Developing a Language Access Plan (LAP) ensures those with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) can access information and services in their native language. Convenience is one reason for implementing language access solutions, but legal obligations under laws like Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 are another. Is your organization ready to empower its workforce and the people it serves?
Empower Your Diverse Workforce & Community: Strategic Language Access Plans (LAP)
What Is a Language Access Plan (LAP)?
Language Access Plans (LAPs) outline the resources an organization uses to communicate with those with Limited English Proficiency. They also cater to individuals who have visual impairments or are hard of hearing. In short, a LAP is a codified organizational policy defining how you assist these groups and enable them to benefit from your services. If inclusivity is at the heart of what you do, language access solutions are a critical component.
Not sure where to begin? Let Geneva Worldwide be your trusted partner in crafting an effective Language Access Plan.
Who Needs a Language Access Plan?
Educational Institutions
Schools, colleges, and universities.
Healthcare
Hospitals, clinics, and healthcare providers.
Legal Services
Courts, law firms, and legal aid organizations.
Government Agencies
Federal, state, and local bodies
Private Sector
Businesses serving diverse clientele, such as banks, retail, and customer service providers
Non-Profit Organizations
Community service organizations and advocacy groups.
Why language access is your strategic advantage
Ensure Ironclad Compliance
Schools, hospitals, courthouses, agencies, and businesses receiving state and federal funds may have a legal obligation to provide language access. Failure to do so can result in:
- Loss of government funding
- Financial penalties
- Reputational damage
- Loss of trust
Nurture the Best Talent
Building diverse teams empowers your business to grow. LAPs are fundamental to attracting and retaining the best talent. The benefits of building diverse teams include:
- Enhanced problem-solving capabilities
- Increased innovation
- Higher performance levels
- A results-oriented culture
- Reduced conflict
Turn diversity from a buzzword into a core part of your culture by embracing LEP employees and customers with your LAP.
Facilitate Market Expansion
Don’t underestimate the purchasing power of non-native English-speaking communities. For example, Hispanic buying power represented 11.1% of U.S. buying power in 2020, with considerable influence in states like California, Florida, and Texas.
Boost Operational Efficiency
U.S. employers increasingly rely on multiple languages to operate effectively. An estimated 85% of employers rely on Spanish, while others use languages like French, Japanese, and Chinese. Consequently, streamlined communication processes that eliminate misinterpretations—and costly mistakes—are crucial.
Improve Brand Reputation
Modern consumers care about the values of the brands they support. According to one study, 82% of consumers want a brand’s values to align with their own. Promoting your brand as inclusive and socially responsible can result in positive media attention, community support, and more loyal customers.
Our comprehensive language access solutions
At Geneva Worldwide, we’ll design language access solutions around the needs of the people you serve. Our suite of services is designed to empower your organization to communicate effectively with everyone.
Interpretation
Our qualified interpreters have relevant industry expertise, ensuring a higher standard of communication. When you need context-specific communication, our team is ready to assist. We provide the following interpretation services:
- On-Site: Real-time, face-to-face communication for sensitive or complex situations.
- Telephonic: Immediate, cost-effective interpretation over the phone for consultations and customer service calls.
- Video Remote: Visual and audio interpretation for situations where non-verbal cues are essential, such as medical and educational consultations.
Translation
We can translate over 200 languages, guaranteeing accuracy, cultural sensitivity, context, and subject matter expertise for:
- Legal documents
- Business contracts
- Training manuals
- Medical instructions
- eCommerce websites
- Corporate websites
Our translators also offer multimedia translation, converting your videos, podcasts, webinars, and more into the needed language on demand.
Voice-Over
Create more engaging content with professional voice-over services. Our high-quality voice-overs engage diverse audiences in the language they’re most comfortable with, using crystal-clear audio. Improve the appeal and impact of your videos, presentations, and more with the expertise of a voice-over professional today.
Transcription
Gain accurate and timely transcriptions for last-minute meetings, scheduled interviews, and groundbreaking lectures. Our multilingual transcribers enhance accessibility, ensuring complete understanding at every stage.
Training and Consultation
Any transition unearths potential obstacles. Adopting a new culture requires an approach that suits your organization. Geneva Worldwide’s consultants have supported hundreds of organizations by building tailored training programs to teach cultural competency, sensitivity, and the inner workings of language access solutions.
Book any one of our services to take the first step in developing and executing your Language Access Plan (LAP).
Crafting Your Tailored Language Access Plan
Step 1:
Conducting an In-Depth Needs Assessment
Our team starts by digging beneath the surface of your organization using tools like:
- Data analysis
- Broader industry expertise
- Stakeholder input
- Employee surveys
Our findings form the foundation of what your LEP plan must accomplish and how it best serves your needs.
Step 2:
Choosing Tailored Language Service Solutions
Effective LAPs are not one-size-fits-all. Based on your assessment, we’ll recommend a combination of language services that best suit your organization. These may include:
- Translation
- Transcription
- Voice-over
- Interpretation
- Training
Step 3:
Empowering Your Staff
Serving those with Limited English Proficiency begins with creating a culture of understanding. For these seeds to sprout, your staff needs buy-in, knowledge, and training.
Your front-line communicators must feel confident in executing language access protocols. Through our customized, role-specific training, we deliver:
- Cultural Competency: Support staff in understanding diverse communities.
- Language Access Protocols: Learn what language access protocols are, best practices associated with them, and how to maximize their value within your organization.
- Confidence: Infuse your staff with confidence when dealing with language access tools, interpreters, and LEP speakers.
Step 4:
Devising Effective Communication Strategies
Principles and practices must translate into action. The fourth step to creating a LAP that achieves measurable results combines theory with pragmatism. Some examples of communication strategies we’ve helped deploy include:
- Engaging with community organizations
- Using multilingual communication channels
- Employing bilingual staff
- Leveraging technology in communication
- Developing content relevant to target cultural demographics
- Using multilingual signage
Step 5:
Making Data-Driven Improvements
Needs change over time, and it’s vital that your organization moves with the times.
Creating and deploying language access solutions is only the beginning. Unlike other organizations, we provide continuous support by monitoring the impact of your LAP through comprehensive data analysis.
Our commitment to continuous improvement enables you to act on data-driven insights, allowing your organization to better serve LEP customers.
The Geneva Worldwide Difference: Why Choose Geneva Worldwide?
Countless language access providers exist, but if you choose Geneva Worldwide, you’ll get to work with an authentic global leader in the field. We promise:
- Unparalleled Accuracy: We guarantee 98%+ accuracy in every transcript and translation, with meticulous reviews and verification processes to prevent costly and embarrassing mistakes for your brand.
- Global Focus: We never sleep. Geneva Worldwide covers various time zones, ensuring you always have a global network of language experts on call, wherever you are.
- Security: Confidentiality is guaranteed when you work with Geneva Worldwide. We comply with all applicable security and privacy regulations and hold an ISO certification to prove our commitment to the highest standards of data protection.
- Transparent Pricing: The price you see is the price you get. That means no hidden fees and no last-minute pricing changes. Accept the quote and gain the peace of mind needed to begin building your LAP.
The Geneva Worldwide difference makes us the premier provider of language access services. Schedule a consultation and discover why industry leaders choose us as their partners in language.
Invest in Language Access, Reap the Rewards
Language access is a growth strategy for your business, regardless of industry. It’s an opportunity to tap into undiscovered markets, solidify your hold on existing ones, and achieve unprecedented business growth.
We take pride in being the only partner that organizations need for all their language services. If you’re ready to reap the rewards of implementing language access solutions that deliver tangible results, you can count on us.
Some advantages our partners enjoy include:
- Consolidated Vendor: Gain a single point of contact for all your translation, interpretation, and transcription needs. Reduce complexity, simplify billing, and achieve substantial cost savings.
- Efficient Processes: Streamline your workflows and invest in technology-driven solutions that bring automation and other innovations to reduce your workload and supercharge your core functions.
- Improved Outcomes: Provide a higher standard of service to your target audience and see increased satisfaction and loyalty rates.
- Mitigated Risks: Guarantee legal compliance, reduce the risk of reputational damage, and prevent costly misunderstandings across your business.
Partner With Geneva Worldwide: Your Pathway to Language Access Excellence
Expanding your reach and serving LEP populations requires a globally focused experience delivered by a forward-thinking organization that embraces innovation.
At Geneva Worldwide, we have over a century of experience breaking down language barriers and empowering brands to reach their full potential.
Begin your journey to becoming a more inclusive, diverse, and growth-driven organization by exploring our comprehensive language services today.
