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NAJIT opposes lawsuit filed by ProEnglish
October 14, 2004
The Honorable Barry Ted Moskowitz
Judge, U.S. District Court
Southern District of California
RE: PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION AND LAWSUIT CHALLENGING THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MANDATORY TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION RULES
Case Number: 04CV1748
Dear Judge Moskowtiz,
The National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT), a
professional association of language specialists in the legal field, with
extensive expertise in the medical field as well (the two fields are closely
interrelated), is strongly opposed to the request for a preliminary injunction
in a lawsuit filed by ProEnglish, challenging the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services (HSS) mandatory translation and interpretation rules due to
professional and humanitarian considerations.
Our association was founded in 1979 and currently has over 1,000 members who
work daily to bridge the language gap and assist in providing meaningful access
to public services for limited English proficient (LEP) or non-English speakers
throughout the United States. Our members are in a unique position to see how
often access to accurate translation and interpretation in medical situations is
compromised for limited English speakers, despite Title VI of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination of the basis of national origin.
According to the 2000 Census, nearly 47,000,000 people, or 18 percent of the
population over five years of age, speak a language other than English at home.
These numbers are projected to continue to increase in every state in the
nation. Catastrophic events take place in the health sector when adequate
language access is not provided and are reported with alarming frequency across
the nation. The high cost, in terms of lives, human dignity and dollars, has
become an issue of national concern.
NAJIT fully supports Executive Order 13166 (E.O. 13166), which has maintained
bipartisan support since it was signed by President Clinton and reaffirmed by
President Bush. Our organization supports full implementation of the policy
guidelines issued by the Department of Health and Human Services in order to
ensure equal access to important medical services and programs to all
non-English speaking and LEP persons.
Sincerely yours,
Alexander Raïnof, Ph.D.
Chair of the Board of Directors, NAJIT
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