ABOUT US

MCIS is a non - profit social enterprise that provides a range of language services including interpretation, translation, audio and video transcription, skills testing and training under grant and fee based programs. Its earned income helps it improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its services, provide value addition and social benefits, for overall value to all its customers. MCIS offers services in over 200 languages.

Vision

We are committed to creating a world where people can interact as if there were no language barriers.

Mission

We will ensure, by removing language barriers, that people of diverse ethnic and linguistic backgrounds are able to communicate effectively.

Objectives

In pursuit of its mission as reflected in its Mission Statement, the Corporation shall:

1. Provide access for non-English speakers (NESP) to services relating to spousal/partner/child/elder abuse, sexual assault, legal, health care, income support, shelter and other community and social services provided primarily by government, charitable organizations, other institutions and professionals (hereinafter referred to as “service providers") through professional interpreters and translators.

2. Advocate the use of professional interpreters and translators (among service providers and the community).

3. Provide educational programs for interpreters, translators, service providers, and NESP to ensure effective delivery of specialized services.

4. Actively manage its risk to ensure its long-term viability, including exposure to government/funder benevolence, negligence in service provision, competition, information technology and other financial and regulatory risk.

5. Take advantage of and create fee-for-service opportunities where it enhances the quality of life of the NESP or the position of the Corporation.

6. Maintain a commitment to victims of spousal/ partner/ child/elder abuse and sexual assault.

History

Multilingual Community Interpreter Services (On) (MCIS) was established in 1989 and incorporated in 1995. Its genesis dates back to the 1980s when it evolved as a multi-sectoral response to challenges faced by service providers in communicating with limited or non-English speaking service users.

Today, MCIS serves over 644 diverse social service agencies in the broader public sector across Ontario. It is a designated interpreter service provider for the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration’s (MCI) domestic violence court, community and hospital based programs, and police services in the cities of Toronto, Barrie, Orillia, North Bay; the town of Haileybury; and the Regions of Halton, Peel, York, Durham, and Simcoe. Besides, its larger clients – MCI, Toronto Public Health (TPH), Legal Aid Ontario (LAO), Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG) – MCIS also has contractual arrangements to provide interpreter services to over 250 agencies, in the health, legal and social service sectors.

Further, we are the designated provider of translation services to the City of Toronto, and we provide translation services to the Ontario Energy Board, the Nuclear Waste Management of Ontario, the Canadian Tourism Commission, Legal Aid Ontario, the Ministry of Government Services, the province of New Brunswick, Simcoe County, Town of Richmond Hill, Saskatoon Public Heath, Niagara Region Public Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, and Simcoe-Muskoka Catholic District School Board.

Structure

MCIS is governed by 13 Board Directors and operated by 35 staff members.

This is in addition to an ever-increasing roster of active professional interpreters, contracted training facilitators and technical consultants. MCIS is continually adding to its capacity by recruiting interpreters for existing high-demand and emerging languages.

The backbone of our structure, however, is our wonderful staff and our numerous volunteers who have been helping us continuously to reach our goals. (Those who can, do. And those who can do more, volunteer).

MCIS LANGUAGE SERVICES WORLDWIDE

Currently MCIS provides the following services from English & French to over 200 languages including ASL, LSQ and Aboriginal languages

Interpretation (Consecutive & Simultaneous)

Scheduled Interpretation
In-Person* Not global. Depends on geography.
Video - Global
Phone - Global
Message Relay - Global

Immediate Interpretation

Phone – Global

Translation & Localization - Global

Transcription – Global

Intralingual (same language)
Interlingual (source language to target language)
Subtitling
Voiceover
Dubbing

Accessibility – Global

Sign Languages (ASL/LSQ)
Braille
Close captioning
Described video
CART

Business Services – Global

Transcreation
Desktop publishing
Audio /Video production
Multilingual websites
Language proficiency testing