Missouri Developmental Disabilities Council Supporting Lanuage Access in Schools

Grantee: National Association of Educational Translators & Interpreters of Spoken Languages (NAETISL)

Project Background

Spanish speaking families who have students with I/DD need:

• To receive quality language access in schools.
• To receive the supports and services they need through quality language access.
• To be aware of their language access rights.

Schools need:

• To be aware of their legal obligations to provide quality language access.
• To be aware of language access best practices.
• To have access to qualified providers for interpretation and translation services.

Project Description

Highlights of this project will include:

• Trainings for school leaders about their legal obligations to provide language access. The trainings will be statewide, virtual trainings.
• Coaching sessions for school leaders who complete the trainings. The coaching will help school leaders apply what they learned.
• A database of qualified interpreters.
• Outreach to Latinx and other emergent bilingual families with students who have I/DD.
• A train the trainer program about language access and education advocacy for a select group of bilingual families and students who have I/DD.  They will share their new skills with their schools.
• A family support hotline for Spanish speaking and other emergent bilingual families, common in Missouri.

Watch for trainings to begin in the Summer of 2023.