June 12, 2012

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) announced today at that it has implemented a new over-the-phone interpretation (OPI) service in order to improve communication with non-English speaking passengers.  Voiance Language Services was selected as the primary supplier of high-quality translation and interpretation services for the Authority.

RIPTA Customer Service employees, including Kennedy Plaza Ticket Window and Photo ID Office Staff, have been trained to use the OPI service.  In addition, these employees have been trained to read basic phrases in a few different languages so that they can tell non-English speaking customers to please hold while they connect to Voiance Language Services.  Once connected, the interpreter relays the information back and forth between the RIPTA employee and the customer.

RIPTA, as a federal grant recipient is required by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to conform to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its amendments.  Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires that no person in the United States, on the grounds of raced, color, or national origin, be excluded from, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination, under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.  The new OPI service demonstrates RIPTA’s commitment to ensuring full compliance with the requirements of Title VI.

“We are excited to announce that RIPTA now has 24/7 access to over-the-phone interpretation in over 170 languages, said Charles Odimgbe, RIPTA CEO. “ For individualswho have a limited ability to read, speak, write or understand English, language can be a serious barrier to accessing important RIPTA services and obtaining vital information. We are committed to breaking these language barriers and opening new lines of communication with our customers.”

Voiance Language Services, LLC was founded in 2009 to specifically serve the needs of business and government clients. Voiance’s parent company CyraCom International, Inc. has been in business since 1995 and is the 2nd largest provider of Over-the-Phone Interpretation in the world and the 8th largest language service provider in the US, according to industry reports.

For more information on OPI services provided by Voiance Language Services, visit www.voiance.com.

For schedules and other information, passengers may call 401-781-9400.