[multikulti-tech] Lasa Multikulti News

[lasa]

Lasa Multikulti Website Update - December 2003 
 
 (Apologies for previous blank emails)
 
 www.multikulti.org.uk 
 
 New and Improved Unicode Version of Multikulti now available
 The new Multikulti site now delivers all information as text in different languages including non-Roman scripts like Chinese and Arabic. This makes Multikulti documents easier to access and to edit, and also enables Multikulti to comply with accessibility standards like the Web Accessibility Initiative from the World Wide Web Consortium, and the Disability Discrimination Act. The ‘Unicode’ content is also searchable, so Multikulti’s resources are now easier to find via Internet search engines. Making this possible across all Multikulti languages is a pioneering achievement in web technology (our own pioneer is Dan McQuillan – he’s the man behind the tricky, head-scratching work required to create the first fully functioning multilingual website). Other new features include a site search facility, navigation aids, a sitemap, help page, and a local agency finder if you want to contact a local adviser who speaks your language. An article describing all the gory details of the !
 trials, tribulations and technicalities involved in creating the Unicode version of Multikulti appeared in the email newsletter Freepint, and in lasa computanews. 
 
 Because the new site is at the leading edge of multilingual technology we expect some teething troubles particularly with Bengali and Gujerati. We will continue to deliver PDF’s for these languages as well as Unicode. 
 
 8th Round of Translations
 Our 8th round of translations is currently in preparation. The new documents include information on Bullying, Choosing your child’s school, Special Educational Needs, Community care grants, Immigration information on spouses and partners, Immigration rules on people who sponsor visitors, and Immigration rules on relatives who come to the UK (all these documents are from Coventry Law Centre). The Spinal Injuries Association have provided information on their organisation and activities and a leaflet on Spinal Cord Injury – early days. We are also translating Mind’s booklet Understanding Schizophrenia. We will be uploading these documents to the site in January 2004. 
 
 7th Round of Translations and new subject topic Education now on site
 We’ve expanded the number of topics on the Multikulti site to include Education. Our seventh round of translations included education related articles like, Entitlement to education for asylum seekers and refugees (leaflet from ROAP), and Overcoming the barriers to education (ROAP). Other recently uploaded articles include: Registering with a GP (leaflet from Age Concern), Services to complement GP services (Age Concern), Specialist NHS treatment and hospital services (Age Concern), Employment for asylum seekers and refugees (ROAP), Your rights in detention (ROAP), Other NHS primary care services (Age Concern), and Asylum support (ROAP). 
 
 New Language – Urdu
 We get much useful feedback on the Multikulti site (please keep it coming in) and as a result of numerous requests received from users we’ve decided to add Urdu to the 10 Multikulti languages. Translations into Urdu will be underway soon and we’ll let you know when the first documents appear. If you are a bi-lingual adviser with experience of translating community documents into Urdu then please get in touch with us at 020 7247 7226 or email nkartallozi at lasa.org.uk. 
 
 Lasa’s Multikulti website provides information, advice and learning materials in 10 community languages (with an 11th language, Urdu, in preparation). The website contains translations of leaflets covering 7 key areas: immigration and asylum, welfare benefits, employment, housing, health, debt, and education. Content so far has been translated from material provided by Age Concern, Carers UK, Coventry Law Centre, Haringey Citizens Advice Bureau, Islington Law Centre, MIND, ROAP, Shelter, National Debt Line and Lasa. New content from the Spinal Injuries Association will be uploaded soon. 
 
 Lasa’s Multikulti project has been funded by the New Opportunities Fund, a National Lottery good cause distributor, through the Fund’s nof-digitise programme. 
 
 Multikulti User Group
 If you would like to become involved with the project, you can become a Multikulti User Group member. The User Group provides feedback to the Project Team on how the digitised Multikulti material is experienced by agencies and their clients. You will also be able to access Lasa’s free IT Helpline service and receive a free subscription to our magazine Computanews. For further information about the project or if you would like to provide feedback on the site, please email nkartallozi at lasa.org.uk. 
 
 
 
 
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