Services needed before and during the pandemic
LEP respondents cited food assistance as the most needed service both before and during the pandemic , and this increased from 52 % of respondents before the pandemic to 60 % during the pandemic . Information about COVID-19 was the second largest need cited during the pandemic , with 57 % of respondents identifying it as one of the services they have needed the most .
Barriers to accessing services
A majority of LEP respondents ( 74 %) stated that language was a barrier to accessing the services they needed . This was true among languages in which the City is required to provide vital information and services , based on the number of LEP residents ( such as Cantonese and Spanish ), as well as among speakers of other language populations , such as Maya , Arabic , Vietnamese , and Russian .
Language was an especially significant barrier among LEP respondents who speak Arabic , Cantonese , Mandarin , Maya , Russian , Spanish , and Vietnamese at home , with over half of respondents from each language group identifying language as a barrier .
LEP respondents who identified language as a barrier
91 % ( 127 of 139 ) Mandarin 88 % ( 57 of 65 ) Maya 85 % ( 468 of 548 ) Cantonese 76 % ( 65 of 85 ) Arabic 69 % ( 84 of 121 ) Vietnamese 57 % ( 146 of 254 ) Spanish 51 % ( 65 of 85 ) Russian
The survey found that most LEP respondents were able to access City resources and programs , but they experienced hurdles in doing so . For example , they experienced delays in obtaining services , had to provide their own interpreter , relied on a child for interpretation , or signed documents or forms without understanding information .
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