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Language access coordinator details translation and interpretation data, highlights gaps in service funding
Summary
The city's language access coordinator reported 100 documents translated in FY26, 11,365 phone‑interpretation calls (98,582 minutes), and widespread in‑house translation capacity, while commissioners flagged that funding for services remains limited to the coordinator position and departments must pay for interpretation or translation costs.
Alicia Scholer, the city's language access coordinator, briefed the Disability Advisory Commission on the newly established Language Access Program and its first 13 months of activity.
Scholer described that a 2022 audit led to 16 recommendations and the city's May 2025 language access policy. She said Spanish is the only language in the city meeting the policy's 5% threshold and that the city now supports phone interpretation, prescheduled in‑person interpreters and document translation. "There were 11,365 calls made generating 98,582 minutes of interpretation," Scholer said, reporting phone interpretation usage in fiscal year 26.
Scholer said 100 documents were translated in FY26 (70% into Spanish) and that 91% of translations were done in‑house by bilingual certified staff and community ambassadors at no cost to requesting departments. She also described the I Speak outreach campaign (wallet cards and counters) and noted lead times: 72 hours for interpreter requests and 3–4 weeks in‑house for translations depending on complexity; vendor professional translations can produce short documents in 3–4 business days at a cost.
Commissioners welcomed the new coordinator and praised outreach materials, but several expressed concern that the city budget funds the coordinator's position only and not a dedicated services budget. Commissioners urged clearer public guidance on how to request ASL interpreters or braille and recommended ongoing coordination among the clerk's office, language access staff and departments to avoid confusing routing of accommodation requests.
