Interpreters and translators are needed in every facet of society, and they are sorely needed in the legal, medical, and educational fields. Wisconsin's court interpreter program manager with the Director of State Courts Office, Carmel Capati is well aware of this need. Capati states, "It is really difficult to interpret" and indicated that Wisconsin courts have a shortage of interpreters and translators. This is especially true for certain languages such as Hmong, which is not as widely spoken as some other languages.

The situation is not any better in the medical field, where local hospitals have either their own interpreters or contract with interpretation services. Nevertheless, it is difficult to find individuals who comprehend medical terminology. Therefore, relatives of patients are ineffective in this role due to their lack of knowledge.

Another issue that adds to the problem in Wisconsin is that the State does not require that interpreters be certified to ensure proper knowledge ethics and lingual skills.

13 July 2008