How We Started ATI
Dedicated to teaching people about translation and interpreting, Arizona Translators and Interpreters began as a working group associated with the Maricopa County Medical Interpreter Project. In its first year, this collaborative group sponsored two conferences keynoted by national experts (November 2003 and February 2004). Interpreters from medical, paramedic, and police settings joined with interpreters from legal, educational, commerce, religious, and other settings to learn from each other and improve access to language services. When the group incorporated in 2004, the name changed from Arizona Interpreters and Translators Association to Arizona Translators and Interpreters. ATI connected language professionals, held workshops and meetings, produced a quarterly newsletter, and created CLIC, an online Community Language Information Clearinghouse. People could CLIC to find translators, interpreters, and information about evaluating and hiring language professionals.
Timeline