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Human Relations Commission launches citywide language-access survey, asks commissioners to help reach non-English speakers
Summary
The commission’s language-access lead reported the community survey has launched with mayoral support, is translated into 10 languages and three dialects, and will inform recommendations expected in June; staff asked commissioners to help disseminate the anonymous five-minute survey.
Gavin Crow Williamson, the commission’s Title VI coordinator, told commissioners the Metro language-access study has completed departmental self-assessments and a policy review and has now launched a community needs survey aimed at residents with limited English proficiency.
The survey was launched last week in partnership with the mayor’s office, Gavin said, and has been translated into 10 languages and three dialects. The campaign includes paid spots in the Nashville Scene and the Tennessean, targeted mailers in Antioch, bus ads directing people to language options and partnerships with community groups including Turk, NICE, Kexion and AAC to boost outreach.
“No matter what language you speak, you should have equal access to government services,” Gavin said, urging commissioners to share survey materials with networks and community organizations. He described the survey as anonymous, brief (about five minutes) and available in paper form when partners collect responses in the field.
Gavin also said the study team is tracking language-response thresholds commonly used in local policy (5 percent of the local population or 1,000 speakers) and that the survey’s outreach strategy includes paid media plus relationship-based work through community partners to reach communities with low trust in government.
If response targets or language representation fall short, staff plan follow-up activities — paid community partner outreach, public forums, teach-ins and in-person data collection — to fill gaps. Gavin said departments already completed a separate departmental survey (about policies and spending) with an 81 percent response rate and that the team will provide individualized departmental recommendations and an aggregated public report.
Staff expect to publish a draft report and interactive dashboards on May 5 and return with draft recommendations for Metro leadership and community review in June.
