The ATA Chronicle - May/June 2021 - 18

ATA's Advocacy Committee,

I believe the advocacy

I received a personal phone

efforts of ATA and other

call from the assistant

professional organizations

director of the public health

(particularly the Certification

department. She assured me

Commission for Healthcare

that Orange County would

Interpreters' social media

prioritize freelance health

campaign) have empowered

care interpreters under Phase
1A in their COVID-19 vaccine
allocation plans.
I received my first dose
on January 11 at Kaiser
Permanente Anaheim, after
two weeks of persistently
contacting Kaiser and

interpreters with knowledge
and encouragement to
self-advocate for their own
vaccination. This has not
always been an easy process,
as some states and regions
did not prioritize interpreters
as readily as mine did.

referencing ATA's letter and
the information from the
public health department.
I was told to bring my
interpreter badge to the
appointment, which I did,
although no one ended up
asking for it.
Getting vaccinated against
COVID-19 was a momentous
occasion for me. The
experience evoked a sense
of gratitude, solemnity, and
responsibility. I was also
eager to share my story with
colleagues and friends to
inspire hope.
Being aware of CDC equity
guidelines, I took it a step
further and called Kaiser to
find out if they were offering
the vaccine to non-member
health care personnel. Sure
enough, they were. I shared
this good news with a few
local language services
companies who then notified
their networks. Numerous
colleagues reached out to
me for input regarding what
steps they needed to take to
get vaccinated.
Being fully vaccinated
gives me more confidence to
continue providing in-person

Lorena Ortiz Schneider
Santa Barbara, California
I'm a full-time professional
interpreter working in
mental health and workers'
compensation medical
treatment and evaluation
settings, among other areas.
I qualified for the vaccine
by reaching out in January
to the local clinic for whom

Carol Shaw
Garland, Texas

I do translations and asked
if they might help me and
my colleagues in the area
qualify for the first round of

For years, most of my

vaccinations. After showing

interpreting assignments

them ATA's December 2020

have been depositions and

letter to the CDC, the clinic
immediately went to work.
They realized that covering
face-to-face interpreters was
important, given the work we
do to communicate with their
LEP population. By simply

the occasional hearing at a
small municipal court. I also
train staff interpreters for
a nearby school district. All

room. In March 2020, the
pandemic slammed the door
on all those in-person settings.
So, along with my
colleagues around the
world, I learned to do the
online thing. Depositions,
hearings, classes, and
everything else went virtual.
When vaccinations began,
I was encouraged by ATA's
advocacy for health care
interpreters. It meant I could
stop worrying about some of
my colleagues. Eventually,
my county began offering
vaccines on a broader basis,
and I signed up as soon as it
was an option. I was fortunate
as my reaction to each of the
shots only lasted a day or two.
Being fully vaccinated
doesn't mean that my calendar
will suddenly fill with inperson assignments. My
clients are being cautious,
which I applaud. Besides,
most of them have adjusted
to Zoom depositions and may
never fully return to in-person
proceedings. It will be a few
months before the municipal
court hearings and interpreting
classes return to in-person.
But having gotten the
vaccine now means I'm more
likely to be healthy when
clients do come calling.
Getting vaccinated also
meant that when asked to
serve in-person at a youth
facility, I was able to join a
host of my colleagues and
accept. It feels like those
doors that slammed shut last

three settings involve multiple

year are finally letting a sliver

people interacting in a small

of light show through.

asking, I managed to help get
12 interpreters vaccinated in
early January!
Being eligible for the

interpreting services, whether

vaccine in the first round was

in medical clinics, city council

a big deal for me. Not only

meetings, and eventually in

did it keep me and others

other community settings.

safe, but it also provided

18

peace of mind and gave me
the confidence I needed to
perform my duties fully.
While the medical facilities
I frequent are taking
stringent precautions and
my assignments are still
primarily remote, there are
occasions when nothing but
an on-site interpreter will
do. Knowing I have less of a
chance of bringing COVID-19
home and infecting my
loved ones than before I was
vaccinated is a huge relief.
As chair of ATA's Advocacy
Committee, I know that
advocacy efforts on behalf of
translators and interpreters
are very important. Educating
the public and government
officials about our role in
society is something that
must continue if interpreters
are to be afforded equal status
with other parties within the
medical team.

The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2021

NOTES
1	
Read ATA's December 17 letter to the CDC requesting Phase 1
eligibility for medical interpreters, http://bit.ly/ATA-CDC.
2	

Read ATA's request to the CDC to explicitly list medical
interpreters and other on-site interpreters as essential workers,
http://bit.ly/ATA-CDC-interpreters.
www.atanet.org
http://www.bit.ly/ATA-CDC http://www.bit.ly/ATA-CDC-interpreters http://www.atanet.org
The ATA Chronicle - May/June 2021

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