Have you ever heard of “linguistic legal deserts”?[1] These are areas where there is a significant lack of legal services available in languages other than English, making it difficult for non-English speakers to access legal assistance.
And did you know that about 66.7% of patients with limited English skills report difficulty accessing healthcare? Even more alarming, 20% avoid seeking help entirely, fearing miscommunication.[2]
The challenge grows more complex each year. According to recent data, immigrants have driven 37% of rural population growth from 2000 to 2018.[3] Take Elko, Nevada, where Spanish echoes through nearly 15% of households.[4] But what happens when communities aren’t prepared for these changes?
Changing Rural Demographics
Rural America looks different today than it did just decades ago. Recent data shows:
- 24% of rural residents now identify as racial or ethnic minorities.[5]
- The Hispanic population has grown to 4.1 million— about 9% of rural residents.[6]
But here’s the challenge: Most rural institutions weren’t designed for this diversity. Legal and medical organizations struggle to accommodate the needs of non-English speakers.
Why Finding Interpreters Remains a Challenge
Clear communication is key to any interaction, but it can be a challenge to ensure it. In rural areas, qualified interpreters are scarce, with some communities having to rely on interpreters who may be located over 100+ miles away in larger cities.[7]
And what happens when professional interpreters aren’t available? Many communities turn to untrained volunteers or bilingual staff, but without proper training in interpretation protocols and ethics, this creates new risks, raising serious concerns about service quality and confidentiality.
Your Options for Remote Interpretation
Remote interpretation can open access to over 200 languages,[8] helping rural healthcare providers and legal professionals serve diverse communities effectively. Let’s explore your options:
Over-the-Phone Interpretation (OPI)
Think of OPI as your on-demand language lifeline. Within seconds, you connect to qualified interpreters through a simple three-way call. Here’s what makes OPI stand out:
- Available 24/7 for emergencies
- Perfect for private, discrete conversations
- Ideal for quick tasks like scheduling appointments
Video Remote Interpreting (VRI)
So why choose VRI? Visual cues make a difference. VRI offers:
- Face-to-face communication that builds trust
- Support for both spoken and sign language
- Enhanced understanding during medical visits or legal sessions
Remote Interpretation: The Key to Equal Healthcare and Legal Access
Remote interpretation services:
- Improve patient care by helping individuals understand medical information, leading to better health outcomes.
- Ensure fair legal representation by aiding comprehension of rights and obligations.
- Eliminate travel needs for interpreters, saving time and resources for all involved.
- Support diverse language needs by providing easy access to interpreters of a wide range of languages.
- Offer immediate language support, critical in urgent situations where timely communication is vital.
The choice is clear. Remote interpretation services transform rural healthcare and legal access from a challenge into an opportunity.
Contact us today to get a quote and our team will match you with the ideal interpreter for your needs.
Written by Valentina Rodriguez
[1] https://racism.org/articles/citizenship-rights/language-and-english-only/10652-linguistic-legal
[2] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7201401/
[3] https://www.gcir.org/programs/Building-Immigrant-and-Worker-Power-in-Rural-America
[5] https://carsey.unh.edu/publication/growing-racial-diversity-rural-america-results-2020-census
[6] https://carsey.unh.edu/publication/growing-racial-diversity-rural-america-results-2020-census
[7] https://www.atanet.org/growing-your-career/interpreting-in-rural-communities/