Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Language Access Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Nevada Commission on Ethics adopts first language access plan, highlights translation gaps
Summary
The Nevada Commission on Ethics adopted a language access plan required under state law and discussed steps to translate vital forms, add Spanish and Tagalog outreach and pursue American Sign Language training.
The Nevada Commission on Ethics adopted a proposed language access plan on Jan. 16 that the executive director said is intended to meet the requirements of NRS 2.32.0081 and to improve public access to the commission’s services and materials.
Executive Director Ross Armstrong told the commission the plan uses a template from the governor’s Office of New Americans, identifies Spanish, Tagalog and Chinese as the most commonly spoken non‑English languages in Nevada and recommends translating vital forms and some outreach materials into the top languages. Armstrong said the commission does not currently collect language demographic data on its intake forms but used census data to identify priorities.
Armstrong said the commission has approved funding for its outreach and education officer to receive additional American Sign Language and Spanish training and that he would provide details of the specific courses later. He also said there is no current line item in the commission’s budget specifically for translations, though a prior estimate put translation costs for a set of forms at roughly $3,000.
The plan notes existing online tools: a Google Translate widget on state websites and automated closed captions on recorded meeting videos. Armstrong and Outreach and Education Officer Sam Harvey said these tools help, but that the commission can improve by making vital forms available in additional languages and by clarifying how to request translation or interpretation for public meetings.
Commissioners voted to adopt the plan unanimously. Armstrong said the commission will review the plan annually and pursue practical improvements consistent with the agency’s small staffing and budgetary capacity.
Armstrong and staff said they would follow up with the commission on which courses the outreach officer will attend and on possible contacts with existing state resources for the deaf and hard of hearing, such as the Commission for Persons Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Communication Access Services program.
