The American Translators Association (ATA) is the largest professional association of translators and interpreters in the United States with nearly 8,500 members in more than 100 countries. Founded in 1959, membership is open to anyone with an interest in translation and interpreting as a profession or as a scholarly pursuit. Members include translators, interpreters, educators, project managers, web and software developers, language services companies, hospitals, universities, and government agencies. ATA offers certification examinations for its members in some language combinations and is affiliated with the International Federation of Translators (FIT). The association is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. Unlike a trade union, the ATA represents both "labor" and "management"—that is, both the independent contractors who produce translation and interpreting services and the agencies who purchase them. The ATA likewise does not provide union-type benefits, such as collective bargaining or health insurance, to its freelance members. Professional development ATA's primary goals are to foster and support the professional development of translators and interpreters and to promote the translation and interpreting professions. The Association offers a variety of programs and services in support of these goals, including webinars and one-day workshops throughout the year and an ATA Annual Conference every fall—all of which feature translation and interpreting education in diverse specialties and languages. Certification The ATA currently offers certification exams in the following language pairs: Into English from Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Ukrainian. From English into Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Ukrainian. After passing the ATA certification examination, translators are required to complete a certain number of "continuing education" points in order to retain their certification. Advocacy ATA is a member of the Joint National Committee for Languages, a nonprofit education policy association that works to raise grassroots awareness of the importance of languages to national security, economic growth, and social justice. ATA has also advocated for translators and interpreters on specific issues affecting the translation and interpreting professions. See ATA Statement Opposing Discontinuing Immigration Interpreting Services, ATA Opposes Lower Interpreter Exam Scores in Texas, and ATA Position Statement Regarding California Assembly Bill 5 and Request for Exemption. International Translation Day Since 2018, ATA has celebrated International Translation Day (September 30) by publishing a series of social media posts intended to educate the public about the role of professional translators