Register today for the 2019 WASCLA Language Access Summit. On October 25th and 26th, 2019, we will convene to explore pathways for creating equity for Washington residents which includes: meaningful access to language services and strengthening how services are provided in our state. This year marks WASCLA’s 13th Summit and the theme of the Summit is Language Access Pathways to Equity: Sharing the Vision. Shaping the Future. Every year, the WASCLA Summit provides a space to examine critical issues with colleagues who share a commitment to justice and offers a chance to support each other in this work. Since its inception, WASCLA has been engaged in ground breaking advocacy promoting language access around the state, including hosting Washington State's only conference dedicated to language access: the WASCLA Summit. We hope you register now to join us in Tacoma, Washington on October 25th and 26th for the 2019 WASCLA Summit!

Today, WASCLA’s work, and the work that each of you do, is more important than ever because:

• Of our state’s 7.5 million people, 1 in 7 are immigrants and refugees who speak over 200 different languages.

• Almost 19% of residents speak a language other than English at home; of whom at least 8%—over 500,000 people—say their ability to speak English is limited.

• Eighty-five percent of our public-school districts enroll students who are English language learners, and many parents need language assistance to communicate effectively with teachers and school personnel.

• Individuals who are Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, or Deaf-Blind also face significant language barriers to core services, even though they now make up 4% of Washington’s population—about 286,000 people.

• Washington is one of the top states in the nation as a new home for refugees and immigrants and the wellbeing of our people is being impacted by federal policies and proposed policies that seek to reduce civil rights including language access protections.

Register today to join us at the Summit to explore the components of successful language services from many perspectives: state and local, cross-disciplinary, and from different facets within the field of language access.

AGENDA

While the final agenda is still in development, we are working to create informative sessions where you can learn about language access pathways to equity in a variety of areas, including the following:

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: emerging issues at federal and state levels

• Legislative and policy updates

• Spotlight on Washington demographics

• Culturally and linguistically appropriate healthcare services

• Communications during emergencies

• Interpreting in legal settings

• Quality language services in schools

• Best practices for serving Deaf communities

The conference agenda may change due to presenter scheduling and other considerations. The draft agenda can be found HERE. Additional information can be found on the WASCLA website.

CONFERENCE SPONSOR AND EXHIBITOR OPPORTUNITIES

We invite you to become a Sponsor and/or Exhibitor at the 2019 WASCLA Summit to help further our common goal of eliminating language barriers to essential services for Limited English Proficient and Deaf individuals in Washington State. At the Summit, we commit to offering an open atmosphere for the collaborative exchange of ideas and to include all stakeholders in these vital discussions. The conference is attended by people working in all sectors, including administrators, service providers, policymakers, interpreters, and translators, together with advocates and community members. Sponsorship at various levels is critical to making the Language Access Summit affordable, to promoting broad participation, and to providing scholarship support to attendees. All sponsors are featured prominently in the conference program materials.

Click HERE for Sponsor Forms and Instructions

CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS - CREDIT INFORMATION

WASCLA applies for approval of continuing education credits from the credentialing bodies for various professionals, including attorneys, medical and court interpreters, and teachers. Credit details for each field will be shared as it becomes available; updates will be posted on our website and Facebook page, too.

Approved credits for the summit are:

• Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI): 6 CE available on Friday. 5 CE available on Saturday.

• DSHS -Language Testing & Certification (LTC)

• Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction

• Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) - 12 CE, total, including 1.5 Ethics credits available.

• Washington State Bar Association (WSBA)

• Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) - Each day will earn 7.25 hours, therefore 0.725 PS-PPO CEUs are available per day. You must register and submit the PIRNA form in advance of the Summit. Registration for PIRNA credits is available HERE. Each participant will register and pay for the PIRNA credits independently. WASCLA will provide you with a certificate of attendance and will submit registration form verification to HSDC on your behalf for verification of attendance.

If you are seeking continuing education credits from other sources, please send an email to wascla.lep@gmail.com with the information from the accrediting body for your profession. Be sure to include requirements, policies, and any costs involved for a continuing education provider. Due to time and budget constraints, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to fulfill such requests.

SUMMIT DETAILS AND LOGISTICS

DATE: Friday, October 25, 2018, and Saturday, October 26, 2018

WHEN: Doors open at 8:30 each day

Our program runs from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

MAP AND DRIVING DIRECTIONS

Directions to the GTCC:

https://tacomaconventioncenter.org/attend#getting-here

Onsite paid parking for the Summit is available at the Center …

https://tacomaconventioncenter.org/parking-information

TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS

The Tacoma Convention Center is easily accessible by air, Sounder and Amtrak trains, bus, and ride-hailing services. There is a free light rail train serving the Tacoma downtown area. See the following websites for more information:

https://www.traveltacoma.com/plan/ground-transportation/

https://www.traveltacoma.com/plan/link-light-rail/

REQUESTS FOR ADA ACCOMMODATIONS

If you are a person with a disability and need an accommodation to participate at the Summit, please send your request to us by email at wascla.lep@gmail.com. Please provide us as much advance notice as is possible to allow us to process your request.

SPOKEN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER SERVICES

If a language barrier would prevent you or a colleague from attending the Summit, WASCLA will provide spoken language interpreter services upon request. Please give us as much advance notice as possible to process your request; send your request to us at wascla.lep@gmail.com.

LODGING

The Summit will be held at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center in Tacoma, Washington, and on-site lodging is not available. Attendees are responsible for making their arrangements for overnight stays.To find local options, we suggest that you use popular online lodging booking tools.

Here are some links to listings of Tacoma visitor information which include lodging options, offered as information only:

https://www.traveltacoma.com/hotels/

https://tacomaconventioncenter.org/hotel-info#toggleTitle2

MEALS

Your registration includes coffee and tea, lunch, and snacks each day. Vegetarian and gluten-free choices are available, along with limited vegan options. The registration form has a space for you to note your meal selection along with any dietary restrictions. We will do our best to select a range of food to accommodate most diets within the limited catering options available.

REGISTRATION FEES & PAYMENT

Please use this page to purchase your registration ticket to attend the Summit, using the ticket options above.

ALTERNATE PAYMENT METHODS

If you work for an agency or entity that requires a purchase order before registration, please contact us at wascla.lep@gmail.com as early as possible so that we may process your request. We are an all-volunteer-run organization and so replies can be delayed. Thank you for understanding.

SCHOLARSHIPS

We are actively seeking sponsorship support for need-based scholarships for Summit registration. If you are interested in being considered for a scholarship, please send an email explaining your situation to wascla.lep@gmail.com. We will notify applicants as soon as possible if funds become available but regret that we cannot make guarantees of financial assistance.

If you would like to support the Summit Scholarship Fund, you may donate with your registration, or mail a check to WASCLA, 1037 NE 65th St. #262, Seattle WA 98115.

JOIN THE WASCLA EMAIL LIST

If you are not already on the WASCLA email list, add yourself to receive the latest updates on the Summit and other WASCLA activities. CLICK HERE to Subscribe to Our Mailing List

REFUND POLICY

WASCLA incurs fixed costs for the Summit based on the number of expected attendees, and late cancellations affect our ability to cover these costs and offer a high-quality conference for our participants. We cannot offer refunds except on the following terms:

• Requests must be submitted in writing to wascla.lep@gmail.com

• Before 12:00 p.m. on October 4, 2019, we can offer a full refund minus a $25.00 service fee.

• After 12:01 p.m. on October 4, 2019, no refunds will be made.

Please note that the online registration system required us to select from among pre-set options for refunds and none of these options fit our timeline and are therefore not valid for the WASCLA Summit. While the site says refunds are only available 30 days before the event, we will honor requests for refunds based on WASCLA’s official refund policy, as explained above.

QUESTIONS

Contact WASCLA at wascla.lep@gmail.com.

WASCLA is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization, EIN 90-0517290, dedicated to eliminating language barriers to essential services in Washington State through collaborative efforts. Donations to WASCLA are tax deductible to donors to the full extent of the law.