Audio Remote Interpreting (ARI) Assistance at Public Counters

About the Program

Category: County Administration and Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

Audio Remote Interpreting (ARI) Assistance at Public Counters is a language access initiative. The service is provided for Limited English Proficient (LEP) court clients that visit public counters. ARI employs a vendor-supplied interpreter, located at a remote location, via telephone. The interpreter listens to the communication event and interprets the communication into the target language for the client. ARI also interprets information back into English, for court staff assisting the court clients. In the Los Angeles Superior Court (LASC), ARI is used for languages other than Spanish. All public counters at all LASC locations have bilingual staff available to assist Spanish-speaking clients. A window at each public counter is equipped with a dual handset phone/receiver. This configuration allows court staff, the client, and the ARI-provided interpreter to engage in a three-way conversation. ARI arose from the need to provide meaningful, on-demand language access services to (LEP) court clients, at all points of contact. Live interpreters are supplied to LEP clients during judicial proceedings.