Dear Colleagues:

Last year during the Katrina and Rita Hurricanes many NAJIT members as well as
colleagues from the medical, sign language and other sister organizations of
the interpreting and translation community expressed interest in assisting the
non-English, deaf and hard of hearing, the LEP population and the government
with competent interpretation and translation services. Interpreters are the
bridge across the linguistic divide that sometimes separate people in need of
help from the agencies and organizations that can provide the help they need.
This critical function of interpreters was underscored last year when the scope
of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita overwhelmed the ability of on-site resources to
provide limited English proficient persons and the deaf and hard of hearing
population with timely emergency information and services. In the face of
these disasters, many members of NAJIT and its sister organizations expressed a
willingness to fill the breech, and offered to help, either through on-site
deployment or by telephone. In response, the leadership of NAJIT sought to
establish some formal national mechanism through

which agencies and organizations responsible for providing critical emergency
information and assistance could locate and utilize the services of competent
interpreters and translators.



Among the possible mechanisms discussed was the creation of an internet link
through which volunteers could identify themselves to aid providers. While a
number of these providers expressed interest in making use of the special
language skills of NAJIT members and sister organizations, the scope and depth
of the required infrastructure, among other reasons, made it impossible to
finalize the necessary procedures. Nonetheless, NAJIT has continued to pursue
efforts to more efficiently link government entities with competent
interpreters and translators should future national or natural disasters arise.



On Saturday, May 20, 2006, in his keynote address, Mr. Everette Jordan,
Director of the National Virtual Translation Center (NVTC), a government
entity, announced that three years ago the federal government passed a law to
create a National Civilian Linguist Reserve Corps designed to make the best use
of people with translation and interpretation skills whenever a national need
arises. Mr. Jordan noted that although it is the Defense Department that is
charged with organizing the database of language skills, the NVTC is also
participating so that those with language skills can either volunteer their
time or be hired for occasional assignments before the next disaster strikes.



Mr. Jordan further expressed the NVTCââ'¬â"¢s interest in building
relationships with NAJIT and its sister T & I organizations and exploring a
variety of potential volunteer services and employment opportunities for NAJIT
members among others and the NVTC or other government agencies during national
emergencies.

The NVTC has agreed to take the lead by placing a link on its web site through
which members of NAJIT and its sister organizations consisting of qualified
translators and interpreters in sign language, medical and legal can indicate
their willingness to provide aid to their neighbors in times of an emergency.
The link is located at:_http://www.nvtc.gov/forms/linguist.php_

(http://www.nvtc.gov/forms/linguist.php) or _http://www.nvtc.gov/_
(http://www.nvtc.gov/) .



Some of us have already made use of the NVTC link to indicate our willingness to
be part of the response to future national and natural emergencies. Hurricane
season begins in June, therefore, we encourage our colleagues that are
interested in joining in these efforts and are willing and able to assist to
sign up as soon as possible.



Isabel Framer

State Court Certified Interpreter

Copley, Ohio

Phone 330-665-5752

Fax 330-668-1158

Member of the Board of Directors of NAJIT ISAINTERP@...











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