Navigating Language Industry Evolution, Winter Edition
LEO's 10th International Virtual Conference
AGENDA
Thursday, December 5
11:00-11:05 EST
Opening Remarks
Speakers: Jinny Bromberg, LEO’s Executive Director, Elena Polonsky, LEO’s Marketing Director
11:05-12:25 EST
What the Future Holds
Our industry is experiencing significant disruptions that can lead to a wide range of outcomes. The central theme of this panel is always: What comes next and how can we be ready for it? This time, we will focus on the impact of globalization and AI on our industry, the evolving needs of students and educators, the demands of a rapidly changing healthcare landscape, and the increasing demand for language services across various sectors.
Panelists: Jay Marciano, President of Association for Machine Translation in the Americas (AMTA); Geoff Koby, President of the American Translators Association (ATA), Rosanna Balistreri, Cultural and Linguistic Health Specialist with California DHCS.
12:25-12:30 EST
5 MIN BREAK
12:30-13:30 EST
Professionalize Your Practice
Oftentimes, linguists enter this field in an ad hoc way, without fully understanding the benefits of professionalizing their practice. Professionalizing goes beyond the legal and tax implications of setting up an LLC and managing bookkeeping. This presentation aims to provide linguists with the fundamentals needed to run their solo practice with confidence and peace of mind. (A tax and legal disclaimer will be provided.)
Presenter: Valeria Delmar, Professor/Senior Coordinator at UTEP and Certified Translator/Interpreter
13:30-13:50 EST
20 MIN LUNCH BREAK
13:50-14:50 EST
Legal Dimensions of Accessibility: Navigating Compliance in 2025 and Beyond
As accessibility continues to be a critical issue across industries, understanding the legal landscape is essential for organizations aiming to comply with current and emerging regulations. In this session, compliance expert Bruce Adelson will guide you through the complexities of accessibility laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 508, and recent court rulings that are shaping the future of accessibility compliance. Attendees will gain valuable insights into how these legal frameworks impact businesses, public institutions, and digital platforms, and learn practical strategies to ensure their practices align with legal requirements, thereby fostering a more inclusive environment for all.
Presenter: Bruce Adelson, Esq., Federal Compliance Expert
14:50-15:00 EST
10 MIN BREAK
15:00-16:00 EST
Make Room for Everyone at Your Online Meeting Table: Tips for Accessible Digital Communication and Collaboration
We live in the digital world – emailing, posting, meeting, and presenting online. But is everyone, especially those with vision, hearing, mobility, or cognitive disabilities, able to consume this content? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 27% of adults in the U.S. live with at least one type of disability. This number is even higher around the world. It means that your digital content may be inaccessible to at least 1/4 of your audience. Join us to learn how to avoid putting up digital barriers. Gosia will share many techniques that will allow everyone access to your online meeting table.
Presenter: Gosia Wheeler, Translator and Certified Accessible Documents Specialist (ADS)
16:00-17:00 EST
Balancing the Scale: Interpreter Well-being panel
Continuing the conversation from LEO8’s “Working Conditions and Interpreter Performance”, this panel will bring together professionals from different corners of the interpreting field to discuss their distinct work environments and share how they strive for excellence in their roles. Building on the previous discussion, the conversation will center on the current landscape in various sectors and the collective efforts to foster meaningful change at both broad and individual levels within the industry. This ongoing dialogue aims to deepen our understanding of the evolving challenges and opportunities in interpreting, ensuring we continue to push for improvement and innovation.
Panelists: Jorge Mejia, Certified Interpreter and Interpreter Services Supervisor, Javier Castillo, Conference, Court and Medical Interpreter, Majd Haddad, Certified Interpreter Trainer, CHI™, K12 Interpreter and Translator, Cynthia Navarro, OPI Interpreter.
Friday, December 6
11:00-11:05 EST
Opening Remarks
Speaker: Jinny Bromberg, LEO’s Executive Director
11:05-12:35 EST
Legal panel
If you’ve ever considered joining LEO conferences, now is the perfect time — especially for our legal panel. As 2024 comes to a close, our industry is experiencing significant legal developments that will shape 2025 and beyond. With the recent presidential election setting the stage for new regulations and policy directions, staying informed is more important than ever. Our legal panel will explore these pivotal changes, review key court cases from the past year, and examine the increasing role of AI in legal and compliance frameworks. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain essential insights into how these shifts will impact our profession and to learn how to analyze and navigate the evolving legal landscape with confidence.
Panelists: Bruce Adelson, Esq., Federal Compliance Expert, Carla Fogaren, National Consultant on Equity and Language Access in Health Care
12:35-12:40 EST
5 MIN BREAK
12:40-13:10 EST
How to Run a paperless yet organized business
Presenter: Francesca Manicardi, Founder of Freelance Lab, the first Italian mentoring program for new interpreters and translators
13:10-13:40 EST
Your Brain Desktop: How to Use Your Neural CPU for Optimal Results
Presenter: Gulnara Shigabutdinova, Certified Medical Interpreter and Registered Court Interpreter
13:40-14:00 EST
20 MIN LUNCH BREAK
14:00-15:30 EST
Ethics Panel
This dynamic panel promises to dive deep into the ethical standards, dilemmas, and best practices that define the interpreting and translation profession today and what could come tomorrow. Whether you’re an experienced interpreter or new to the field, this discussion will leave you with valuable insights into maintaining integrity and professionalism in your work.
Presenter: Janis Palma, former President of NAJIT, Certified Court Interpreter and Translator, Shawn Norris, FRID President and ASL Interpreter, Mireya Perez, Founder of Brand the Interpreter, Natalya Mytareva, Director of CCHI
15:30-15:45 EST
15 MIN BREAK
15:45-17:00 EST
Push Your Performance
Presenter: Eliana Lobo, President of NCIHC.
17:00-17:05 EST
Closing
17:05-18:05 EST
Breakout Rooms
To join one of the networking rooms, send the request Admin@LinguistEducationOnline.com, specifying the room you’d like to join and any questions you might already have for the room’s expert host. Conference registration and advance breakout room registration are required to join this exclusive opportunity.
Room 1, hosted by Bruce Adelson, Federal Compliance Expert
Room 2: hosted by Andrea Henry, Certified Interpreter and Researcher, CCHI Commissioner
Room 3, hosted by Bill Rivers, SafeAI expert and language access advocate
CEUs
ATA: 10 CEPs (category A)
RID: 0.8
Healthcare interpreting: 8 CCHI CEUs, 5 general credits with DSHS, 0.595 IMIA/NBCMI CEUs (5.95 contact hours).
Court interpreting: 8 CIMCE in CA, 9 general & 1 ethics CEUs in CO and OR; 8 CEUs in MI, MO, NE, OH, OK, OR, PA (including 2 Ethics), TN, and WI; 12 CEUs in MD; 7 general & 1 ethics CEUs in NM and OH; 11 general & 1 ethics CEUs in TX.
Part of the proceeds will be donated to
