Increase language services planning and coordination for public health crises , disasters , and emergencies
Ongoing Barriers to Services
OCEIA highlighted the need for increased emergency response coordination during last year ’ s LAO Report , a gap that communities have continued to identify . Results from the Language Access Community Survey showed that while most LEP respondents were able to access City programs and resources , they were not able to access those services equitably . Respondents reported experiencing delays , having to provide their own interpreter , relying on a child for interpretation , and / or signing documents or forms without understanding parts of the content . In addition , multiple language access complaints submitted in the past year arose while community members were seeking public services in connection with an active emergency .
Training , Policy Review , and Protocol Evaluation
Departments should address these issues by training and directly engaging staff on their language access protocols . This should include ensuring common understanding among staff : 1 ) that a community member should not have to provide their own interpreter to receive services ; 2 ) that a child should not be asked to provide interpretation services ; and 3 ) that interpretation and translation services must be adequate to ensure that all vital documents are understood . Departments may also benefit from evaluation of their current internal language assistance policies and crisis protocols , to identify inefficiencies and gaps .
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