On June 27th, Supervisor Canepa and I recommended that the County develop a Language Access policy.
Have you ever walked into a building and had no idea which floor you needed to be on? How about trying to get assistance in a government office when no one speaks your language?
Even if you haven’t experienced this, some of your neighbors probably have.
Nearly half of all County residents speak a language other than English in their homes. In fact, there are more than 100 different languages spoken in the homes of County residents. While several different departments have policies regarding language access, a County-wide policy is needed to help all of our non-English speakers in need of County services.
It’s important because no one wants to be in a situation, especially an emergency situation, where they don’t know where to go for help or who will understand them when they speak. And, I’m working ensure that that doesn’t happen in our county – it’s the right thing to do!