Item 13. Interpretation Services for Boards & Commissions V1 — original pdf

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BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Commission on Aging Recommendation Number: 20240212XXX: Interpretation Services for Boards and Commissions WHEREAS, Imagine Austin is a 30-year plan that maps out a vision of Austin as a beacon of sustainability, social equity, and economic opportunity; where diversity and creativity are celebrated; where community needs and values are recognized; where leadership comes from its citizens; and where the necessities of life are affordable and accessible to all1; and WHEREAS, a City of Austin report identified that many non-English-speaking residents abstain from engaging in the community due to language barriers and the associated challenges with communicating2; and WHEREAS, a recent audit found the city is not adequately meeting the goals of the policy, established in 2014 to provide translation and interpretation services, intended to give people equitable access to programs and information, leaving people to try to navigate these systems alone3; and WHEREAS, according to City data at iSpeak Austin, 31% of Austinites speak a language other than English at home and 11.4% of Austinites speak English “less than very well”4; and WHEREAS, recently a commissioner on the Commission on Immigrant Affairs required live interpretation services at commission meetings. While these services were eventually arranged, City staff repeatedly informed the staff liaison and commissioners there was nothing in the City Code requiring interpretation services for commissioners, which delayed the request and even after services were established they were told there was no established funding for interpretation services for commissioners and that City staff weren’t really set up to provide the service; and WHEREAS, Austinites with limited English proficiency from effective commission service does not align with social equity vision put forth in Imagine Austin; 1 City Embarks on Community-Wide Effort to Update Imagine Austin | AustinTexas.gov 2 https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/pio/document.cfm?id=367457 3 Austin is not doing enough to communicate with non-English speakers, audit finds | KUT Radio, Austin's NPR Station 4 iSpeak Austin | AustinTexas.gov  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Commission on Aging encourages the Austin City Council to direct the City to establish a process to provide interpretation services to commissioners, to be made available to existing commissioners and offer such services on the application for new commissioners and approve appropriate funding. Date of Approval: _____________________________ Record of the vote: Attest: _____________________________________________ (Staff or board member can sign)