Esperanto is the international language created by Dr. Ludwik Zamenhof from Poland. The goal of Esperanto was to allow all people to communicate with one another. Dr. Zamenhof published the first brochure about the Esperanto language in 1887. Esperanto, which means “he who has hope”, was thus born. Since its…
Do you know the law when it comes to providing translators and interpreters for your business?
Unfortunately, many individuals, businesses, governments and non-profit agencies are unaware of the state and federal regulations dictating just when and where such language support services are required—for both hard of hearing customers as well as those with Limited English Proficiency (LEP).
And that can lead to big problems.
Take, for example, the Florida judicial system, which last year faced a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. The complaint alleged Florida courts violated the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 by failing to provide free, qualified interpretation services in court related functions. For any programs that receive federal financial assistance, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin. The complaint claimed that Florida courts were not properly providing interpreters for people with LEP, and that such negligence was a form of national origin discrimination.
