New Interpreter Services Contract Awarded to Universal Language Service, Inc.

Washington State Department of Labor & Industries sent this bulletin at 09/16/2026 02:32 PM PDT

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.
washington state department of labor and industries - claims and insurance

New Interpreter Services Contract Awarded to Universal Language Service, Inc.

L&I has entered into a contract with Universal Language Service, Inc. (ULS) for an online interpreter scheduling system.  ULS will provide on-demand and pre-scheduled interpretation services so that injured workers and crime victims can effectively communicate with medical and vocational providers.  The new system by ULS offers new end user functionality and will become active prior to February 12, 2027, to allow the prescheduling of future appointments.  

L&I has strived to improve function and system efficiency for both providers and injured workers with every new product.  We gathered feedback from providers, self-insurers, third party administrators, interpreters (Language Access Providers/ LAPs) and the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) to prioritize improvements.  L&I incorporated this feedback into the new contract.

The ULS product will assist L&I in achieving our goal to improve the availability and delivery of high-quality interpretation services.  Some of the improvements we expect under this contract:

  • A more efficient method for providers to request in-person, video, and over-the-phone interpretation services for unscheduled visits and pre-scheduled appointments
  • 24/7/365 customer service and technical assistance
  • Giving LAPs and L&I staff better visibility of invoices and ULS’s collections efforts
  • Better visibility of provider feedback and LAP quality assurance issues
  • Contractor community engagement through forums designed to provide information about interpreter services available through L&I and address concerns from the community

Next Steps

  • L&I will announce the go-live date at least 60 days prior to go live date of February 12, 2027
  • ULS will lead the user acceptance testing, training, and orientation sessions for L&I providers, staff, and LAPs ahead of the launch to ensure a smooth transition into the new system

To make sure you receive the most up to date information, we encourage you to sign up to receive announcements through our email delivery service and visit L&I’s Interpreter Services page.

Please send all questions and feedback to Interpretation@Lni.wa.gov.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment and support as we embark on this transition to enhance our interpretation services.