Meng calls for translation of COVID-19 materials to multiple languages
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | MARCH 5-MARCH 11, 2021 15
care people receive in
the healthcare system.
Research has shown
that use of professional
medical interpreters
has a positive impact
on patient care,” said
Jonathan Vorasane,
Chairman of the Laotian
American National
Alliance. “The use of
professional interpreters
has been associated
with improved clinical
care and positive patient
outcomes for limited-
English proficient (LEP)
patients, who are at a
higher risk of injuries
due to lack of resources
to explain patient safety
guidelines. Under Section
1557 of the Affordable
Care Act, Laotian
Americans as well as
other ethnic groups are
entitled to language access
in health care but
far too often, the funding
needed for translation
materials is lacking.”
“The inadequacy of
many of our government
agencies in providing
linguistically appropriate
information about
programs and services
available in support of
individuals, organizations
and businesses
has been a glaring failure
of several COVID
relief programs and has
been felt disproportionately
in Asian American
communities,” said
David Inoue, executive
director of the Japanese
American Citizens
League. “Language
barriers to service yield
confusion and mistrust,
dampening our hopes
for successful public
health and economic
aid efforts. The language
requirements
of this legislation will
enable more equitable
access to the necessary
services of our government
in responding to
the continuing COVID
pandemic.”
BY SOFIA VALDES
Queens Congresswoman
Grace Meng announced
the introduction
of legislation that
would mandate federal
government agencies
to translate all written
COVID-19-related resources
and materials
into multiple languages.
The COVID-19 Language
Access Act would
apply to any federal
agency that receives related
funding for the virus.
The measure would
require agencies to provide
written resources
in 20 languages including
Arabic, Cambodian,
Chinese, Creole, French,
Greek, Haitian, Hindi,
Hmong, Italian, Japanese,
Korean, Polish,
Portuguese, Russian,
Spanish, Tagalog, Thai,
Urdu and Vietnamese.
“COVID-19 continues
to ravage our nation,
especially communities
of color. To help close
the health disparities
these communities face,
federal agencies must
translate COVID-19-
related materials into
additional languages,”
said Meng.
“This is a necessary
— and lifesaving — step
that will reach those
who may not possess
English proficiency. I
am proud that my bill
has served as a basis for
President Biden’s recent
presidential memorandum
to address cultural
and linguistic barriers
to COVID-19 relief and
recovery, especially
for Asian Americans,”
Meng added. “President
Biden’s executive actions
underscores the inequities
of language access
particularly in the fight
against this COVID-19
pandemic. As our nation
prepares to ramp
up vaccine administration
for every American,
we must make sure no
one is left behind. Ultimately,
one’s grasp of
the English language
should never determine
their ability and access
to fighting against this
pandemic. I urge my
colleagues to support
this legislation and look
forward to it becoming
law.”
According to Juliet K.
Choi, CEO of the Asian
and Pacific Islander
American Health Forum
(APIAHF), limited English
proficient families
continue to struggle to
access timely and even
basic information about
COVID.
“Cong resswoman
Meng’s bill is urgently
needed to ensure that
language is not a barrier
to accessing care or
impeding our country’s
collective recovery from
this devastation pandemic,”
Choi said.
“One of our most powerful
tools in fighting the
virus — and any public
health emergency — is
a well-informed public,”
said Frankie Miranda,
president and CEO of the
Hispanic Federation. “As
a multilingual nation,
with significant numbers
of limited English
speakers, ensuring that
material about COVID-
19 — including vaccine
information — is culturally
competent and
provided in a variety of
languages is a matter of
life and death.”
The National Council
of Asian Pacific Americans
(NCAPA) and the
Southeast Asia Resource
Action Center (SEARAC)
applaud Meng for introducing
the COVID-19
Language Access Act.
UnidosUS is proud
to support the COVID-
19 Language Access
Act and commends
Congresswoman Meng
for her leadership in
expanding access to
coronavirus resources,
according to Eric Rodriguez,
senior vice president
of Policy and Advocacy
at UnidosUS. The
National Health Law
Program shows their
support as well.
The Joint National
Committee for Languages
National Council for
Languages and International
Studies (JNCLNCLIS)
and Asian Americans
Advancing Justice
(AAJC) are proud to
endorse the COVID-19
Language Access Act
because making critical
information available is
a much needed step toward
equity.
“In the United States,
9 percent of the population
is limited in English
proficiency which
impacts the level of
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