Approved by the OC Board of Directors, 07 January 2007
Identification
- All documentation – signage, letterhead, etc., will be available in English and French and will convey an image of bilingualism
- All staff and board members will acknowledge the fact that Orchestras Canada is officially bilingual
- The organization name will be bilingual, and we will refer to the organization by its bilingual name
Communication
- Phones will be answered in both languages
- Voicemail and phone system call-routing will have messages and instructions in both languages
- Staff will make best efforts to deal with all calls in the first language of the caller. When communication to the required standard in French is unavailable, an appropriate alternative will be found
- Members will have the option to specify their preferred language of service
Translation
- Any documents to be disseminated publicly will be made available simultaneously in both languages
- A professional translator will be used for all translations, until such time as OC has qualified personnel available to provide internal translation services
Board of Directors
- The working language of the board of directors shall be English; however, best efforts will be made to accommodate the linguistic requirements of members of the board
Communications and Promotion
- Communications and promotional materials intended for national distribution, such as annual reports, audited financial statements, press releases, newsletters and advertisements, will be available in French and English
- Communications to member orchestras will be available in French and English
Website
- The website shall be in both languages
- The home page will allow the user to direct himself/herself to either the French or English portion of website
- Web site users will be clearly advised of the availability of links and information in their preferred language. Where such information is not available, they will be offered the opportunity to access links and information in the other language
Special Projects and Workshops
- Where feasible, workshops and special projects will be conducted in French and English
- Registrants will have the option to speak in either English or French, and, where feasible, simultaneous translation will be provided
- Registrants will be clearly informed as to the availability of simultaneous translation
Assessment
- Improvements and recommendations pertaining to the state of bilingualism of organization will be discussed annually
- All new French projects will be evaluated regularly, and outcomes will be assessed against stated goals
- Results of these evaluations will be disseminated to members of Orchestras Canada/Orchestres Canada