I N T R O D U C T I O N
At a time in our country when we are witnessing efforts to restrict civic participation and education about systemic inequities , San Francisco offers a different model – one in which we celebrate diversity as our strength . Cities are safer and healthier when community members can report an emergency , or get information about COVID-19 testing and vaccinations , regardless of what language they speak . Cities are more prosperous when their workers and business owners can contribute and thrive . San Francisco benefits when all of its residents know that they belong – and that starts with making sure all residents are welcome , seen , heard and understood , which cannot be accomplished without linguistic and cultural competency .
Language access is civic engagement at its most fundamental level . For our Limited English Proficient ( LEP ) and newcomer community members , language access ensures that San Franciscans can understand information about City services , programs , and policies , and can communicate with City agencies , policymakers and elected officials .
Nearly 43 % of San Franciscans speak a language other than English at home . This means that access for a significant portion of our community hinges on culturally competent , multilingual information . Providing information and services in multiple languages allows for greater participation , improved health and economic outcomes , and ultimately makes our City more responsive .
This year ’ s Language Access Compliance Summary Report highlights ways in which City agencies are striving to build belonging through the provision of language services and development of language access plans . Collectively , Departments are investing more in language services and striving to hire more bilingual employees , though we continue to see fluctuations in LEP interactions with Departments after a spike driven by the COVID-19 pandemic . With 100 % of the required Departments successfully submitting reports this year , and 80 % of them having written language access policies in place , the number of City agencies continuing to strengthen language access capacity is increasing .
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