Language can be a major barrier to accessing resources, understanding information, and finding safety. Language access ensures that everyone is heard and gets the help they need. In this webinar, we will explore the topic of language justice—what it means, why it matters, and the impact of inaccessibility. Presenters will speak about developing best practices, creating linguistically relevant materials, and enacting policies or plans to support survivors of diverse communities.
Objectives
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Recognize how language justice can help practitioners better serve victims and survivors
- Identify effective strategies to create meaningful language access
- Consider organizational policies and plans to implement communication accessibility
Cost
National Alliance annual members: free
Non-members: $25
Speakers
Wendy Mota Kasongo, Director of Diversity & Accessibility at the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Molly Mangus, Policy Advisor at the NYC Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence
Wendy Mota Kasongo is the director of diversity & accessibility for Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV), where she manages and develops statewide, culturally relevant initiatives for all victims of domestic violence. Her duties include identifying and developing best practice for working with underserved populations, enhancing and creating culturally and linguistically appropriate materials, developing statewide outreach and public awareness campaigns and activities, creating and facilitating culturally specific training and curricula to enhance professional capacity, and sustaining meaningful partnerships and collaborations to advance to work with victims of all backgrounds. Wendy also has professional experience as a social worker for state government, domestic violence advocate and volunteer for various social justice organizations. Her areas of interest include racial disparities, immigrant rights, women’s issues, and civic engagement. For her contribution in a professional fellowship exchange program sponsored by the U.S. State Department, Wendy was recognized with the “Alumni Impact Award” in 2014. In 2016, for her work and dedication to Latino communities in CT, she was recognized with the “Homenaje a la Mujer Hispana” award from Comisión Homenaje Mujer Hispana.
Molly Mangus is a policy advisor at the New York City Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence (OCDV). In that role, she is the agency’s LGBTQ Liaison, Language Access Coordinator, and Disability Services Facilitator. Previously, she established the Self-Sufficiency and Economic Empowerment Programs at the Bronx and Manhattan Family Justice Centers. At the FJCs, she oversaw programming and trained community advocates on economic empowerment, immigrant access to public benefits, identity theft, and providing affirming and inclusive services for LGBTQ survivors of violence. Before joining OCDV, she worked at Safe Horizon, a large non-profit serving victims and survivors of crime, at the Brooklyn Criminal Court and the Brooklyn Family Justice Center. Molly received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Michigan and a certificate in Trauma-Informed Care from the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at New York University.