to press a number for their specific language — “press 2 for Spanish,” for example. The call will then be sent to the TFN LSA provided for that language, and an interpreter will answer that call in the selected language. The interpreter will greet your patient or customer and call your facility. This would be an option any time a patient calls, and the prompt will be delivered in the appropriate language so it’s clear to LEP patients. 

2. LSA provides your organization with a TFN that an LEP caller can use to connect with an interpreter in their specific language (each language will have its own TFN to eliminate any wait times or confusion). You would share this number with your customer or patient, and they would use it to connect directly to an interpreter in their language before being connected to your facility.

Fast and High-Quality Phone Interpretation

Provide More Efficient Care with Scheduled Over the Phone Interpretation

While on-demand OPI can be a lifesaver, especially in an emergency, LSA also offers the option to schedule calls. For rarer languages or specific appointment times, scheduling a call with an interpreter can eliminate wait times and uncertainty about obtaining an interpreter for a language of lesser diffusion and provide a better patient or customer experience.  It has these benefits:  

  • Eliminates Wait Times

    Wait times are significantly reduced by scheduling an interpreter in advance. Your user will call LSA and give your request number to a coordinator, or open the LSA Interpretation App, type in the request number, and be connected to the interpreter. This is especially helpful for languages of lesser diffusion where fewer interpreters are available.

  • Guarantees Availability

    Scheduling OPI ensures an interpreter is available at the time of your call. Scrambling to secure a qualified interpreter can waste time and resources when you have time blocked out for an appointment.

  • Provides a Better Customer/Patient/Employee Experience

    Cutting down wait times provides a better experience for your staff and LEP customers or patients. The less time your staff spends searching for an interpreter, the more time they have to work on other tasks or help more patients or customers. This improves overall patient, customer, and employee satisfaction.

Two Ways to Schedule an OPI Interpreter:

1. Call your dedicated TFN and schedule an appointment with an LSA coordinator. The coordinator will collect the required information and place the request on your behalf. Once the request is filled, you will receive a confirmation email. 

2. You can securely request an interpreter through the LSA Client Portal. Enter the required information, and a request will be placed. Once your request is filled, you will receive a confirmation email. 

At LSA, we’re constantly developing new, innovative services to provide a better care experience. Our advanced technology, highly experienced staff, and carefully vetted medical interpreters ensure you and your patients can communicate effectively when, where, and how you need to. Our services cut costs, improve patient experiences, enhance workflows, and reduce resource-draining readmissions.

How LSA Can Help You Do More

LSA is at the forefront of technology, constantly working to deliver services and features that simplify workflow processes and advance doctor-patient relationships. By creating our own software explicitly designed for OPI and Video Remote Interpretation, we constantly improve features customized to our clients’ experiences.

With our Reverse Call Flow and Scheduled OPI features, medical staff can better engage their LEP patients, deliver accurate care faster, and save costs by reducing call handling and connection times. This also allows staff more time to spend with other patients and complete other tasks, ultimately improving services for all.

  • Faster Care
  • Accurate Communication
  • Lower Costs
  • Reduced Readmissions
  • Improved Patient Journey

About Language Services Associates

Language Services Associates (LSA) provides Over the Phone Interpretation (OPI) services that significantly enhance communication between clients and their LEP patients and customers.  

  • Available on demand, 24/7/365, via a toll-free number or the LSA Interpretation App, LSA’s OPI services ensure rapid connection to qualified interpreters within seconds.  
  • LSA offers various call flow options, such as traditional and reverse call flow, providing flexibility in how clients connect with interpreters.  
  • LSA supports third-party connections and assists in language identification when the LEP individual’s preferred language is unclear. Calls can be connected on demand or by scheduling with an LSA coordination or in the LSA Client Portal. This comprehensive approach ensures precise, accurate, and effective communication, boosting customer satisfaction and trust. 

 

LSA offers a full suite of language services that also include: 

Are you ready to save time and money while providing better care?

 Contact us today to improve workflows and enhance patient and customer experiences. 

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6 Steps to Assessing and Optimizing Your Language Access Program: Spring Clean Your Language Support Strategy

Posted on by Ximena Garcia
9 min read

Spring Clean Your Language Support Strategy

When was the last time you fully evaluated your current language access program?  With spring in the air, there’s no better time than now to review your organization’s strategy and determine if it’s performing optimally. A fresh start or some updates to your plan and approach may be on the horizon. Assessing your current language program can uncover performance gaps, highlight missing languages, and identify areas that need improvement to enhance accessibility and provide a better experience for limited English proficient (LEP) and Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals seeking your services. Here’s how to assess and optimize your language program this season.

Follow along or download the guide as a PDF to start working on your language access plan.

DOWNLOAD GUIDE

STEP 1.

Revisit the Population You are Serving and the Services You Are Providing

Before you can make improvements, you need to understand where your current language program stands. Ask yourself: 

Are you covering all the languages your customers or patients speak?

Examine the demographics in your community and determine the most common languages spoken. Is your organization doing everything possible to offer your services in those languages?

Are important customer/patient-facing documents and services accessible in multiple languages?

While interpretation is critical in delivering your services to multilingual communities, ensuring that essential documents are translated, both at your facility and online, is a great way to reach more people. Providing translated documents in at least the top ten languages spoken in your community can help you increase your reach and deliver equitable access to non-English speakers who want to use your services.

Are you covering all the touchpoints where language access would be helpful?

Ensure all touchpoints are accounted for. Including, front desk services, signage, website content, intake forms, administrative documents, contracts, marketing materials, appointment scheduling, etc.

Use the checklist below to make sure you have every touchpoint covered!

Download our checklist to start optimizing your language access plan or contact us today if you need expert guidance from the team.

2025 TOUCHPOINT CHECKLIST
CONTACT US

STEP 2.

Evaluate the Strengths and Weaknesses of Your Current Language Program

Insufficient language services, inexperienced interpreters, and a lack of sufficient support in the languages your communities speak can hinder your business from effectively serving your multilingual customers and patients.

Take a look at your current language program and consider:

How are you providing interpretation and translation at your organization?

Are you using professional interpreters and translators? Are you relying on untrained bilingual staff? Or are you partnered with an experienced language services provider that offers all the languages you need?

Is your interpretation service available in multiple modalities?

Modalities include Over the Phone Interpretation (OPI), Video Remote Interpretation (VRI), and Onsite Interpretation (OPI).

Did you know?

Experienced language providers, like LSA, can guide you in choosing
the appropriate interpretation method for your needs.
Choosing the most appropriate and effective method(s) of delivery guarantee a better ROI, improved customer experience, and stronger outcomes. Contact us today to discuss how we can help improve your language access plan.
LET'S GET STARTED

How long does it take for translated materials to be delivered?

When you need a document or content on your website converted into another language, does the service you use come with long wait times? While some types of documentation can require additional time to complete, some providers, like LSA, offer tools like our AI Machine Translation+ for non-critical documents delivered faster and at a more affordable rate.

STEP 3.

Refresh Your Training and Policies

Even the best language access plan and program won’t be effective if employees don’t know how to use it.

Ensure your staff knows all the details of your language access plan

Be sure your staff knows all the details of your language access plan such as how and when to request interpreters, where translated content is stored, and what languages you cover. Clear guidelines are often forgotten, leaving staff with no way to get an interpreter when they need one. This can cause your organization to lose business and can be dangerous in medical situations when an LEP patient needs immediate care. LSA is proud to provide free training materials as part of its implementation, including Desktop Reference Cards, Best Practices, and more to guide your staff in procuring an interpreter when needed.

STEP 4.

Optimize and Streamline Your Processes

A manual or disorganized process can slow down response times and create inconsistencies. Simplify your workflow:

Implement centralized scheduling for interpretation.

If you already partner with a provider, do they have a dashboard that tracks and offers real-time updates about your requests? If you use independent interpreters or your own, do you have an interpreter management system to organize assignments and scheduling? LSA provides a centralized location through the LSA Client Portal® to track your requests. If you use your own interpreters, various language service providers, and/or LSA as overflow, we offer the LSA Scheduler to streamline the scheduling process with a one-stop Integrated Management Solution that allows you to source interpreters from all outlets in one application.

Optimize how you connect to on-demand audio and video interpreters when you need immediate assistance.

Partnering with a language provider who offers an intuitive app can save you time, money, and frustration. The LSA Interpretation App, allows users to access live interpreters on demand with a simple push of a button, providing instant access in hundreds of languages. It’s available for download on Android, iOS, and Windows, and accessible on any laptop, desktop, tablet, or smartphone.

Update translation request procedures for faster turnaround times.

Develop a system that allows you to create and track requests easily to assure speedier turnaround times and consistent service delivery.

Leverage technology and AI-powered translation solutions for non-sensitive materials.

LSA offers several AI solutions, including LSA AI Video Dubbing, and LSA AI Machine Translation+, provided with human oversight.

Learn about our AI solutions.

We harness the latest technology, while ensuring clear results.
Human oversight is always provided on all our services.

MORE INFORMATION

STEP 5.

Measure Impact & Set Goals

Spring cleaning isn’t just about eliminating clutter—it’s about creating a more efficient language program moving forward. For long-term success:

Track Your Language Requests

Are you tracking language requests? Implementing a system to monitor all interpretation and translation requests is essential. This can include tracking the date, time, languages, request fulfillment status, timeliness, and other relevant details like location and/or requester. Language Services Associates’ (LSA) Client Portal® facilitates this by providing secure access to data on every service transaction, allowing clients to monitor and analyze performance metrics in real-time.

Collect Feedback

Collecting feedback from employees and customers on language service effectiveness is a great way to gauge how your current language program is performing. Feedback is your chance to improve. The better your employees feel about how well these services operate and the more your LEP customers or patients feel heard, the more impactful they will be.

Track Performance Metrics

Tracking performance metrics like interpreter response times, translation accuracy, and patient or customer satisfaction is another great way to understand how well your language services are performing. If you don’t have a system to do this on your own, partnering with a language services provider who can track these metrics for you. This indicates that the provider has complete confidence in their services by offering transparency in these metrics and services.

Set Goals

Set goals for expanding language access and improving inclusivity by strategizing with your language provider. Are they offering the guidance you need? Do they offer the services and languages necessary for your growth? If not, it’s time to switch to LSA!

STEP 6.

Partner with Language Services Associates for a More Inclusive Future

Spring cleaning your language access strategy isn’t just a one-time task—it’s an ongoing commitment to serving multilingual populations and facilitating inclusivity and accessibility. By assessing, refining, and optimizing your language services, you can ensure your organization is meeting the needs of all individuals, regardless of the language they speak, providing better outcomes and improving your standing in your community.

LSA takes a proactive approach to understanding your company, customer demographics, language needs, and technology. Our services are designed for seamless integration into existing platforms and workflows, enabling your organization to focus on its core competencies while LSA handles your language needs. Our experienced professionals are committed to providing high-quality, accurate, and appropriate language services and are dedicated to solving challenges and delivering excellent customer service.

The partnership begins with a deep discovery with your stakeholders to understand the specific multilingual challenges you face. This might include evaluating the volume and types of content for translation (e.g. forms, policy documents, educational materials, etc.), determining the languages most spoken in your community, the delivery methods to provide optimum service, and workflow customizations or technology implementations to create a tailored solution for your needs.

Why Top Performing Companies Choose LSA

For over three decades, Language Services Associates has offered a full suite of interpretation and translation solutions to help optimize the experience of customers and patients with limited English proficiency and the companies that serve them. We offer:

Our OPI, VRI, and ASL services are available on demand 24/7/365 in hundreds of languages, and all of our services can be scheduled around the clock.

Did you answer “no” or are you unsure of any of these questions? Contact us for expert guidance and to learn about how our interpretation and translation solutions can help your organization’s reach. 

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Ready to give your language access program a refresh? Contact us today to deliver the interpretation and translation solutions your organization and community deserve.

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Part II: An Interview with LSA’s American Sign Language Interpreter Victoria Rodriguez-Mitchell — An Advocate for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Communities for 30+ Years

Posted on by Ximena Garcia
15 min read

Introducing Victoria Rodriguez-Mitchell: Part II

Here’s the conclusion of our interview with Language Services Associates (LSA) ASL interpreter Victoria Rodriguez-Mitchell, M.A., NIC. Recently, we learned about Victoria’s early personal experiences with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community and how it led to an unexpected career in interpretation and three decades spent eliminating language barriers, advocating for the community, and championing the rights of individuals with disabilities.

We discussed the layers of support that go into signing national anthems for large crowds, early technology to support the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, trilingual interpretation, and more.

Here’s the rest of our conversation where we further discuss Spanish Sign Language, video interpreting, the impact of social media sites like Tik-Tok in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, and more.

Image provided by The Philadelphia Union

LSA: My understanding is that Spanish Sign Language isn’t really a straightforward form of Sign Language. There seems to be many types or variations of it depending on where somebody’s from. So, you were doing the Mexican National Anthem, and when you’re signing, you’re doing it in ASL, but are you also signing for Spanish sign language in some way, and is that extremely complicated, or do you not even think about that portion of it.

When I was young, I went to live in Spain and I was like, I’m going to become the first international sign language interpreter. I’ll do BSL (British Sign Language), and sign language from Spain and Portugal. When I went to Spain I would travel around and meet deaf people everywhere I went. I found out that in Spain their sign language is very provincial because sign language was banned for a long time, so it kind of went underground. Depending on what province you lived in you developed the sign. I was like, Oh hahaha I might not be the person for this. I also went to the university of Durham to learn BSL and then was recruited to work in New Zealand. Sign language in Mexico compared to the Dominican Republic compared to Peru, wherever, is going to be vastly different. I do my best to give it in ASL because I’m in Philadelphia.

LSA: Tell me a little bit about interpreting with the Philadelphia Union. Do you have any favorite experiences or highlights you can tell us about?

VRM: My favorite experience is getting to hang out with Ashli Rice Allen, the designated singer for the National Anthem. Not only is she a beautiful singer, she’s a beautiful soul. I come in there and I’m completely nervous and she’s been doing this for eight years. She’s saying it’ll be fine, don’t worry we’ll do this together. She walks out and she’s waving to all her fans and I’m all nervous my first time. So again, on the shoulders of giants. She’s one of those giants that just brought me along and shared every moment. I’ve worked with a lot of artists and sometimes they get very territorial, but she’s like nope, we’re a team. Everywhere we go it’s like Ashli (clapping hands) and it’s warranted because she’s probably one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. That’s my favorite experience and everybody at the Union has been amazing.

LSA: How do you feel about the impact of video conferencing on American Sign Language? Has it affected your work, and does it make your work harder to do?

VRM: I think it’s kind of like a double-edged sword. In some areas it’s been amazing because you can do work in California or overseas. You get to learn more, like what’s that sign you’re using in the south, or in Oregon or wherever. Some of it has been wonderful and other times it’s been detrimental. I’ve had friends that have gone to the emergency room, and they set up the screen, and they’re in a vulnerable or intimate place. Let’s say they’re giving birth or something and they’re here trying to navigate with the screen. I think it has its pros and cons and I think we just have to listen to the consumer and what they need in that moment. If the consumer is saying hey, I need a live interpreter, then I think it’s best to provide a live interpreter versus saying well we have this, just use it. This is our idea of accessibility, and I think accessibility is very individualized and it needs to be driven by the consumer.

LSA: Absolutely, I feel like video’s a good option if for some reason someone’s about to give birth and there’s absolutely no ASL interpreters around.

VRM: Right and I think that’s the thing, like we don’t have anything else, at least we can communicate with you. But also, some will say hey we have this, take it, or leave it. 

Did you know?

LSA offers ASL Interpretation both on-site and virtually.
Schedule an interpreter when and where you need them, or use our VRI service to access an ASL interpreter on demand 24/7/365 through the LSA App. For more information, click the link below.
LEARN MORE

LSA: Right, like they want to save on cost.

VRM: Exactly, now we have to hire an emergency interpreter which might be more expensive. But in these moments, anybody else would have full accessibility to the nurse, or full accessibility to what’s going on around them – as interpreters we don’t just interpret what you’re saying to us, we interpret the whole situation, ‘oh I hear this person saying this and this person saying this,’ and you’re trying to give them all the information so they’re getting accessibility like anybody else. That’s always the goal, at least for me.

Image provided by Philadelphia Union.

LSA: What are your thoughts about Tik Tok and ASL? It has become popular for people to sign songs on the platform but there seems to be a lot of either fake or just plain wrong signing.

VRM: I think it’s a really interesting situation. You have the deaf community filled with brilliant individuals who are experts in their own language who are passed over because there might be an influencer or somebody that knows how to kind of maneuver the system on Tik Tok a little bit better. They’ll show up on that “For You” page, and you’re like oh, that’s awesome. But I think it’s the marginalization of the deaf community that concerns all of us. There are plenty of deaf people to learn this from, why are you learning it from a teenager that’s not doing it correctly?

There are a lot of deaf performers, like what we saw at the Superbowl, Justina (Miles), Matt Maxey, Warren (Snipe), so many wonderful deaf performers that you would want to spotlight, because they’re experts at what they do. It’s a lived experience for them. And I kind of agree that you really want to learn ASL from a deaf person and when you’re looking for ASL content, look for ASL users whether they’re deaf or longtime interpreters, as long as you’re looking at people that are experts in the language. I can say with the word “run,” if you’re running in a track meet this is the word run (signs), if you’re running a machine, this is the word for run (signs), if you’re running an organization, it might be this (signs), if the refrigerator is running it might be this (signs), so a new user isn’t going to know all those things about how to interpret it correctly.

As interpreters we need to continue to advocate for our deaf community and say hey, this is the reason we’re here, this is the reason that you get to see this, this is the reason all of us are fighting for this – this beautiful deaf community that we want to elevate, and just have some equity and access for.

Interested in becoming an ASL interpreter?

Check out our open positions at the link below.

APPLY TODAY

About LSA   

Language Services Associates, Inc. (LSA) offers a full suite of language interpretation solutions to help optimize the experience of limited English proficient patients and customers. Providing native language support improves the efficiency and productivity of staff, raises customer satisfaction levels, and builds loyalty. For thousands of clients worldwide, in hundreds of languages, LSA provides a competitive differentiator in the healthcare, government, financial, banking, insurance, entertainment, hospitality, and manufacturing industries. 

7 Steps to Equitable Insurance Access for Non-Native English Speakers

Posted on by Ximena Garcia
16 min read

Insurance is tricky enough in your own language. That’s why clear communication and personalized services are so important in the insurance industry—and why the law insists on crystal-clear fine print. Now, imagine your customers trying to navigate the complexities of insurance when English isn’t their first language. The law still expects the same level of clarity, but the communication challenge is much more significant.

Enter language services: the best solution for equitable access to insurance services.

What are Language Services?

Language services include translation and interpretation services that help all policyholders receive the same level of support, regardless of their native language. It means you can deliver critical information in a way that is linguistically and culturally appropriate to your customers.

These services cover everything from translating policy documents to providing over-the-phone interpretation during customer service calls to offering onsite interpreters for sensitive claims discussions. By providing language services, you build trust, meet regulatory requirements, and serve your diverse communities effectively.

In this blog post, we will take a quick look at the non-English-speaking market and then give you actionable steps to make sure their access to your services is complete.

A Quick Look at the Non-English-Speaking Insurance Market in the US

About 22% of the US population aged five and older—67.8 million people—speak a language other than English at home. The top languages they speak are Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Arabic, French, Korean and Russian.

For these people, navigating complex topics like insurance, financial services, or healthcare in a second language can be daunting. Misunderstandings lead to frustration, mistakes, missed opportunities, or serious health, legal, or financial consequences.

Providing these customers with communication in their preferred language ensures compliance with legal and regulatory standards, improves their ability to engage with services and offers, and builds trust and loyalty.

Here are the seven steps to ensure non-native English speakers can fully access your insurance services.

67.8 million people speak a language other than English at home. Contact us today to learn how our interpretation and translation services ensure equitable access to insurance services, help you build trust, and meet regulatory requirements.

1. Research your customer

Take the time to research what languages are spoken in the specific regions and communities you want to serve. But keep in mind, the needs of your market go well beyond only the languages they speak. Each community you target has its unique cultural landscape – how they buy and receive information, beliefs, values, and communication preferences. You need to understand these things as well as the languages they speak.

To gain insights, partner with local experts, study regional data, and engage with community leaders. You can also survey your buyers to understand what they need. The better you know your audience, the more effectively you can connect with them. And, when you tailor your communication strategies, your messages are both understood and well-received.

2. Map Touchpoints and Communication Channels

Understanding how and where potential policyholders interact with your services can uncover where you need to provide language support. Do most of your interactions happen through phone calls, video conferences, or emails? What role do your marketing materials play in outreach? And where are your leads coming from—online ads, your website, or signage?

3. Outline a Language Program that Meets Your Needs

If you already have a language program, start with an audit. Is it still relevant? Maybe your current plan was designed for when your business was smaller, there were fewer languages spoken among your customer base, or your expansion goals were more limited.

If your approach to language access has been unstructured or inconsistent, now is the time for a significant upgrade: time to create and implement a language access plan. Consider this plan your roadmap to delivering equitable communication and seamless services.

A well-designed language access plan should include the attributes listed below to make sure it will be effective and sustainable:

  • Goals: Define what you want to achieve, whether that’s higher customer satisfaction, increased reach, or compliance.
  • Target languages: What are the most commonly spoken languages in the communities you serve?
  • Touchpoints: Note here the interactions that require language assistance, such as customer service calls, in-person meetings, marketing materials, or claims processes.
  • How to request services: Establish clear, simple procedures for staff and customers to request language support.
  • Team training: Help your employees understand the importance of language access and how to use the available tools and services.
  • Measuring effectiveness: Define the key metrics for evaluating the success of your program.
  • Roles and responsibilities: Note who is responsible for each part of your language access program. You may or may not have one central language access coordinator and the duties might be spread across roles.
Language Services Associates helps make insurance accessible to all.

4. Train Your Staff

You can’t just create a plan and distribute it in email: Only with the proper training can your employees provide language access support quickly to help your customers understand information and make decisions.

Key training areas include:

  • The importance of language access and how it impacts customer service
  • Language access laws and the consequences of non-compliance
  • Team roles and responsibilities for managing language access
  • How to request services like interpreters or translation tools
  • Best practices for working with interpreters effectively
  • Cultural competency to address cultural differences in customer interactions

Quick guides for accessing interpreters or a list of top-requested languages at an agent’s fingertips can be lifesavers in busy moments.

5. Show Policyholders You Speak Their ​​Languages

Your next step is to let everyone know that your services are available in other languages. To start, create signage and ‘We Speak’ cards to let people know the available language options in every office.

Then, you will want to translate relevant marketing materials, from website pages and social media posts to emails and brochures. Consider translating your ad campaigns, videos, website homepage, and local ads.

Also, to build trust among a multilingual audience, you can use testimonials, case studies, or videos featuring satisfied non-English speaking customers to reinforce your message and cultivate confidence. This investment in inclusive communication will build loyalty and position your organization as a leader in equitable customer service.

AI Machine Translation+
Did you know? LSA is now offering a new AI service. Our AI Machine Translation and Post-Editing solution delivers translations quickly and at competitive rates.
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6. Request and Assess Customer and Employee Feedback

After providing language access services, you can ask customers to respond to a multiple-choice survey. You can include questions like:

  • Was the translation of high quality?
  • How satisfied were you with the clarity and accuracy of the interpretation provided?
  • Did the interpreter respond promptly and complete the service in a timely manner?
  • How would you rate the interpreter’s professionalism and courtesy during the session?
  • Did the interpreter demonstrate an understanding of your culture? Did you feel understood?
  • On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your overall experience with our language support services?
  • What can we improve to enhance your experience?

Feedback allows you to make informed adjustments that will improve the quality of your services, increase customer satisfaction, and demonstrate your commitment to equitable communication.

7. Regularly Monitor and Evaluate Your Program

To drive ongoing improvement and make sure your program meets your business goals, you need to measure performance. Monitor your KPIs in these areas:

  • The percentage of your target population reached
  • The number of calls in each language
  • Call connection and wait times
  • Translation quality measured by error rates
  • Budget adherence
  • Compliance with legal and regulatory requirements

Once you understand your metrics and whether they are improving or declining, you can work with your language services provider on improvements.

How LSA Can Help

With the right language access partner, you can design a comprehensive language services plan, keep your communication standards high, and give all your customers the clarity they deserve.

LSA offers:

  • On-demand support for the most commonly spoken languages in the communities you target
  • Service lines tailored to your needs, including document translations, live interpretation, and multilingual customer support
  • 24/7 accessibility, so you can assist your policyholders whenever they need it

Whether you need onsite interpreters for claims, over-the-phone support for customer service, or precise translations of policy documents, we’ve got you covered with customized language access solutions for hundreds of languages, including rare dialects and American Sign Language.

At Language Services Associates (LSA), we make it easy for insurance professionals to connect with multilingual customers. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, we understand the unique challenges you face, from navigating complex regulations to delivering clear, accessible communication.

What’s the result? With our help, you will:

  • Attract new policyholders
  • Improve claims intake with multilingual support
  • Ensure policy clarity for all customers
  • Mitigate risks with clear and effective communication across languages
  • Improve performance and customer satisfaction KPIs
  • Drive compliance

​​​Contact us today for tailored programs, 24/7 support, and industry expertise to help you deliver exceptional service in any language—because communication shouldn’t be a barrier to great insurance.

An Interview with LSA’s American Sign Language Interpreter Victoria Rodriguez-Mitchell — An Advocate for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Communities for 30+ Years

Posted on by Ximena Garcia
18 min read

Introducing Victoria Rodriguez-Mitchell: Part I

Victoria ASL Interpreter

Image provided by Philadelphia Union.

Victoria Rodriguez-Mitchell, M.A., Columbia University, NIC is a highly experienced ASL interpreter for Language Services Associates (LSA), responsible for signing the National Anthem at Philadelphia Union games and providing essential communication for Deaf and Hard of Hearing fans. 

For over 30 years, Victoria has been a collaborator in advocating for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. Her focus has always been on fostering innovation and inspiring meaningful change with the mission of ensuring Deaf individuals have equitable access to opportunities in all areas of life. She views language access as a fundamental human right, and one that enables Deaf individuals to fully engage in everything from professional sporting events to educational workshops, and everyday communication. 

LSA and the Philadelphia Union are committed to enhancing accessibility for Deaf and Hard of Hearing fans. With initiatives like captioned player interviews and providing an ASL interpreter for the National Anthem, they are making significant strides toward creating an equitable environment for all. By prioritizing accessibility and fostering awareness, LSA, the Philadelphia Union, and Victoria are working towards setting a precedent for a more inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. 

Victoria continues to be a catalyst, ensuring that the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community not only has a seat at the table but is actively shaping the conversation. She’s a reminder that creating an inclusive world requires intentional efforts to preserve, protect, and promote the civil, human, and linguistic rights of Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, Hard of Hearing, and Late-Deafened individuals. Her work is a call to action for all to push forward, and to build a future where communication, connection, and community are accessible to everyone, regardless of hearing ability. 

We sat down with Victoria to learn a little bit about how she became an interpreter, how she accomplishes her work, and to get her take on topics like Spanish Sign Language, sign language on Tik-Tok, virtual interpretation, and trilingual interpreting.   

LSA: Tell me a little bit about how you got into interpreting. What inspired you to become an interpreter and what was the road like to get to where you are today?

Victoria Rodriguez-Mitchell (VRM):  Oh, that’s my favorite question. When I was young, I met my friend Lisa Fazzolari, and her parents (Liz and Nick) are deaf, and they just kind of welcomed me. When Lisa would come here, she would hear Spanish, and when I would go there, I’d see sign language. So, that started my entire journey. Not knowing that this was a career or anything, I just really loved the Fazzolaris and I’m still friends with them today. I owe everything that I am to them for teaching me as young kind of awkward, quirky kind of kid. They just brought me under their wing and brought me into the community. 

When I went to college I met Mark Drolsbaugh, who is currently a famous author, he wasn’t when I first met him, he was just Mark, and he brought me along in college. I feel like I stand on the shoulders of giants because it was just embrace after embrace. After Mark and I started working at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, again the community just embraced me and brought me along. It’s those small steps that brought me to where I am today, and I’m super grateful for each one of them. The Fazzolaris are my heart, they started this whole journey. 

LSA: So you became friends with Lisa, and she showed you how to communicate with her parents and it took off from there?

VRM: Right, learning “hello” “how are you” you know, real simple things. Then she would introduce me to her friends and then the conversations would get more complex or more in depth, and I would learn more and more. But I’d also learn about deaf culture which I think is really interesting. Back in the day there was something called a TTY and it was huge. It was like this big green monster, it was a machine that would connect to the telephone, and it would send signals that would show the text. It’s smaller than a vending machine but that kind of stature, and it would shake the whole house. And they had the lights for when the doorbell would go off, so I learned a lot about deaf culture in the community and I really cherish that. 

“Back in the day there was something called a TTY and it was huge. It was like this big green monster, it was a machine that would connect to the telephone, and it would send signals that would show the text. I learned a lot about deaf culture in the community and I really cherish that.”

LSA: That’s great. It seems so integral to understanding sign language and communicating with people. Many may not realize that in your home you need something that lights up when your doorbell goes off, but of course you would, how else would you know?

VRM: Right, so you don’t know until you experience it. You learn about deaf culture in these little steps until it becomes part of who you are.

LSA: You mentioned you speak Spanish, is Spanish your first language, and do you also interpret for Spanish? 

VRM: My first language is Spanish, but I grew up here. My grandmother didn’t speak English, my mother speaks English with an accent, and we grew up during the time of the English only policy, so I would go to school, and I would be chastised for speaking Spanish. So Spanish was my first language, but I think heavily bilingual. My grandmother only spoke Spanish to me, but my mother spoke English and Spanish to me, and my father wanted to abide by the English only policy and only spoke English to me even though he’s also Puerto Rican – both of my parents are Puerto Rican. It’s a lot of integration and a lot of code switching in the head.

Did you know?

LSA offers ASL Interpretation both on-site and virtually.
Schedule an interpreter when and where you need them, or use our VRI service to access an ASL interpreter on demand 24/7/365 through the LSA App. For more information, click the link below.
LEARN MORE

LSA: I understand that recently you were asked to interpret the Mexican National Anthem into American Sign Language and utilized trilingual skills to accomplish this. What was this experience like, and what’s the process like to accomplish something like this?

VRM: It was amazing. I practiced because they used words that we don’t use every day. They were talking about the bridle, and I was like, what is that word? It’s a traditional type of song so you have these older traditional words. Also, the Spanish that’s spoken in Mexico is not exact to Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic, or Ecuador, or Peru, we all have our little colloquialisms and I wanted to be sure that I was on point with that.  

For me it’s a mind melt. It takes me a lot to do it because I think I’m doing Spanish into English and then English into ASL, because I grew up doing English and ASL. When you asked me if I interpret in Spanish, I’m like oh no because your interpreters are at a whole other level when it comes to their vocabulary, and their depth of the linguistic part of Spanish. But I have the double benefit of knowing both Spanish and English so that trilingual is really great. There are some interpreters that only do trilingual, so I think Spanish into ASL is a little quicker for them than for me, because I’m processing how I want to express something when I hear it in Spanish, then I hear it in a visual medium, so there’s maybe an extra layer in there. 

You want your best A+ effort, especially when you’re on the jumbotron and you want to rep LSA and the Union to your upmost. I do a lot of prep, because it means a lot to me – how I represent LSA when I’m at the Union, and how I represent LSA and the Union to the fans. 

Victoria Rodriguez-Mitchell | ASL Interpreter

Image provided by Philadelphia Union.

LSA: I never really thought about the whole rehearsal aspect, I always thought oh you probably just do it off the cuff, but then again that would be impossible for something like that. 

VRM:  It would be like going and singing the National Anthem off the cuff – that’s one of the hardest anthems to sing. When we did Wrexham, it was sung in Welsh. So, one of my coworkers from Princeton, Alicia Van Cleve, we went and translated it, and then we met with the singer and said, when you sing this phrase, where are we in English? We had to match it up and when I went on the field, I had these in (points to earbuds). Alicia called me, I have my phone in my pocket, and as the singer is singing, Alicia’s telling me what she’s saying in English, and I’m signing it. We had already kind of translated it into ASL, so we did the double layer part. We did it in English, so when Alicia was speaking it to me, she was speaking it in ASL, so I was able to go straight forward.

LSA: Wow, it sounds like such a complicated process, but also a good way of making it easier by having that extra layer of help.

VRM:  Yeah, there’s an extra layer taken off for you, but there’s also the prepping and the teamwork that people don’t see. Alicia’s on the sidelines and you don’t see her. A lot of times when a corporation hires an interpreter, LSA will say, hey you need two interpreters because this is a long time. There’s a lot of cognitive load, they’re going to go back and forth, they support each other. So, what you see as seamless, there’s a lot of background work going on there. 

And the team at LSA is also similar where they’re gathering information and giving it to us earlier so we can prep and come into a situation as knowledgeable as possible. 

Here is part II of our interview with Victoria →

Interested in becoming an ASL interpreter?

Check out our open positions at the link below.

APPLY TODAY

LSA Wraps up Its 2024 Academic Honors Internship Program

Posted on by Ximena Garcia
5 min read

Language Services Associates (LSA) welcomed DeAndre Butler and Ja-Neen Slaughter, students at the Chester Charter Scholars Academy, for its five-week Academic Honors Internship Program.

The two students worked closely with LSA personnel across many of its departments, including Accounting, IT, Marketing, and Compliance, while learning about LSA’s many service lines and operations.

“Working with each department has been a very enlightening and fun experience. I’ve learned how to use Microsoft, how marketing works, what goes into making company products, and many other things,” Ja-Neen shared with us. “I enjoyed learning about all these things during my time with LSA. Each department had a fun, yet educational activity prepared to go with each thing I learned.”  

The LSA Academic Honors Internship is awarded to high school students who show great academic achievement, and a passion for languages and using them to help people.  It provides an opportunity for students to gain real world work experience working with a professional language service provider.

“It was such a pleasure to have Ja-Neen and DeAndre as interns for our 2024 Academic Honors Internship Program,” said Erica Banks, Program Manager, Community Engagement & Relations. “They’re two exceptionally talented students with a great work ethic and promising futures.”

“I truly felt welcomed by everyone at LSA thanks to how friendly and helpful the people were,” Ja-Neen added. “LSA truly does care for its employees and have a tight-knit bond that is unbreakable, and that is my absolute favorite thing about interning for this company. I hope to come back next summer to work for them.”

“Giving back to the community is fundamental to what we do,” said Francis J. Convery, Chief Administrative Officer at LSA, “and the opportunity to offer such ambitious students the chance to learn about our interpretation services and how we deliver them is an honor.”

Interested in applying?

LSA will open applications for the 2025 Academic Honors Internship next Spring.  If you would like to be on the early notification list, please submit an application form here or check the website for more details.  If you have any other inquiries about LSA’s Academic Honors Internship Program, please email [email protected].

About LSA

For over three decades Language Services Associates (LSA) has offered a full suite of language interpretation and translation solutions to help optimize the experience of limited English proficient customers and patients. Providing native language support improves the efficiency and productivity of staff, raises customer satisfaction levels, and builds loyalty. For thousands of clients worldwide, in hundreds of languages, LSA provides a competitive differentiator across various industries including education, healthcare, government, finance, banking, insurance, sports, hospitality, and more.

Easy Transitions: Make the Switch to LSA

Posted on by Ximena Garcia
6 min read

Don’t Settle

Are you worried about potential disruptions when switching language service providers? Don’t worry anymore. With Language Services Associates (LSA), you can have confidence that your services will continue seamlessly. Your non-English speakers won’t be left behind, and your staff and business won’t be impacted.

If your current language service provider does not offer the languages and services you need, lacks understanding of your industry’s regulations, is inaccessible, or has you waiting for an interpreter for longer than you’d like, it may be time for a change. Consider Language Services Associates for cost-effective solutions that meet your needs.

LSA Maintains a 99.98% Customer Satisfaction Rate

For over three decades, LSA has implemented comprehensive language programs for thousands of companies at thousands of facilities. From Over the Phone Interpretation to Video Remote Interpretation, LSA has led teams in switching providers, facilitating clear communication in hundreds of languages. Whether it’s one location or hundreds of locations, we will work with you to devise a plan that allows for no disruption in language services.

LSA takes a proactive approach to understanding your company, demographics, language needs, and technology. Our services are designed for seamless integration into existing platforms and workflows, enabling your organization to focus on its core competencies while LSA handles your language needs. We partner with you to create an implementation plan that ensures all the right service lines are utilized, all staff are trained at a time that suits your business, and services are implemented without any interruptions. Our experienced professionals are committed to providing high-quality, accurate, and appropriate language services while remaining dedicated to delivering excellent customer service.

Why Top Performing Companies Choose LSA

Language Services Associates offers a full suite of language interpretation and translation solutions to help optimize the experience of limited English proficient customers and patients and the companies that serve them. We offer Over the Phone Interpretation (OPI), Video Remote Interpretation (VRI), Onsite Interpretation (OSI), American Sign Language (ASL), Translation and Localization (T&L), and Language Assessments and Testing (LAT). Our OPI, VRI, and ASL services are available on demand 24/7/365 in hundreds of languages, and all of our services can be scheduled around the clock.
"LSA has been a preferred partner over the years. In our business, it is essential that we communicate with our customers effectively and LSA allows us to do so in any language."
Cheryl Stroud
Business Insights Manager
"LSA has been a preferred partner over the years. In our business, it is essential that we communicate with our customers effectively and LSA allows us to do so in any language."
Cheryl Stroud
Business Insights Manager,
American Customer Care, Inc

Providing support in native languages improves staff efficiency and productivity, increases customer satisfaction, and fosters loyalty. LSA offers this competitive advantage to thousands of clients across various industries, including healthcare, government, education, legal services, finance, banking, insurance, sports, hospitality, and more, in hundreds of languages.

Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more about our services and how we can help you make the switch. Let’s create the perfect implementation plan for you! 

Optimize Your Call Center’s Performance with Multilingual Services

Posted on by Ximena Garcia
8 min read

Customer Experience at Your Call Center — The Only Metric That Matters

According to the latest global consumer study conducted by Qualtrics XM Institute, $3.7 trillion of sales are at risk from bad customer experiences in 2024. Regardless of your industry, poor communication is bad customer service, and bad customer service leads to high customer attrition.

Call Centers that want to provide a better customer experience, reach a global market, and improve important KPIs offer multilingual services to their customers. While important advances in technology and AI are changing the way call centers and their agents operate, language can still present a barrier to finding solutions if you’re not equipped to adequately support limited English proficient (LEP) callers. 

A comprehensive language access program will: 

  • Boost Agent and Customer Satisfaction  
  • Improve Your Call Center’s Metrics  
  • Increase Agent Productivity  
  • Expand Your Reach 

The customer experience is first and foremost what dictates the most valuable KPIs and metrics a call center should prioritize. Putting time into prioritizing the correct set of KPIs can have an enormous impact on how customers feel about their experience and how well a call center is operating.  

According to CCW Digital’s annual consumer preferences survey, customers who were asked about their interactions with call center agents this year responded overwhelmingly with negative feedback: 

0 %

Of customers said that employees seemed happy, helpful, knowledgeable, and empathetic

0 %

Said that agents seem to know more about the business and products they are supporting

0 %

Said agents seem to care more about solving their problems

0 %

of customers stated that agents seemed more willing to engage with them

These low numbers are highly indicative of call centers spending time concentrating their efforts in areas that aren’t customer-focused, and not enough time ensuring their agents are equipped with the tools essential for providing their callers with optimal services. Ensuring your agents have the resources and support they need will improve important KPIs like First Contact Resolution (FCR), Customer Satisfaction (CSAT), Net Promoter Score (NPS), Call Abandonment Rate, and Cost per Call (CPC).

Maximize Customer Experience and Pivotal KPIs Through Language Support

According to a study conducted by CSA Research, 72.4% of consumers said they would be more likely to buy a product with information in their own language. This applies across all sectors including insurance, finance, healthcare, retail, etc. If you cannot speak a customer’s language, you cannot provide good customer service. 

With 1 in 5 Americans speaking a language other than English at home, it’s likely your call center has many LEP customers calling every day. If you can’t communicate with your customers, they will either hang up, be misled on their first call, or take their business elsewhere (or all the above). 

Partnering with a language service provider who can seamlessly integrate with your omnichannel contact center will support improvements at your call center that enhance the customer experience, boost agent productivity, improve important KPIs, and reduce customer attrition. Collectively supporting these improvements will help you thrive in a global market where customers can be calling from anywhere in the world, in any language. 

While call centers seek to optimize self-service options and reduce the amount of time agents spend on interactions, ensuring clear communication is the only way to meet your goals. Providing services in languages your customers understand reduces call handle time, cost per interaction, and agent effort, freeing up agents to help more customers throughout their shift. 

“67% of customers have become “serial switchers,” customers who are willing to switch brands because of a poor customer experience.” Don’t lose customers because you don’t speak their language. 

Language Services Associates is your Call Center partner.

Language Services Associates (LSA) has been providing language services to call centers for over three decades. We help you build trust with diverse callers by providing seamless language integration into your core contact center business. LSA’s interpreters have the skills to scale to your call center demands quickly and efficiently. Our team will partner with you to determine the appropriate language access program for you, provide clarity and insight for your customers, and ensure fast, accurate communication for your agents and LEP callers. 

Learn more about LSA’s call center language services today, improve your customer experience and expand your reach into the global market. 

Contact our team at 800.305.9673 X55305 or fill out our contact form in seconds. 

 

Why Is There a Shortage of Certified American Sign Language Interpreters?

Posted on by Arnisa Xharra
12 min read

Effective communication is key to ensuring equity and fair access in a globalized world. Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) it is the responsibility of covered entities to provide effective communication at no-cost to the consumer. For Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) communities in the US, American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters provide a lifeline in situations where language inequality prevents critical information from being accessed. 

ASL interpreters facilitate communication between Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing communities and hearing individuals using Sign Language. But it seems like there aren’t enough interpreters to go around. 

Is there an ASL interpreter scarcity? Let’s take a deeper look. 

Growth Trends and Statistics:

Concrete statistics surrounding Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing populations is lacking due to inefficient resources and limited funding in supporting and surveying these unfairly marginalized communities. But we continue to see a shortage of ASL interpreters in fields from healthcare to higher education, as the demand for their services grow. Language Services Associates (LSA) works to improve access for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing individuals and continues to research and implement strategies to establish the most efficient means for providing effective communication. 

Extensive Training, Education, and Certification Process: 

Becoming a certified ASL interpreter begins with an undergraduate degree in American Sign Language and requires continuous updated education, workshops, and development. On average, it takes anywhere from five to ten years and includes achieving fluency in ASL, understanding Deaf culture, and passing rigorous certification exams.  

Not only do many states have their own licensing and requirements, but the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) administers different types of national certifications that are required for numerous interpreting positions (including becoming an ASL interpreter for Language Services Associates). While there is no national requirement for certification in the US, providers like LSA rely on certified interpreters to ensure the integrity of our work and reliability of our interpreters. 

To qualify for the RID national certification, applicants must have a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent – so even if someone understands the language, culture, and technical skills required, if they do not have a degree, they cannot attain the national certification necessary to be an ASL interpreter for LSA and many other institutions. 

A High Demand, Geographical Obstacles, and Physical Challenges:

The current demand for qualified ASL interpreters is substantial. According to the National Census of the Deaf Population there are approximately 500,000 Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Americans who use ASL, and a ratio of roughly 50 Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing ASL users to one ASL interpreter. Across numerous sectors like healthcare, education, and the legal industry, companies are constantly contending for support. With a limited pool of ASL interpreters available, and such a high demand, it creates an imbalance that intensifies competition among organizations vying for sign language services. 

Additionally, interpreters are not available in every geographic locale. With only around 10,000 certified ASL interpreters in North America, many areas struggle to find resources. While urban areas might have more professionals available (and still struggle), rural areas tend to be hit hardest. Video Remote Interpretation (VRI) provides a great option for virtual ASL support, but it requires a strong internet connection, and in many rural areas the infrastructure support is not available. 

Then there’s the physical toll ASL interpretation has on interpreters. Sign language is both mentally and physically exhausting. Interpreters utilize hand and arm movements, facial expressions, and body movements to convey meaning and can risk injury by overexerting themselves. There are only so many hours an ASL interpreter can sign for, and many will only accept longer jobs when there are at least two interpreters assigned. 

Hesitancy to Work with Full-Service Language Service Providers:

We’ve talked about the laws protecting and providing for DHH communities, as covered under ADA, as well as the stringency of requirements for an ASL interpreter to become and remain certified, so it might come as little surprise that there are some hesitancies to work with “spoken language agencies.” LSA is a full-service agency, providing expert equitable communication for both hearing limited English proficient and DHH consumers. Due to the subtle but vast differences between interpreting for a spoken language and a signed language, there is some skepticism that full-service agencies may not be fully invested in adhering to the same tenants required of agencies who only provide services for Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing Communities. However, LSA is proud to uphold those same pillars and tenants mandated by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. 

Veteran Interpreters Retiring:

Seasoned career interpreters are retiring sooner than expected, with fewer later generations entering the field to ease the strain. Fewer students are choosing to pursue certification following studies, creating gaps in the profession. 

The LSA Difference:

LSA is fully dedicated to ensuring the best experience for both our clients and ASL interpreters. We have staff across various departments proficient in understanding the nuanced needs and concerns of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community. We are a full-service language provider that adheres to the same framework and expectations as a Deaf-only agency. We incorporate training and Deaf sensitivity at an organizational cultural level. 

LSA is dedicated to upholding our high standards while providing support to our ASL interpreters.

  •  We strictly work with RID/BEI-certified ASL interpreters offering our clients the most professional experience without cutting costs or corners.  
  •  We guide and assist ASL interpreters in attaining state licensures and acknowledgment when and where they’re needed. We reach out to state agencies and our contacts at RID on their behalf when necessary and/or requested. 
  •  We are fully invested in in upholding our high-quality standards even under the pressure of a certified ASL interpreter shortage. 
  •  We offer flexible schedules with the opportunity to work as an employee or independent contractor, onsite or virtual, and versatility in how assignments are handled. 
  •  We offer interpreters the ability to work in the communities they live in to fulfill their obligations and assure equitable services where they are. 
  •  We offer and understand the benefits of certified Deaf interpreters (CDI). 
  •  We offer tactile sign language for low-vision and Deaf-Blind individuals. 

Language Services Associates (LSA) works with the highest qualified ASL interpreters in the field. We ensure our partners continually have the language support they need, 24/7/365. We provide Onsite ASL interpreters across the country, Video Remote Interpretation to fulfill virtual and on-demand needs, and training and support for the use of our services.  

Learn more about LSA’s American Sign Language services today! 

Contact our team at 800.305.9673 X55305 or fill out our contact form in seconds.   

Are You an ASL Interpreter?

If you’re passionate about making a difference and want a fulfilling career as an ASL interpreter with LSA, we’d love to hear from you! Join LSA and become part of a team dedicated to enhancing communication and accessibility for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community.

Check out our open positions! 

June: Effective Communications Month

Posted on by Ximena Garcia
5 min read

Happy Effective Communications Month! It is 2024 and communication has evolved and improved in many ways. We can share information with people across the globe instantly, choose how we want to share that information, and send it to millions of people with the click of a button.

We’ve come a long way since hieroglyphics and cave paintings, but many still struggle to be heard. For instance, CRICO Strategies medical safety experts discovered that out of 23,000 malpractice suits, 7000 resulted from failed communication. These cases amounted to $1.7 billion in malpractice costs and approximately 2000 preventable deaths. Clear communication is integral to providing effective service and care to people, especially those with limited English proficiency.

 

Effective Communication in a Multilingual World:

Communicating effectively fosters connection and understanding. Anyone who is looking to build relationships should keep this in mind — including businesses. As companies are looking to expand their global reach, communicate with a growing multilingual audience (68 million Americans speak another language other than English at home), and maintain a diverse workforce, the need to communicate clearly and effectively is paramount. This involves understanding diverse languages and being culturally aware.

 

What is a Language Service Provider?

A language service provider is an entity that offers language related services. These may include interpretation, translation and localization, and language testing and assessments. These services ensure that your message is not only heard but understood across diverse cultures and languages.

 

How LSA Partners with Businesses to Improve Communication:

Language Services Associates (LSA) is a leading language service provider helping businesses connect with their customers across various industries. Effective communication goes beyond just words — it’s also understanding the nuances of language and cultural competency.

  • Qualified Linguists: LSA offers the most qualified, thoroughly vetted interpreters on the market. Accurate, culturally appropriate communication is our top priority.
  • Flexible Support: LSA has customer and technical support available 24/7/365 – including nights, weekends, and holidays.
  • Responsive: Communication is key in language services, and LSA is committed to ensuring the best customer experience. We value your feedback and respond to all questions, comments, and concerns quickly and with resolve.
  • Industry Expertise: We connect you with experienced, qualified linguists that speak your industry-specific language.
  • Full Suite of Services: We offer a full suite of language services solutions, including Over the Phone Interpretation, Onsite interpretation, Video Remote Interpretation, Translation & Localization, and Language Assessments and Testing.

Effective communication is essential for success in today’s interconnected world and thanks to language services providers like LSA, language is no longer a barrier.

Happy Effective Communications month!

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