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About Bridging Voices
Values:
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Language Justice: We believe in the power of language as a tool for empowerment and self-expression. We advocate for language justice by ensuring that all individuals have the right to communicate and access information in their preferred language.
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Diversity: We celebrate the diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds of individuals and communities. We recognize that diversity enriches our understanding, perspectives, and solutions. We actively seek to amplify marginalized voices and promote equitable representation.
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Equity and Inclusion: We are committed to dismantling systemic barriers and promoting fairness in language access. We strive to create inclusive spaces where everyone feels valued, respected, and heard. We work to address disparities and promote equal opportunities for all.
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Justice: We are driven by a commitment to social justice and strive to challenge systems of oppression and discrimination. We engage in critical analysis and action to address the root causes of inequality and work towards creating a more just and equitable society.
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Services:
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High-Quality Interpretation: We provide professional interpretation services across a wide range of languages, ensuring accurate and culturally appropriate communication in various settings, including conferences, meetings, and legal proceedings.
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Translation Services: We offer reliable and precise translation services for written materials, documents, and digital content, maintaining linguistic integrity and cultural nuances to ensure effective communication.
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Consulting and Training: We provide consulting services to organizations seeking to integrate diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice into their language practices. We offer training programs to enhance cross-cultural communication, sensitivity, and understanding.
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Advocacy and Education: We engage in advocacy efforts to promote language justice and raise awareness about the importance of equitable language access. We offer educational resources and workshops to empower individuals and organizations to become advocates for language justice.
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By combining our language services with a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, we aim to create positive and transformative change in language access and communication across various sectors and communities.
Our Team
Lena Morán- Acereto is a native of Mexico City, Mexico and currently a resident of Ventura County, CA where she lives with her husband and her son.
Lena holds a Master's Degree in Education with an emphasis in Social Justice and Leadership from Antioch University Santa Barbara, where she did research on the topic of children who are used as interpreters and with her thesis focusing on the creation of an evaluation system of interpretation and translation services in school districts. As an educator, activist and advocate, Lena's expertise has led her to design and facilitate workshops and trainings nationally and internationally on interpretation, translation as well as diversity, equity, inclusion and justice and provide linguistically inclusive design and language justice consulting.
Lena works with a wide range of clients in the private and public sectors to design and implement linguistically inclusive practices, trainings and processes. Lena has also worked with clients to assess and improve internal and external language access and language justice practices. Lena is also a frequent speaker and presenter at conferences and workshops, sharing her expertise and best practices for creating linguistically inclusive environments.
Lena is a licensed trainer for The Community Interpreter, a program of Cross-Cultural Communications, an interpreter and translator and expert in the field of language justice.
Lena is the founder and CEO of Bridging Voices- Uniendo Voces, Adjunct Faculty at Santa Barbara City College, Board of Trustees member of Wilderness Youth Project and the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation.
In 2018, Lena received Congressional recognition for her work in coordinating and providing language access services during and after the Thomas Fire and Montecito Mudslide disasters.
Edward is the Director of Operations at Bridging Voices. With over 15 years of customer service experience, Edward brings his talents and skills in client relations, bilingual customer support, and a "people first" attitude. Edward is excited to be part of an organization that allows him to make a positive impact in the community. In his free time, Edward enjoys photography, walking his dogs and enjoying the music scene.
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Our interpreters and translators
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Bridging Voices works with a national network of trained and qualified interpreters and translators who work through a lens of language justice. Our contractors are professional, knoweldgeable and passionate individuals who strive to provide interpretation and translation of the highest caliber, adhering to ethics and national standards. ​
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