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Advocates and residents tell committee language barriers and fear of requesting interpretation limit access to services
Summary
At a Committee on Public Works and Operations hearing on June 10, multiple community witnesses described a pattern of language‑access barriers at shelters and city services and urged the council to maintain or increase funding for enforcement of the District's Language Access Act.
At a Committee on Public Works and Operations hearing on June 10, multiple community witnesses described a pattern of language‑access barriers at shelters and city services and urged the council to maintain or increase funding for enforcement of the District's Language Access Act.
Valeria Hernandez, whose testimony was delivered through a translator, described housing and shelter experiences in the District that she said were marked by language barriers and stigma. “Even in the places designed to be safe for her, she'd never felt welcomed,” the translator relayed about Hernandez's experience at youth and adult LGBTQ‑affiliated shelters.
Nicky (first name given in testimony), a 25‑year‑old immigrant from Guinea, said he…
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