The DC Office of Human Rights held its first Language Access Policy Forum on Wednesday, July 15, 2009, in celebration of the 5th year anniversary of the passage of the DC Language Access Act of 2004. The forum brought together government practitioners, analysts, and community and legal service providers from the Washington Metropolitan Area to discuss the implementation of successful “language access” programs and practices to better serve our limited and non-English proficient (LEP/NEP) constituent populations. The forum, located at the True Reformer Building in Washington, DC, ran from 9 am to 4 pm and was well received. It was attended by over 250 participants (exceeding capacity) and covered by several media outlets.

The Office of Human Rights extends its sincere appreciation to its partners – the Mayor’s Offices on African Affairs, Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs, and Latino Affairs – and to all presenters, Language Access Coordinators, the DC Language Access Coalition, and participants for joining in this celebration and highlighting the importance of this issue.

We have posted materials from the conference for your use and invite you to remain in touch with the Office on issues pertaining to the District’s Language Access Act and Program.

Forum Program

• Program*

Power Point Presentations

• Presentation by Audrey Singer, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution*

• Presentation by Angie Carrera, Office for Public Private Partnerships, Fairfax County Government*
• Presentation by James Plunkett, Director, Office of Court Interpreter Programs, DC Superior Court*
• Presentation by Laureen Laglagaron, Policy Analyst, Migration Policy Institute*

Top Five Priorities for the District

Participants were asked to think about what the “top 5” priorities for the District government should be as it implements “language access” throughout the next five years. Based on the substantial input received, these are the five overarching themes/areas attendees have asked the Office of Human Rights to focus on moving forward:

• Bilingual Staff: (1) Recruitment/Retention of qualified bilingual staff; (2) Implementation of a language assessment tool to “certify” staff as bilingual; (3) Provision of a monetary stipend for certified bilingual staff; and (4) Training.
• Budget: Ensure that the District government and all corresponding departments, programs and agencies budget adequately for language access services.
• Enforcement: Stricter enforcement of the DC Language Access Act to ensure compliance by all District government agencies, programs and departments.
• Interpretation/Translation: (1) Implement a citywide contract for translation/interpretation services; (2) Ensure the provision of quality translation/interpretation services; (3) Establish a bank of qualified translators and interpreters for the District government; and (4) Provide translation/interpretation certification opportunities for qualified bilingual staff.
• Ongoing Training: (1) Train District government staff on their requirements and responsibilities under the DC Language Access Act; (2) Provide cultural competency training to District government personnel; and (3) Provide training on how to work with interpreters.

The Forum in Action

Please enjoy these images taken throughout the day at the forum.

• Event Photo Gallery