Category: Blog

Imagine you’re hosting a global team meeting where several attendees have limited English proficiency. How productive will that meeting be? Now imagine trying to sell your products or service to someone who isn’t fully comfortable communicating in English. How likely are they to move forward?

When employees or customers can’t fully understand your message, engagement drops and problems arise.

Today, most organizations operate across regions, cultures, and languages. Multilingual communication isn’t a nice-to-have anymore — it’s a strategic lever for productivity, engagement, and growth.

With real-time multilingual business translation and interpretation, Sorenson Forum helps teams and customers understand each other clearly, no matter the language.

The true cost of language barriers

Friction in business communication isn’t just inconvenient — it can be expensive. Here are some of the ways inefficient communication and language barriers can harm your bottom line:

Lost productivity — Slow or inefficient translation can have a compounding effect. Even a relatively minor miscommunication can quickly spiral into hours of explanation and rework. Workflows get disrupted as employees ask for clarification.

Multilingual meetings and presentations powered by Sorenson Forum minimize confusion and ensure everyone’s on the same page — even if they’re not all speaking the same language.  

Lost business opportunities — In many industries, competitive growth is fueled by international deals — the kind that 64% of businesses say they’ve missed due to a lack of multilingual employees.  

With real-time translation from Sorenson Forum, in-person and virtual meetings can easily cross language barriers, setting your organization up for greater international success.

Lost employee participation — When language barriers within a company go unaddressed, a surge in employee turnover is often soon to follow. Employees who don’t feel heard or understood give minimal effort or just leave entirely. Happy and engaged employees are more productive and often identify new and useful solutions or processes.  

Sorenson Forum doesn’t just help those employees feel heard; it can help their ideas and input reach the decision makers who can enact them.

Missed customers — By only communicating in one language, businesses voluntarily cut themselves off from huge pools of potential customers.

Real-time translation and interpretation enable you to tell new customers about your business while demonstrating your commitment to customer service and clear communication.

Breakdowns in communication are clearly a risk to any business. Fortunately, real-time translation, interpretation, and captioning can help you mitigate those risks, foster greater collaboration and connection, and avoid some of those negative outcomes.

Getting started with live multilingual translation

Every company and organization has unique needs when it comes to multilingual translation.  

• Perform a communication audit. Review your internal communication policies and practices, as well as key external touchpoints. This Communication Accessibility Checklist can help you identify where communication is working effectively, where it can be improved, and where potential major breakdowns might happen.
• Download A Modern Guide to Multilingual Communication at Scale. This comprehensive guide covers why multilingual communication matters, how live translation compares to other solutions, and what to look for in a translation tool.
• Identify high-impact areas for translation and captioning. Many organizations choose to implement new technologies in phases. Based on your audit, where will multilingual translation have the biggest or most immediate impact on your business? For example, your company might field a lot of customer service calls from diverse communities, or you may be expanding into a new region with a heavily bilingual community.
• Get internal buy-in. The points made in this article and in the Guide should help you make your case to internal decision-makers. Once you have selected a solution, be sure that all team members are properly trained and comfortable using it, to promote quick adoption and get the best results.

The language of success

In today’s world, multilingual communication is not just the right thing to do — it’s a business necessity. The ability to reach more potential customers and avoid costly miscommunications is a strategic advantage growth-minded businesses can’t afford to pass up.

How communication gaps harm diagnosis and treatment—and practical steps administrators can take to improve equity, patient safety, and outcomes.

What’s scarier than a cancer diagnosis?

No diagnosis — or one that comes too late — because accessible healthcare was out of reach. That’s a preventable risk for millions in the U.S.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among U.S. women, and early detection saves lives. But for millions of patients who are Deaf, hard-of-hearing, or who speak a language other than English, early detection often depends on something far more basic than technology: communication access.

When patients can’t understand their provider — or their provider can’t understand them — screenings get delayed, symptoms go unreported, and treatment plans aren’t followed. These communication gaps are preventable and improving them can lead directly to better outcomes.

Language disparities in healthcare

Language accessibility has life-and-death implications in breast cancer diagnoses, treatment, and outcomes — especially for non-English-speaking and Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) patients.

Language barriers affect every step of the healthcare system, from scheduling appointments to understanding diagnoses and treatment plans.

Studies show:

• Language barriers delay access to screenings and disrupt treatment for immigrant patients (BMC Health Services Research).
• Adults aged 18-64 who speak a language other than English are 2.5x more likely not to have a primary care provider and more likely to miss routine preventative screenings (Journal of General Internal Medicine).
• Deaf ASL users’ understanding of English medical terminology is comparable to that of non-English-speaking immigrants (Preventing Chronic Disease).
• Linguistically varied patients have longer hospital stays, more surgery delays, and higher readmission rates due to due to misunderstanding their care (The Joint Commission).
• Deaf and hard-of-hearing patients often lack access to appropriate communication, such as sign language interpreters or captioning, which increases the risk of misunderstandings and delayed treatment (PubMed Central).
• Breast health knowledge gaps are significant among deaf women — in one study, only 64% could correctly explain a mammogram (PubMed Central).
• Health literacy is low nationwide: only 12% of U.S. adults have proficient health literacy (U.S. Department of HHS).
• Deaf ASL users are seven times more likely to have inadequate health literacy compared to hearing peers, even when information is translated into ASL (PubMed Central).

Combined, these barriers limit patients’ ability to understand breast health information, ask informed questions, follow instructions, and receive timely care.

Why healthcare administrators should care

Language needs for healthcare access  

When you speak the dominant language in your country or region, it’s easy to take for granted how smoothly communication flows throughout the healthcare process. But for linguistically varied and DHH patients, language barriers can appear at each stage:

• Scheduling and check-in: Difficulty communicating with front-office staff.
• History and symptoms: Incomplete or inaccurate documentation due to misunderstandings.
• Testing and procedures: Limited ability to ask questions or understand preparation instructions.
• Diagnosis and treatment planning: High risk of miscommunication around medical terminology, options, risks, and follow-up care.

Common challenges include:

• Ineffective patient-physician communication: Without a shared language or appropriate language services, patients can misunderstand instructions — and providers miss essential context.
• Professional language services:
  • Interpreting: Patients may rely on family members or untrained staff, leading to inaccuracies (Joint Commission).
  • Translation: Missing or incomplete translated materials cause confusion around diagnoses and treatment (PLOS One).
  • Captioning: Without accurate real-time captioning, DHH patients may miss critical details during complex appointments.
• Limited access to accessible health information: Few materials are available in ASL or non-English languages, limiting patient education and informed consent.

Addressing these communication gaps — through interpreters, translation, captioning, and culturally appropriate information — may improve patient safety, satisfaction, and outcomes.

Real patient stories: The human impact

Early detection depends on understanding the why

A hearing patient who spoke English went in for regular mammograms — and one of those screenings caught her breast cancer early enough to treat effectively.

But imagine if she hadn’t understood why mammograms were necessary or how often to get them. Many patients who are non-English-speaking or culturally underserved miss screenings simply because the information wasn’t communicated in their language.

For her, understanding the guidance changed her outcome. For others, lack of access delays care until the cancer is more advanced.

Access is more than “providing an interpreter”

A different patient, who is Deaf, went in for a routine mammogram. That turned into repeat scans, ultrasounds, and eventually a breast cancer diagnosis.

The law in her state required the hospital to provide an interpreter — but that didn’t guarantee clear communication. Different interpreters used different signs. Some didn’t know the specialized medical terminology. And masked providers made lip-reading impossible during the pandemic.

She wanted to understand her diagnosis and take an active role in her care. Her first step was to request the same interpreter for each appointment whenever possible. This consistency helped them build a shared vocabulary of medical signs. Once signs became familiar, she could follow what her care team was saying.

However, interpreters can only translate what clinicians say — they can’t teach the medical concepts behind the terms. So, she began researching at home. Her doctors supported her by giving her copies of all her reports and letting her read visit summaries.

Her story illustrates a key point: compliance with interpreter laws is not the same as meaningful access. Providers must ensure the communication itself is accurate, consistent, and patient-centered.

Without a professional interpreter, patients get left behind

A third patient, a Spanish-speaking patient in California, was unaware that she was entitled to a qualified interpreter and her full cancer care team did not speak Spanish. Her relative chose to step in and interpret, as he said he did not want her to worry needlessly about her health.

As a result, some information was withheld, softened, or mistranslated. Family members cannot ethically — or effectively — replace trained medical interpreters. Misunderstandings can lead to missed screenings, late diagnoses, or failure to follow treatment plans.

According to the California Health Care Foundation’s (CHCF) California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), 2.7 million adults in California are linguistically varied. Twenty-nine percent of these adults reported getting help from a family member or friend to understand their doctor, and 23% were not aware of their right to an interpreter.

How healthcare providers can solve language barriers

Improving language accessibility is achievable, and the strategies below can significantly improve outcomes for linguistically varied, Deaf, and hard-of-hearing patients.

1. Know and follow the legal standards

• Certain federal and state laws require language access for limited English proficient (LEP) patients.
• Similarly, certain federal laws require effective communication for Deaf and hard-of-hearing patients.
• Relying on family or staff to interpret is not compliant.

Action: Establish a formal process for requesting, scheduling, and documenting qualified interpreters.

2. Provide multilingual and multi-format patient materials

Patients need accessible information in the format they use:

• Written materials translated into key community languages
• ASL videos for Deaf patients
• Visual, plain-language summaries of treatment plans
• Digital portals with captioning and translation options

Action: Audit commonly used patient education materials and prioritize those related to cancer prevention and follow-up care.

3. Trainstaff on communication best practices

Most access problems occur before a patient ever sees the physician.

Training should cover:

• How to identify language access needs
• How to request an interpreter
• How to work effectively with interpreters
• How to communicate with Deaf/linguistically varied patients using interpreters, captioning, or visual tools
• How to confirm patient understanding without relying on yes/no responses

Action: Include language access protocols in onboarding and annual training.

4. Use technology to close gaps

Many health systems already have language accessibility tools they’re not fully using.

Examples include:

• Video Remote Interpreting (VRI)
• Captioning for telehealth
• Patient portals with translated summaries
• Automated translation for nonclinical information
• AI-supported sign language avatars for patient education (emerging)

Action: Standardize when and how teams should use these. Gather patient feedback and analyze patient outcomes to identify areas for improvement.

5. Partner with community organizations

Local Deaf groups, Latino health advocates, and multicultural organizations can help providers:

• Understand cultural differences in breast cancer awareness
• Co-create communication materials
• Improve outreach for mammogram scheduling and follow-up

Action: Establish at least one community partnership annually focused on preventive care.

These strategies can help healthcare providers improve language accessibility and patient outcomes, contributing to a more equitable healthcare system.

Moreover, expanding language services to eliminate language barriers makes patients more likely to get preventative and follow-up treatment, reducing hospitalizations. Being able to effectively communicate also leads to greater patient satisfaction, reduced risk for errors, and lower chances of problems with medication.

Conclusion: Language access helps save lives

Language access isn’t just about preventing delayed diagnoses — it’s essential at every stage of breast cancer care. When patients can’t fully understand screening recommendations, test results, treatment options, or follow-up instructions, the risk of complications rises and trust erodes.

Professional interpreters, clear multilingual materials, captioning, and culturally responsive communication help ensure patients can participate fully in their care — from early detection to treatment decisions to long-term recovery.

By strengthening language accessibility for Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, and multilingual communities, healthcare systems can improve cancer screening rates, improve patient satisfaction, and create a more equitable experience for every patient.

Language barriers should never stand in the way of quality healthcare. If you’re ready to build a more accessible and compliant patient journey, our team can help.

Let’s design the right language access strategy for your organization.

Request a consultation

Working with an ASL interpreter helps ensure effective Deaf and hard-of-hearing communication in meetings, events, and everyday conversations. When everyone understands a few basic best practices, conversations become smoother, more natural, and more respectful for all involved.

This guide covers essential ASL interpreter etiquette and explains how to choose the right interpreting option — whether on-demand Video Remote Interpreting (VRI), scheduled VRI, or on-site interpreting.

ASL interpreter etiquette checklist (quick reference)

• Speak directly to the Deaf or hard-of-hearing person, not the interpreter
• Take turns and avoid speaking over others
• Pause to allow the interpreter to finish signing before responses
• Turn on your camera and ensure faces are visible
• Identify yourself when speaking in group settings
• Remember: interpreters must interpret everything, including side conversations

Choosing the right interpreting option

Different conversations call for different interpreting solutions. Choosing the right option helps balance accessibility, availability, and experience quality.

• On-demand ASL interpreting: Designed for short, spontaneous conversations that require immediate access, such as last-minute check-ins or unplanned interactions.
• Scheduled Video Remote Interpreting (VRI): Best for in-person, virtual, or hybrid meetings of any length where participants remain mostly stationary and have access to reliable internet, a camera, and a microphone. Scheduled VRI offers broader availability and preparation flexibility.
• On-site ASL interpreting: Ideal for in-person meetings or events lasting several hours or multiple days — especially when participants are moving around, the setting is outdoors, or internet access is unreliable. On-site interpreting can be particularly effective for high-stakes or relationship-driven conversations.

Before the conversation: how to prepare to work with an ASL interpreter

Preparation plays a key role in a successful interpreted conversation.

• Request interpreting services in advance: Whenever possible, schedule interpreting ahead of time — especially for longer or more complex meetings.
• Ask about interpreter preferences: If appropriate, ask Deaf participants whether they have preferences related to communication style or familiarity with certain terminology.
• Share context with the interpreter: Provide agendas, participant names, specialized terms, and relevant background information so interpreters can prepare.
• Test your technology: Confirm that your internet connection, camera, and microphone are working properly if using VRI. Ensure Deaf participants can clearly see the screen and interpreter, and hearing participants are close to the microphone or using a headset or Bluetooth device.

Preparation may differ depending on whether you are using scheduled interpreting or on-demand services.

ASL interpreter etiquette during the conversation

Following basic ASL interpreting etiquette helps conversations flow naturally.

• Speak directly to the Deaf or hard-of-hearing person
• Maintain eye contact with the person, not the interpreter
• Take turns and avoid overlapping speech
• Pause to allow the interpreter to finish signing before responses
• Identify yourself when speaking in group settings
• Use clear facial expressions and body language

If referencing slides, handouts, or visuals, pause so everyone — including the interpreter — can review them.

ASL interpreting etiquette for virtual and hybrid meetings

Virtual and hybrid environments introduce additional considerations.

• Keep cameras on so facial expressions are visible
• Pin or spotlight the interpreter’s video or allow pinning in the meeting settings
• Avoid repeatedly turning cameras on and off, which can cause video windows to shift
• Use the hand-raise feature to manage turn-taking
• If sharing your screen, confirm the interpreter can still see Deaf participants before continuing

Final thought

ASL interpreters are there to support communication — not to lead it. By following these etiquette best practices and selecting the right interpreting solution for each situation, you help create conversations where Deaf and hard-of-hearing participants can engage fully, confidently, and comfortably.

Frequently asked questions about ASL interpreter etiquette

• What is the proper etiquette when working with an ASL interpreter
  Speak directly to the Deaf or hard-of-hearing person, take turns, avoid side conversations, and allow time for interpretation. Interpreters facilitate communication but do not participate in the conversation.
• Should I talk to the interpreter or the Deaf person?
  Always speak directly to the Deaf or hard-of-hearing person and maintain eye contact with them, not the interpreter.
• How fast should I speak when using an ASL interpreter?
  Speak at a natural pace and pause between thoughts to allow accurate interpretation and responses.
• Do interpreters interpret side conversations?
  Yes. Interpreters are professionally and ethically obligated to interpret everything they hear.
• What should I do differently in virtual meetings with an ASL interpreter?
  Keep your camera on, pin the interpreter’s video, identify yourself when speaking, and pause when sharing visuals.

• When should I use on-demand video remote interpreting (VRI), scheduled VRI, or on-site interpreting?
  On-demand interpreting is best for short, spontaneous conversations. Scheduled VRI works well for most in-person, virtual, or hybrid meetings. On-site interpreting is ideal for long, in-person or high-movement situations.

Business accessibility elements

Ensuring your company provides an inclusive and accessible environment for employees and customers can be a challenge — but well worth it! Communication accessibility can help you reach more potential customers, help to keep you compliant with applicable laws and regulations, and even lead to higher employee and customer satisfaction.

So, where do you start? Before making any big changes or investing in new solutions, it helps to know where you stand right now. These quick tips will help you build a more inclusive, accessible experience for employees and customers.

Workplace communication

• Physical accessibility: Add flashing-light sensors to your smoke detectors, fire alarms, and doorbells. Ensure that important signage includes braille. Be sure that customers and employees can easily find information about what accessibility services your business has available, such as ASL interpreters or screen readers.
  
• Clear communication guidelines: Set easy-to-follow guidelines for how your team communicates. Have speakers introduce themselves so interpreter users can follow along, and use plain language in written messages, particularly when meeting remotely.
• Assistive technologies: Invest in screen readers, speech-to-text software, visual interpreting, and sign language interpreting services to support employees and customers who are blind, low-vision, Deaf, or hard-of-hearing. You can also take advantage of no-cost Video Relay Service (VRS) and call captioning service for employees’ phone calls. Ensure remote meetings, presentations, and events are captioned and translated, and share transcripts afterward to support comprehension and engagement with participants who are neurodiverse, limited English proficient (LEP), Deaf, or hard-of-hearing.
• Training programs: Conduct regular training on accessible content and communication practices. Research¹ from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) indicates that companies with disability-inclusive cultures are more likely to outperform their peers financially.
• Captioning multimedia content: Caption all multimedia content to ensure accessibility for neurodiverse, LEP, Deaf, and hard-of-hearing participants.
• Accessible presentation materials: Share slides and documents before the meeting. Provide them in accessible formats — such as large print, tagged PDFs, or screen-reader–friendly files — so everyone can review and engage at their own pace.
• Physical meeting accessibility: Choose meeting rooms with step-free access, wide pathways, accessible restrooms, and seating options for mobility devices. Confirm the space meets ADA requirements and remove any barriers before the meeting begins.
• Inclusive participation: Make participation easy for everyone: use turn-taking, prompt quieter participants, and allow written or anonymous feedback. Assign an accessibility lead to watch for barriers and support participants during the meeting.

Customer experience

• Website accessibility: Ensure your company website and digital content are accessible to individuals with disabilities by following Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
• Proper HTML markup: Use proper HTML markup and provide alternative text for images to enhance accessibility for screen readers and other assistive technologies.
• Accessible digital documents: Design digital documents with accessibility in mind, including proper headings, formatting, and descriptive links.
• Testing for accessibility: Test digital communication platforms for accessibility and usability, ensuring they meet the needs of all users.
• Training on digital accessibility: Provide your employees with training on how to create accessible digital content.
• Physical accessibility: Ensure your business space is equipped with wheelchair ramps, automatic doors, braille signage, and other features that ensure everyone has access.
• Customer service for all: If your organization provides customer service through a call center, consider using tools like call captioning or video relay service (VRS) to enable hard of hearing or Deaf individuals to call in.

Feedback and collaboration

• Open feedback environment: Make it easy for people to speak up about accessibility. Send regular polls, offer anonymous feedback channels, and share updates so everyone sees progress.
• Collaborative problem-solving: Promote collaboration among employees to identify barriers to communication and implement effective solutions.
• Leadership commitment: Lead by example. Prioritize accessibility in all communications and decision-making processes, demonstrating organizational values and fostering a culture of inclusivity.
• Policy integration: Incorporate accessibility considerations into company policies and procedures, ensuring alignment with legal requirements and industry best practices.
• Regular review and update: Regularly review and update accessibility practices to ensure ongoing improvement and compliance with evolving standards and technologies.

Are you ready to start creating a more inclusive and accessible business? Sorenson is committed to providing a suite of solutions to ensure your business is as inclusive and accessible as possible.

How one church transformed worship accessibility with Sorenson’s Video Remote Interpreting service. 

Client overview

Organization: Elevation Church Ministries
Location: Scottsburg, Indiana
Audience: 500–600 members, both in-person and online
Accessibility focus: American Sign Language (ASL) video remote interpreting (VRI) for Deaf members

The challenge

Elevation Church Ministries exists to share the Word of God with everyone — yet, even in a place built on inclusion, one member’s experience revealed a barrier that couldn’t be ignored.

During a Sunday service, DJ Nocera and the pastoral team at Elevation, noticed a Deaf congregant attending faithfully week after week — participating in worship and even getting baptized, all without being able to understand the sermon.

“Seeing him there, with such faith, but without full understanding — it hit us hard,” DJ recalled. “He was showing up every week, and we realized we weren’t fully reaching him. Plus, when you walk around our church and you can’t understand the language, you don’t feel like you belong.”

Pain points

• Limited access to the message: Deaf members could see and feel the energy of worship but couldn’t fully understand spoken sermons or teachings.
• Interpreter shortage: In rural Indiana, finding qualified in-person ASL interpreters for weekly services was nearly impossible.
• Budget challenges: As a mid-sized church, cost was a major consideration. Elevation needed an affordable, sustainable way to provide interpreting.
• Lack of awareness: Before connecting with the Deaf community, church leaders didn’t realize captions alone weren’t sufficient for full language access.

“We learned that captions aren’t enough for the Deaf community as their primary language is most often ASL — not English,” DJ said.

The solution

To ensure every message was accessible, Elevation Church partnered with Sorenson, using its Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) service to connect Deaf and hearing members in real time.

How It Worked

• Seamless integration: The church’s IT team connected a laptop to an existing TV display, instantly adding a live interpreter feed viewable to the congregation.
• Consistent access: Deaf members could now understand every message, prayer and song — experiencing full participation in worship for the first time.
• Reliable, easy setup: VRI worked flawlessly every week. “Our IT guy has never had a single complaint,” DJ shared.
• Extending inclusivity online: Encouraged by their success in person, Elevation is now working to bring the same inclusivity to their online congregation.

“It brings so much joy to see all members understand the message. We’re also excited to extend the same inclusivity to our online congregation.” 
— DJ, Elevation Church Ministries

The results

• A transformed worship experience: For the first time, Deaf members could access every word of the message — deepening their faith and connection to the church community.
• Growing inclusion and awareness: The area near the interpreter screen soon filled with both Deaf and hearing congregants eager to worship together. Hearing members are also now learning ASL greetings like “good morning” and “God bless you,” to greet Deaf members and build genuine community connection.

“When we added the interpreter, the area around the screen filled up — hearing people wanted to sit there too. Everyone wanted to see and be part of it.” 
— DJ, Elevation Church Ministries 

• Faith in action: “What Jesus represents is leaving the 99 for the 1,” DJ said. “You’re not investing in a piece of technology — you’re investing in a person.”
• Simple and reliable for small team: The Sorenson VRI setup is fast, dependable, and affordable — making it possible for Elevation to offer consistent accessibility without straining resources.
• Expanding the vision: Elevation hopes to eventually add a Deaf-led service and invite more members of the Deaf community to join, ensuring that everyone can worship fully.

"Sorenson makes the spoken Word accessible to Deaf and hard-of-hearing people. As a pastor, if you even suspect you have a Deaf member, you need to understand that the Bible isn’t easily available to them — English is typically not their first language. Sorenson provides a perfect way to share God’s Word with someone who has never been able to access it before." 
— DJ, Elevation Church Ministries

Why choose Sorenson VRI for Ministries

• Accessible for any congregation: Connects Deaf members with interpreters through video — no travel required.
• Simple setup: Works with your existing equipment and Wi-Fi.
• Affordable and scalable: Designed for churches of any size or budget.
• Truly inclusive worship: Bring every member into the message, both in person and online.

As campuses and schools grow, student success and community involvement both depend on clear, accessible, and inclusive communication. Whether you’re in higher education or K–12, language barriers and accessibility gaps can impact learning, family involvement, and regulatory compliance.

Use this checklist to assess your current strategies and plan for a more inclusive semester. 

1. Language representation

• Which languages are spoken by students, families, faculty, and staff? Use enrollment and HR data or surveys to identify all relevant languages. 
• For which departments, classrooms, or programs will multilingual communication be most critical?

2. Communication challenges

• Are there known gaps due to language differences? 
• Have any classes, teams, or events been affected by communication challenges? 
• Have you received feedback or concerns tied to language access or clarity?

3. Current language support

• What tools or services are in place (interpreters, translated materials, real-time captioning, AI tools, etc.)? 
• Do these meet your needs for accuracy, timeliness, and scale? 
• What are the weaknesses of your current solutions — cost, staffing, or inconsistency?

4. Accessibility

• Do you offer formats like captioning or sign language interpretation? 
• Have you conducted an accessibility audit or formal review?

5. Technology and tools

• Which communication platforms do you use (video conferencing, learning management systems, parent portals)? 
• Do they support multilingual features or real-time translation? 
• Are you using any AI-powered tools to scale language access?

6. Faculty and staff feedback

• Have faculty and staff shared input on how communication could be improved? 
• Are they using unauthorized tools for language access? 
• Do they feel comfortable using their preferred language at work? 
• Does your campus or school culture support inclusion across language backgrounds?

7. Student and family experience

• How satisfied are students and families with your current communication approach? 
• Do you provide multilingual support and resources for families? 
• Have you gathered feedback about language accessibility?

8. Future needs

• Do you plan to expand programs or serve new communities? 
• Will the language needs of your students or their families change in the next 1–3 years? 
• Are your current systems and strategies built to adapt? 

Next steps 

• Review your answers to identify communication gaps and opportunities. 
• Explore scalable, inclusive solutions like Sorenson Forum for live speech translation and multilingual access. 
• Align your communication strategy with the real needs of your students, families, faculty, and staff. 
• Provide faculty, students, and families training and support for any new tools or processes. 
• Regularly evaluate and evolve your communication approach. 

Client overview

Organization: Grayslake Community High School District 127
Industry: Education
Audience: 2,700 students across 2 high schools
Languages needed: Spanish, Ukrainian, Gujarati, Tagalog, and others

The challenge

Grayslake District 127 had a growing population of multilingual learners—students who spoke little or no English and struggled to follow classroom instruction. The district had limited access to bilingual teaching assistants and faced logistical, staffing, and equity challenges.

Pain points

Unavailable human support

Teachers previously relied on human interpreters sitting beside students in class. But staffing those roles at scale was “nearly impossible,” especially with more than 200 multilingual learners projected to rise to 270 next year.

Classroom disruption

Even when available, in-person interpreters altered the learning environment. “It’s understandably obtrusive to have an adult sitting next to a kid translating out loud,” said Christopher Thieme, Director of IT at Grayslake District 127.

Lost instructional time

Students often had to first develop English language skills before meaningfully engaging with the curriculum—especially in subjects like math and science where immediate understanding was critical.

Patchwork solutions

Translation tools were fragmented. Staff used Google Translate on tablets for documents and Pocketalk for one-on-one conversations, but there was no cohesive solution for live, ongoing instruction.

The solution

Grayslake turned to Sorenson Forum to provide real-time, low-disruption translations and captions directly in the classroom.

How it worked

Flexible language access

Students selected their preferred language on a Chromebook or phone and followed live translations of classroom instruction in audio and captions—starting on day one of enrollment.

Device agnostic

Students used their school-issued Chromebooks or personal mobile devices. Phones often handled the translation stream, freeing Chromebooks for schoolwork.

Scalable across classes

Forum supports simultaneous use by multiple students in the same classroom and across multiple classrooms at once—for example, Grayslake has run sessions with seven students in one class while other classes used it at the same time, without extra staff or hardware.

Quick setup

With minimal training, teachers and staff created sessions supporting 45 languages and dialects in just minutes, replacing hours of interpreter scheduling.

The results

Immediate access to learning

Students no longer had to wait to learn English before joining academic instruction. Forum provided an instant on-ramp to comprehension and engagement.

Improved teaching flexibility

Teachers controlled when to launch sessions and whether to capture transcripts, helping them adapt Forum to their lesson plans.

Stronger inclusion

Multilingual Coordinators reported high trust in Forum, citing its ability to serve students who otherwise had “nothing.” As Christopher Thieme put it:

“This is a resource that allows us to give kids who have nothing a chance at immediately engaging in learning.”

Roadmap for expansion

Next up: using Forum in large gatherings like parent events and assemblies. Administrators plan to offer QR codes so families can hear district leaders in their own languages.

“Forum didn’t just reduce translation gaps—it changed what was possible. For the first time, we have a scalable, respectful, and accessible solution that fits the classroom.”
— Christopher Thieme, Director of IT

Why choose Sorenson Forum?

• Scalable for classrooms: Works for 1:1 instruction, full-group lessons, or school events
• Easy to use: No training required—just share a link and start.
• Minimizes classroom disruption: Students follow instruction quietly on their own devices
• Day-one access: Supports learning from the start in 45 languages/dialects—no wait for fluency or interpreters

Ready to bring inclusive, real-time translation to your school or district?

Visit or schedule a demo today