Q: What is an “LCA Liaison”? 

A: An LCA Liaison is a staff person in your department who has been assigned as the point person for language and communications access for your department. They work closely with the Office of Language and Communications Access and are knowledgeable about how to acquire accommodations for constituents, how to borrow assistive listening equipment and many other aspects of language and communications access. Please always be sure to include your department’s LCA Liaison in requests for accommodations.

Q: What is an “LCA Specialist”?

A: An LCA Specialist is a member of the Office of Language and Communications Access staff who is assigned to your department in order to offer assistance in assuring compliance with the City of Boston (COB) language and communications access standards. The LCA Specialist will work closely with the LCA Liaison designated by your department to make sure that the Departmental Plan is complete, all vital documents for your department are translated into the threshold languages and that your programs and services are accessible to all constituents. 

Q: What are threshold standards and how do they impact my department’s work?

A: Check our "Home" page for information on City of Boston standards. The threshold standards determine the minimum accommodations that are required in various contexts for COB work, including citywide standards, neighborhood standards and vital documents standards.  If your department plans to distribute information or host an event, please review the following slides and also reach out to your LCA Liaison and LCA Specialist for guidance on the standards.

Q: I am hosting a critical event or distributing critical information for constituents. Who should I contact?

A: Contact both LCA at lca@boston.gov and the Disabilities Commission at disability@boston.gov. 

Q: Does OLCA have equipment available for simultaneous interpretation?

A: The Office of Language and Communications Access does lend out equipment, including simultaneous interpretation equipment to departments who are funded by the City of Boston (COB).  The equipment is a closed-loop system with a transmitter that the interpreter speaks into and receivers, which the constituents listen to on the same channel that the interpreter is speaking on.  This way, constituents can attach a headset to the receiver and move around during an event or meeting while still being able to hear the interpreter speaking in their chosen language (as long as they stay within the range of the headset's capabilities).  In order to reserve this equipment, please connect with your department’s LCA Liaison or fill out the LCA Assistive Technology Equipment Reservation Form and for more information about assistive technology within COB, please review the LCA Assistive Technology Manual. 

Q: If a document with images is translated - do the image descriptions also need to be translated? 

A: Yes. It is important that all text components are translated. You can add a comment to the document to notify translators to translate that information as well, or pull the text out and have them translate it separately. 

Q: If a constituent is Deaf or hard of hearing and uses a different type of sign language how would we provide an interpreter? 

A: If a constituent identifies that they need a sign-language interpreter that is not ASL, you will need to seek out the appropriate sign language interpreter. Each country uses a different type of sign language. You will need to book either a bilingual sign language interpreter that can provide services between English and this specific sign language, OR, you will need to book two sign language interpreters: 1. English to ASL interpretation, 2. ASL to other sign language interpretation. Please contact LCA@boston.gov for more information.

Q: An interpreter is having side-conversations with the constituent on assignment. What should I as a staff member do? 

A: Stop and address the interaction. If a constituent has additional clarifying questions, the interpreter should communicate those back to you as the employee. The interpreter should not be clarifying questions, providing their opinions or giving guidance to the constituent. If the interpreter is over the phone, please hang up. Contact LCA at lca@boston.gov immediately after the incident. 

Q: How can I get Access to Funds for Accommodations?

A: If you are a City of Boston department, you can follow the LCA process and fill out the Accommodations Fund Request outlined in the “Services” page to access the LCA citywide pool of funding for accommodations. Note: Quasi departments do not have access to LCA funds. 

Q: What if my constituent’s language is not on the language identification card? 

A: Leverage the Language Line (check "On-Demand Interpretation" page for more information). The operator will help you identify the language. 

Q: How would I know if the situation is of legal consequence? 

A: Is this interaction mandated or regulated by some city, state or federal mandate or requirement? Might there be legal implications taken if this service is not provided effectively or appropriately? If so, it is of utmost importance that you provide appropriate services, but additionally document what you did as well. Be sure to book a court-certified or qualified interpreter.

Q: What if the constituent uses American sign language and there is no ASL interpreter at the moment to interpret? 

A: Video Remote Interpretation is available to use in such settings, particularly for small 1:1 interactions. Depending on the situation, audience and location, CART services may better suit larger audiences. Contact LCA at lca@boston.gov or the Disabilities Commission at disability@boston.gov. 

Q: I have questions about the ADA (American Disabilites Act). Who should I contact?

A: Contact the Disabilities Commission at disability@boston.gov. 

Q: How do I secure translation or interpretation services?

A: Check our Services page.

Q: Traditional Chinese vs. Simplified Chinese?

A:

• • Traditional Chinese - Traditional characters are only used for Cantonese. The traditional characters have more strokes and are more complex than simplified Chinese. 

  • Simplified Chinese - Simplified characters are only used for Mandarin. The simplified characters have fewer strokes, designed to improve literacy. 

Q: What services can I request from these new vendors?

A: Interpretation, Translation and Video and Audio Accessibility (Audio Transcript, Audio Recordings, Audio Descriptions, Captioning, Subtitles)

Q : I prefer X vendor, can I reach out to them and not follow the order?

A: No, in order to abide by the proper procurement process, you must reach out to vendors in order of ranking. This means that you must reach out to Vendor 1, then Vendor 2, then Vendor 3. 

Q: Do I always have to request a translation review after receiving a translation?

A: Vendors 1, 2, and 3 in our Multi-Award Contract are all required to review for grammar and cultural competence, etc., at no additional cost. Therefore, you will not have to request translation reviews for most translations that you receive from our vendors. If you believe that there are errors in the translation that you received or would like additional quality assurance via a translation review, please contact your LCA Liaison to receive further guidance.

Q : What are some scenarios where I might request a translation review?

A: In the case of high-profile requests (i.e. documents from the Mayor's office or for the media), quality control issues noted in the original translation, or old/outdated documents that require a check for accuracy, it would be appropriate to request a translation review.

Q : Can you give me an example of the difference between an emergency and urgent request?

A: Emergency: life threatening, catastrophic, health, pandemic.  Needed in less than 24 hrs. Urgent: Time sensitive and unforeseen and unpredictable request for public meetings, unexpected constituent request for a meeting happening tomorrow. Needed within 24-48 hrs. 

Q : What will happen with ASL and CART?

A : The process for procuring ASL and CART will remain the same with no additional steps. We work with Partners Interpreting as our primary vendor for ASL and CART services.

Q : What happens if we cannot attend the drop-in training?

A: Can’t make a drop-in training? Request a training on a date and time that works for your team! Please contact Robbie.adams@boston.gov or Liz.kunesh@boston.gov.

*If you or a team member needs accommodations, please also reach out to Robbie or Liz. 

Q: Do accommodation requests have to only come from LCA liaisons?

A: The City of Boston has a legal responsibility to be accessible. Any staff member in the City of Boston can and is expected to acquire accommodations on their own. Best practice is to include the LCA liaison in requests for awareness purposes. 

Q: Do I need to let the first vendor know that I move on to the second vendor?

A: Yes. If the vendor does not respond in the allotted timelines for your type of request, please inform the vendor that due to the sensitive nature of your request you have contacted the next appropriate vendor for this service. 

Q: How can I let the vendor know if my request is non-urgent, urgent, or an emergency? 

A: You can include it in your email subject line and the appropriate accommodation request forms.

Q: If a department needs to cancel a service request, are they responsible for any associated cancellation fees, or is OLCA responsible for those costs?

A: Requesters should make every effort to remember and follow the cancellation policy (available on the Directory) to avoid incurring charges. However, if a cancellation is necessary due to unforeseen circumstances, LCA will still cover the cost. 

Q: What should I do if a vendor confirms a service and then fails to complete the service that was confirmed?

A: In this case, you should complete the LCA Vendor Feedback Form to let the LCA team know about your experience. Then, if it is possible to reschedule the accommodation, submit a new service request form with the updated information for the rescheduled accommodation. In these circumstances, because the vendor has failed to meet the service, you can re-book the accommodation with a different vendor. For example, if Vendor 1 failed to complete a previously confirmed service, then you could reach out to Vendor 2 to book services for the rescheduled accommodation. If Vendor 2 failed to complete a previously confirmed service, then you could reach out to Vendor 3 to book services for the rescheduled accommodation.