[lg policy] New policy aims to open city government to limited English speakers

[Harold Schiffman]

New policy aims to open city government to limited English speakers
By Tom Quinn <http://worcestermag.com/author/tom-quinn> -
January 26, 2016


<http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fworcestermag.com%2F2016%2F01%2F26%2Fnew-policy-aims-to-open-city-government-to-limited-english-speakers%2F39805>
T
<https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=New+policy+aims+to+open+city+government+to+limited+English+speakers&url=http%3A%2F%2Fworcestermag.com%2F2016%2F01%2F26%2Fnew-policy-aims-to-open-city-government-to-limited-english-speakers%2F39805&via=worcestermag>
[image: ,]
<http://worcestermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Ascentria_4070.jpg>

*Above: Ascentria’s Worcester headquarters/Steven King photo*

In an increasingly diverse urban area, the fact that Worcester’s government
is dominated by English speakers can be a challenge. In an effort to
increase accessibility for all its citizens, the city recently instituted a
Limited English Proficiency Language Access Policy to ensure people with
limited English skills have the same access to government services that
native English speakers enjoy.

“The steps that the city is taking to assure that all of our residents, no
matter what languages they speak, can access important information and
benefit from programs and services is imperative if we want to become an
even more welcoming city, embracing people of all cultural and linguistic
backgrounds,” City Manager Ed Augustus Jr. said in a press release.

As part of the new city policy, each city department will now have a LEP
coordinator who will report any problems with the implementation of the
policy, and the city will conduct a “regular” review of language access
needs for people in Worcester.

However, the biggest substantive change may be in the contracting of
Ascentria Care Alliance to do translation work for the city. City staff can
call the Ascentria “language bank” and get an interpreter on the phone
immediately, or set up an appointment for an interpreter onsite within 48
hours.

The city is “making every effort” making use of Google Translate to get
online forms and documents translated from English into Spanish,
Portuguese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Albanian, French, Polish, Arabic, Nepali
and Twi, an African language.

“The city will make every effort to provide written translation of vital
documents for each eligible LEP language group that constitutes five
percent or 1,000, whichever is less, of the population of persons eligible
to be served or likely to be affected or encountered,” the policy reads,
although if the five percent mark results in fewer than 50 people affected
the city only needs to provide notice that oral translation is available.

Vital documents are defined as ones where denial or delay of access could
have serious or life-threatening implications for a person, and could
include consent or complaints forms, intake forms, notices of eligibility
criteria or denial, loss or decrease in services, notices advertising
language assistance and applications of a program or service.

“Worcester resettles the largest number of refugees in the state and has a
large, diverse foreign born population,” Executive Director and Co-founder
of the African Community Education program Kaska Yawo said in the same
release. “While Worcester has welcomed these newcomers to the community, it
can be extremely difficult for them to access crucial city programs,
services and information, which are necessary for them to become stable and
acclimated.”


http://worcestermag.com/2016/01/26/new-policy-aims-to-open-city-government-to-limited-english-speakers/39805

-- 
**************************************
N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its
members
and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or
sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who
disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write
directly to the original sender of any offensive message.  A copy of this
may be forwarded to this list as well.  (H. Schiffman, Moderator)

For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to
https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/
listinfo/lgpolicy-list
*******************************************
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lgpolicy-list/attachments/20160127/7018e2f0/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
_______________________________________________
This message came to you by way of the lgpolicy-list mailing list
lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu
To manage your subscription unsubscribe, or arrange digest format: https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list