Required by Law: What PSAPs Should Know about Serving non-English Speakers and Title VI
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that any program within the United States receiving federal funding must provide services to non-English speakers in their primary language. Jonathan Levy, Director of Language Services at CyraCom International, discusses how Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) should handle Title VI:
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Having a language assistance plan in place is not only a requirement of Title VI, but helps outline effective procedures to avoid language assistance related issues. In places like the District of Columbia, comprehensive planning has made a significant improvement in the way law enforcement and emergency calls are handled in the District’s non-English speaking communities. Assessing the needs of your organization is the first step in implementing a solution compliant with Title VI. More information can also be found at www.lep.gov.
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Voiance Language Services provides multilingual support in over 170 languages to business and government. Organizations use Voiance’s telephone interpretation to facilitate communication with customers. Voiance is a subsidiary of CyraCom International, Inc., the 2nd largest provider of Over-the-Phone Interpretation in the United States.