Page: Tools

Tools & Research

Accessibility Checker

Many programs have accessibility checkers that are built-in or easy to add after a simple internet search. For example, the Microsoft Office Suite includes a handy accessibility checker that makes it quick and easy to review a Word document for accessibility. While this automated checker doesn’t always catch every issue, it’s a great starting point. The checker offers tips for fixing issues and can teach you to avoid making the same mistakes again.

Language Access: Translation and Interpretation Policies and Practices

created to assist local government administrators, policymakers, and others who are looking for ways to provide high-quality and cost-effective translation and interpretation services.
Practitioners’ Corner Archive
Centralizing Translation Across Agencies Through Computer Assisted Translation (CAT)
Testing and Training Volunteer Translators and Interpreters
Top 10 Best Practices for Multilingual Websites
Doing More with Less on Language Access
How to Assess the Effectiveness of Language Access Programs
Drafting RFP and Contracts for Language Access Services
Tips for Testing and Certifying Multilingual Employees
Tips for Ensuring Translation Quality

USA Learns English apps

With 4 levels of USA Learns English apps, you can use your phone, tablet or iPad to:
*Watch videos from our popular 1st English course!
*Practice listening to English vocabulary words.
*Record your voice to practice speaking and compare your voice to a native English speaker from the US.
*Improve your spoken English.
Key Words: ESL

Don’t be a Bystander: 6 Tips for Responding to Racist Attacks

A simple primer on how to interrupt racist attacks in public from the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). This video suggests how we can all support a victim without involving police (unless the victim asks). If you are an educator, we strongly encourage you to share this video in your classrooms. Key Words: Islamophobia, Hate Crimes, Advocacy, intervention

Tarjimly Translation App

Realtime Translators for Refugees. Anytime. Anywhere. Fast. Free Over 9000 Vetted volunteer translators in 80+ languages. NGOs and nonprofits around the world use Tarjimly to effectively communicate with the people they’re trying to help. Where machine translation has failed them, Tarjimly is solving a major problem for these organizations by mobilizing the world’s bilingual speakers. Key Words: Language Access

PanLex Translator App

The PanLex Translator app provides access to PanLex’s free multilingual dictionary. You can translate words from any language to any other language. The dictionary contains more than 5,700 of the world’s 7,000 languages. It is a support to students, translators, interpreters, new arrivals, clinicians, as well as disaster relief and refugee-support personnel. Read more about the PanLex Mission to overcome language barriers to human rights, information, and opportunities. Key Words: SCC Language Bank

Notifica App

Notifica is an app by United We Dream that gives you and your family a help button to alert key contacts if anyone is at risk of deportation. Simply create your messages today and you will be ready to press a button for help when you or your family needs it. Alerts are designed to inform family members, legal advocates, and other contacts that the sender may have been detained by the police or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Spanish

RACECOUNTS – Measuring Racial Disparity is CA Counties

Race Counts project has developed a tool to assess racial disparity is 7 Key Issue areas: *Economic * Opportunity * Access to Health Care * Education * Housing * Democracy * Crime & Justice * Healthy Built Environments. Racial disparity is pervasive across California and it impacts all of us. See the full picture across counties, issue areas and indicators. Santa Clara is a high performance, low disparity, and more populous county. Winter 2017 Report

Phone Ringtone Advises CA Immigrants of Their Rights

6/27/17 SALINAS These are uncertain times for the immigrant community and advocates are trying to find ways to bring them help and comfort.
The latest effort comes in the form of aby the United Farm Workers, a cumbia-style jingle that advises “if immigration comes, keep calm. You have the right to not sign anything and not say anything. You have the right to remain silent and to ask for a lawyer.”
Download Ringtone |

Refugee Phrasebooks – 16 Languages

In the 1980s and 1990s, the Cultural Orientation Resource Center was funded to develop phrasebooks for selected refugee populations. These phrasebooks include appropriate English phrases for use in daily American life, selected to be direct, brief, and relevant. Included are sections on Giving Information About Yourself, Recognizing Signs, Dealing With Money, Health, Food, Clothing, Housing, and Jobs. Each phrasebook is approximately 140 pages and can be downloaded for free.
Languages: Russian, Spanish, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Chinese (Cantonese), Somali, Czech, Farsi, Haitian Creole, Hungarian, Hmong, Khmer, Lao, Polish, and Vietnamese Key Words: Multi-language, Translate, Interpret,

Refugee Health Information Network (rhin)

RHIN is a national collaborative partnership that has created a database of quality multilingual, public health resources for those providing care to resettled refugees and asylees. Resources include Health education materials in various languages and formats (brochures, fact sheets, videos), Provider tools (including information on refugee populations and cultures), and information on Emergency Preparedness and Response for vulnerable populations.

Tools to Avoid Scammers

The USCIS wants to combat immigration services scams by equipping applicants, legal service providers and community-based organizations with the knowledge and tools they need to detect and protect themselves from dishonest practices. Links to information about how to find authorized legal immigration help, common scams and where to report them. | Spanish |

FEMA Mobile Disaster App – English & Spanish

The app provides a customizable checklist of emergency supplies, maps of open shelters and Disaster Recovery Centers, and tips on how to survive natural and manmade disasters. The latest version (May, 2016) features weather-related alerts from the National Weather Service (NWS). Users can sign up to receive these alerts for up to five locations across the U.S.The |Spanish| of the app is available for download to Android and Apple devices. Key words: Federal Emergency Management System

I Speak Cards – Request for Interpretation

These cards can be used to help an individual obtain interpretive services. Check on the language to download and print out. Insert the name of the individual on the blank line on both the English and the non-English language statements. Cut along the border lines, place back-to-back with adhesive (glue or paste), and laminate the card. Arabic/English
*.Armenian/English**Cambodian/English**Chinese/English**Farsi/English**Hmong/English**Japanese/English**Korean/English**Laotian/English**Mien/English**Portuguese/English**Punjabi/English**Russian/English**Spanish/English**Tagalog/English**Vietnamese/English
A written list of 38 languages with the phrase, “Mark this box if you read or speak English.” can be used to initially identify the language needed.

Urban Institute Children of Immigrants Data Tool

The Urban Institute Children of Immigrants Data Tool is an interactive tool designed to generate charts and tables with indicators on children, age 0 to 17, for the United States, the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the top 100 metro areas using data from the American Community Survey. The Children of Immigrants Data Tool presents data on a number of population groups of children defined by the children nativity and citizenship and the nativity, citizenship, and origin of their parents, such as children with immigrant parents, children with noncitizen parents, and children with Mexican parents. Key Words: Demographics, Research