Limited English proficient populations experience well-documented suboptimal health outcomes. There’s often a misconception that having a certified/qualified interpreter solves the issue of communication across languages. To provide equitable access, it’s important to recognize that interpreters and providers both bear certain responsibilities that ultimately ensure equitable and meaningful language access. Frequently, interpreters and providers do not have a shared understanding of what a fully effective language access framework looks like and inadvertently, make it challenging for clients to know what to look for or expect in meaningful interpreting. This can create a disparity in the clients ability to have a true understanding and comprehension of the situation in which they are engaged. Although this is no one's intention, by being unaware of these factors, we can promote this unwittingly. This workshop will explore a framework for effectively providing meaningful language access using a participatory style to present material for discovery and discussion. Through conversation and active engagement, this workshop will allow participants to:
• Recognize the unique and essential role of an interpreter, service provider, and how together, they honor the voices that are often unheard
• Explore how effective interpretation impacts the power, privilege and access to communication and information
• Share and exchange interpreting tools and techniques to reduce interpreter error and improve access