Arkansas Department of Human Services Awards 7-Year Language Services Contract to Interpreters Unlimited
IU Becomes Sole Provider of Interpreters for Workers’ Compensation Cases, State Medical Facilities and Legal Services in Arkansas
SAN DIEGO, CALIF., Oct. 21, 2016—The State of Arkansas Department of Human Services issued a seven year contract to Interpreters Unlimited to provide interpreting and translation services in 20 languages to persons with limited English proficiency. Under the contract, IU will do business as its sister company, Arkansas Spanish Interpreters and Translators (ASIT). The contract began October 1 and will expire September 30, 2023.
Vendors with the ability to serve Arkansas’ 75 counties were taken into consideration. Other stipulations of the contract required incumbents to provide both non-certified (qualified) and certified interpreters for every language with proof of appropriate documentation. Eligible interpreters are required to have advanced knowledge of workers compensation cases, medical terminology and legal proceedings to adequately fulfill the Department’s needs. IU ASIT was selected to be the single provider to the state based on its reputation and ability to meet high demands from Arkansas.
“We’re very excited to work with the Department of Health on this contract,” said, Shamus Sayed, VP Interpreters Unlimited. “With local offices in Little Rock and reliable contractors [interpreters], we are confident we can build lasting relationships in the state in the years to come.”
“It’s important to us to let the community know that we support 200 languages in addition to Spanish.” adds, Deirdre Gibson, operations manager, ASIT. “The limited English speaking community continues to grow and we are happy to continue the relationships we’ve developed with the State and the Department of Health.” In 2008, Arkansas Spanish Interpreters and Translators was acquired by Interpreters Unlimited. Today, IU ASIT operates under IU and has the ability to provide 200 languages and American Sign Language (excluded from this contract) throughout Arkansas. More information about ASIT can be found at http://arspanish.com/.
For more information about Interpreters Unlimited please visit www.interpreters.com or call 800-726-9891.
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About IU
The IU Group of companies include: Interpreters Unlimited, Accessible Communication for the Deaf, Albors & Alnet and Arkansas Spanish Interpreters and Translators, and are headquartered in San Diego, California as a minority owned company. IU Group is committed to providing equal opportunity in the work environment with its diverse team to aid in supplying linguistic and cultural interpretation services to clients. A combined 70 years in the industry and 9,000 contracted linguists demonstrates a surplus of leadership and best practices, which helped establish its respected role in the language services community. Its services include foreign language interpretation, American Sign Language interpretation, and document translation.
Media Contact
Anita Mackie
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anita(dot)mackie(at)iugroup.com