The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is sending a message to federal agencies that they need to keep working at improving access to services for those with limited English proficiency (LEP).
In a recently issued memorandum, the DOJ has requested that federal agencies review their language access practices and policies to strengthen the federal government’s engagement with LEP individuals.
“All people in this country, regardless of the language they speak, deserve meaningful access to programs and activities that are conducted or supported by federal agencies,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, in a statement. “The Justice Department is committed to working with our federal partners to address linguistic barriers in governmental services that deny individuals a full opportunity to participate in economic, social and civic life.”
The memorandum outlines a course of action for federal agencies to “improve, modernize and carry out their language access responsibilities” under Executive Order 13166, according to the DOJ.
As set forth in the memorandum, the Civil Rights Division, with assistance from the Office for Access to Justice, will head up a collaborative effort designed to determine:
• whether agencies can further update their language access policies and plans,
• whether agencies are effectively reaching LEP individuals when disseminating information about federal resources, programs and services,
• whether agencies have considered updates or modifications to guidance to federal financial assistance recipients regarding their obligations to provide meaningful language access under the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its implementing regulations, and
• whether agencies can adapt their digital communications to welcome LEP individuals.
The request laid out in the recent memorandum is designed to dovetail with existing efforts by the DOJ to engage with LEP individuals, including a new focus on expanding language access assistance in the department’s 2022-2026 Strategic Plan.
In May 2022, for example, Attorney General Garland appointed Ana Paula Noguez Mercado as the DOJ’s language access coordinator within the Office for Access to Justice, “to help ensure that the department is leading by example,” according to the DOJ. The Office for Access to Justice has since expanded its language access team and is leading the DOJ’s Language Access Working Group to provide technical assistance and training across components “as they continue to improve language access for all,” according to the Department.
In addition, the Civil Rights Division continues to maintain www.LEP.gov, which provides resources and information to help expand and improve language assistance services for LEP individuals, in compliance with federal law.
With regard to the aforementioned memorandum, the DOJ has called on federal agencies to share an update on their LEP efforts within the next 180 days—though they are not required to do so, as Federal News Network recently noted.
In the same article, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman highlights some of the efforts that federal agencies have already undertaken.
For example, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has added access to documents in multiple languages. In March, the IRS created a Spanish-language version of some tax forms, and has made instructions available in English as well as 20 other languages.
For its part, the DOJ has made excerpts of its fiscal 2022-2026 strategic plan available in five different languages, including Spanish. The department has also expanded the number of members on its internal language access team, and has created a new working group on the topic.
And, as part of the Biden-Harris Management Agenda Vision, employees working on www.usa.gov are making continuous improvements to the Spanish-language version of the site, “which is not just a direct translation from English,” according to Federal News Network.
“The team has designed its Spanish-language website to best meet the needs of its Spanish-speaking audience,” according to a performance.gov team blog post. “Taking the time to understand and better serve its diverse audiences also contributes to the federal priorities of accessibility and inclusion.”
02 December 2022
Category
HR News Article