Advocacy in Action: Amplify Language Rights Using Social Media

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"In this session, participants will be introduced to the National Language Rights Campaign Toolkit, which features social media messages aimed at raising awareness of the right to language assistance services, including spoken and sign language interpreting and translation services, as well as the remedies available when these essential services are not provided. Presenters will share observations on the project's reach and the data gathered to date, highlighting its potential impact and effectiveness. This session will foster an interactive environment for discussion and feedback, encouraging participants to share insights on the messaging and assist with the recommendations for implementation of the Toolkit within their communities. Together, we can strengthen our collective efforts to ensure equitable access to essential services for all individuals, regardless of language barriers. Join us to explore effective strategies for advocacy and learn how to utilize this toolkit to enhance language rights in your community! (The Toolkit concept was proposed by the NLADA Latina-o-x Section, and collaboratively developed by Northwest Justice Project and language access partners across the country, and supported by a Legal Services Corporation T.I.G. Grant). "

Kristi Cruz, JD

Attorney

Northwest Justice Project

Kristi Cruz is a staff attorney at the Northwest Justice Project. She operates the CLEAR*ASL program, which provides legal advice and brief services to Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard-of-hearing clients in family, housing, public benefits, disability discrimination, and other civil legal areas of law. In addition, Ms. Cruz advocates for the language rights of NJP clients and is involved in state and national efforts to reduce language barriers for LEP and Deaf individuals as they access education, healthcare, legal, and governmental services. Ms. Cruz was certified as an American Sign Language Interpreter in 1996 and became a member of the Washington Bar in 2009. She was the inaugural Seattle University School of Law Leadership for Justice Fellow (2009) during which she worked on language access issues for the Northwest Justice Project. In 2010, Ms. Cruz was a co-reporter for the American Bar Association’s Standards for Language Access in Courts project, which created national standards for the effective delivery of interpreter and translation services in courts. She is a volunteer with the Washington State Coalition for Language Access (WASCLA) and serves as the attorney representative on the Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts Interpreter and Language Access Commission.