The Language Access Lab announced the completion of its first community interpreter training program, which trains bilingual individuals to interpret in healthcare, social services, government and education settings.
Irene Paxia is the executive director of the lab and said it’s important to have professional interpreters available who are trained on ethics, cultural mediation, terminology and best practices.
Paxia said the first person who signed up for the program works at a local hospital and often gets asked to interpret for patients.
“They wanted to do this to interpret for their support of nursing staff, and just to make patients more comfortable when they go into their rooms, with things as simple as providing a glass of water," she said. "So, they are thrilled that they can do that.”
The first cohort of 13 individuals was trained under a licensed instructor with support from two bilingual coaches – one for Spanish and one for Burmese.
The Language Access Lab also offers free presentations for organizations and administrators to understand the dos and don'ts of interpreting, with three hour-long sessions.
The training was supported through a partnership with the St. Joseph Community Health Foundation and the Indiana University Language Roadmap.
