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LANGUAGE ACCESS

Tens of thousands of East Bay residents do not speak English well enough to access information or public services. Lack of access due to language barriers cuts across all issue areas whether we are talking about health, social services, legal services, or government services. Family Bridges came into being because of the lack of appropriate bilingual services for the many immigrants from China that settled in the East Bay.

Advocacy Efforts
We work to educate city and county staff on the needs of the community and the impact of their delay in implementing policies by serving on two task forces with the City of Oakland and Alameda County Social Services and through Oakland Coalition for Language Access efforts. Family Bridges has sought to revitalize coalition efforts, providing updates to community members, and urging coalition members to testify at City Council meetings.

Training on Community Interpretation
We also provide training on a contract basis for agencies and organizations on the ethics and practices of community interpreting, and bilingualism.