Item Number: 11a_supp
Meeting Date: March 12, 2024


LANGUAGE ACCESS ASSESSMENT
OEDI & External Relations
MARCH 2024

                 Language Access Commitments

•  Title VI of the Federal Civil Rights Act
of 1964
•  FAA Regulations
•  Port of Seattle Commission Language
Access ORDER 2023-05
•  Port of Seattle RAISE values and
commitment to equity

2

     Port of Seattle Commission Language Access ORDER 2023-05
•  Port-wide Language Access Assessment of current practices (including a review of
publicly facing documents, resources, signage, websites, social media sites, and
forms).
•  Community survey and findings conducted with non-profit community partners.
•  Development of a guidance manual for departments to create language access
plans; and a proposal for budgeting resources necessary to effectively implement
the language access policy prior to the 2025 budget development process.
•   Human Resources shall propose a policy and compensation model for Port
employees who are tasked with translation services outside of their regular job
duties prior to the 2025 budget development process.

3

               Language Access Order Timeline

Sept 2023          Oct - Dec 2023      Jan 2024              Feb - Mar 2024            June 2024
42 Departments              Community             Language Access           Language Access           Report findings to             Budget and
Survey                     Survey                     Cohort                Guidance Manual             Commission               presentations







4

                 Step 1: Port-wide Survey
•  15 External Relations teams participated in the survey
•  41 other departments (non-External Relations) participated

•  Survey Objectives:
– Understand LEP individuals' interactions with departments.
– Identify and survey LEP communities for language needs.
– Current scope/state of assistance services, staff training, and communication
with LEP individuals
– Identify gaps

5

               Language Access at Work


South King County Listening Session
Sesión de consulta del condado de South King
Kulanka Dhageysiga ee Degmada south king
Buổi Lắng Nghe Cộng Đồng Miền Nam Quận King
6

                       Key Findings
•  All External Relations teams (100%) and most other departments
(83%) interact or communicate with the public or LEP individuals
•  Aviation Customer Service and Accessibility has the most frequent
engagements and variety of interactions.
•  Formal processes surrounding language assistance services are
uncommon.
•  Across all departments, trainings about language assistance
services are rare.
•  Survey responses suggest a desire for processes, standards, and
supports to be established Port-wide.
7

         King County & Port Language Similarities
King County               Port of Seattle

Tier 1                        Tier 1
Spanish                   Spanish
Tier 2                        Tier 2
Vietnamese              Vietnamese
Somali                    Somali
Korean                  Korean
Amharic                 Amharic
Chinese                  Chinese
Tier 2 - Unique to King Co   Tier 2 - Unique to Port
Russian                   American Sign Language
Punjabi                    Japanese

8

               Language Assistance Training
Across departments, few train their staff on language access issues and/or how
to provide language assistance services.

Do staff receive training on how to access &                                Are language access issues included in
provide language assistance services?                                    onboarding & orientation for staff?
External Relations          Non-ER Departments                                     External Relations          Non-ER Departments
80%
73%
66%                                                     66%

24%                                               20%   24%
10%                     13%
7%                                                   7%   10%
Yes                No             Unfamiliar                          Yes                No             Unfamiliar

9

                 Identifying LEP Individuals
•  LEP individuals are most commonly                            External Relations    Non-ER Departments
identified via direct requests for             Respond to requests for language                  67%
language assistance                             assistance                  46%
Assume if communication seems                  40%
•  Asking questions to determine need                 impaired                   39%
was also common                                              40%
Based on written material submitted
12%
•  “Other” comments highlight                                                 33%
Ask questions to determine proficiency
37%
services that do not require                                       13%
Have not identified LEP individuals
identification of individuals, such as                                 15%
7%
translating signs and materials or            Use "I speak" cards or name tags
2%
providing interpreters for events                                 7%
Unfamiliar
12%
based on knowledge of the targeted                                  40%
Other
community                                               29%
10

              Staff Members as Interpreters
•  Over 1-in-4 ER teams and over 1-in-3 non-ER departments report using staff
members as interpreters or translators
•  Only 2 departments train those individuals: Aviation Customer Service and
Risk Management
•  Departments reporting that they use staff for interpretation needs include:
•    Engineering                                          •    Aviation Maintenance
•    Maritime                                             •    Fire Department
•    Finance and Budget                                 •    Risk (under Central Services)
•    OEDI                                                  •    Security
•    Aviation Customer Service                         •    Accounting and Financial Reporting
•    Human Resources                                   •    Maritime Division: Ship Canal Operations
•    AV Innovation                                       •    AV Facilities + Infrastructure
•    Police                                                 •    External Relations

11

          Port of Seattle Organizational spending



12

               High Usage Departments
AV 911 dispatch                              Police Department​
AV Capital Program Management + FI​                  Public records Request
AV Commercial Management​                         AV Security​
AV Customer Experience                       Boating, Ops + Security​
Environment & Sustainability​                     Central Procurement Office
Fire Dept                                 Diversity in Contracting​
Marine Maintenance​                       Port Construction Services
AV Ground Transportation                         Cruise Operations
AV Facilities + Infrastructure                   External Relations (multiple depts)
13

               Step 2: Community Survey
• Designed to assess the needs and preferences of Limited English
Proficiency (LEP) communities, primarily in South King County.

• Survey emailed to about 150 leaders of community groups that
interact with the Port of Seattle.

• A total of 66 people participated, resulting in a 44% response rate.

14

                       Key Findings
•  Interpersonal modes of sharing info., such as personal connections &
community meetings, were most preferred.
•  Information about jobs and contracting opportunities were named
the most important to have available in other languages.
•  Although computer-generated translation tools are seen as useful by
most, few agree that they are accurate.
•  Need for Language Access Services varies across communities.
•  Many participants were aware of difficulties accessing Port
information within their community, including problems navigating
the Port website and accessing job opportunities.
15

                  Languages Spoken
Spanish, Somali & Amharic were the most common languages
38

24   23
14
10   10   10   10   9
7    7    6    5    5
3    2    2    2    1    1    1    1    1    1




16

         Information Needed in Other Languages
•  Information about jobs                Job and/or contracting
41
and/or contracting                    opportunities
opportunities is most             Community partnerships like
36
grants, funding or trainings
important to have in other
Community meetings & events                                      36
languages
Customer service at the airport,
•  All information types listed                                           25
marinas or parks
were considered useful by     Port plans for future development              23
at least one-third of
participants                            Safety information              22
Other    2


17

             Step 3: Language Access Cohort
Representatives from high usage teams participated in:
•  Understanding current practices
•  Vital documents identification and process for translation
•  Process of securing Interpretation
•  Use of Port staff as interpreters
•  Mass communication: website, social media, newsletters, etc.
•  Reporting and monitoring data for Language Access
•  Determining budgets and resources necessary
•  Capture recommendations


18

               Key Recommendations
1.   Prioritize Language Access Systemically Across the Organization
•   Support language access efforts with hiring a consultant or part time staff in OEDI, with expertise in
language access, who can move this work forward and help us meet our goals.
•   Move forward with a tiered approach for 2024. Continue convening the Language Access Cohort to
lead the implementation of these recommendations and develop budget proposals for 2025.
•   Every Te a m across the organization in 2025 to develop Language Access Plans as mandated by the
Commission order. OEDI has developed a 2-page plan template that departments can use or modify
(see appendix). The process and timeline for identifying language access will mirror the existing
process for the Port ’s annual EDI goal setting process that members of the Change Te a m support.
•   Offer webinars and trainings for all departments to understand the mandates of language access.

19

               Key Recommendations
2. Invest in Tools and Resources and Partnerships
•   Develop more robust partnerships with language access agencies and 2-3 contracts for
translation and interpretation service agreements managed by central staff who make these
available to all departments and teams through translation and interpretation service
agreements. Optimize the Port’s website to provide clear and streamlined access to translated
information.
•   Prioritize funding, contracts, RFP announcement opportunities as well as Port events, newsletters
and social media for translation in 2024 and 2025.
•   Create a resource center with training materials, guidance, and available contracts and options
available in a central location that is easily accessible, including resources for on-the-spot
interpretation and translation.

20

               Key Recommendations
3.   The use of employees for interpretation and translation
•   Employees   can   be   a   great   resource   available   for   on-the-spot   interpretation   and
translation with policies in place.
•   The Port ’s Human Resources department is in the process of developing a policy per the order which
reads: “Per the 2022 Salary and Benefits Resolution, Human Resources shall propose a policy and
compensation model for Port employees who are tasked with translation services outside of their
regular job duties prior to the 2025 budget development process.”



21

               Key Recommendations
4.   Education and training for employees
•   All LA materials for frontline staff should be available in a central location that is easily accessible to
staff.
•   Develop training videos that teach Port staff how, when and where to access interpretation (including
ASL) and translation support.
•   Complete the Language Access Manual so that frontline staff can use when interacting with LEP
individuals.  This  protocol document  should  walk  staff  members  through  the  steps  to  obtain
interpretation, translation, and language access support for of LEP individuals.
•   Orientation materials for new Port employees should include language access training, processes and
protocols.
•   Enhance  social  media  outreach  by  integrating  multilingual  text  within  multimedia  posts.

22

               Key Recommendations
5.   Graphics and Signage
•   Incorporate an ASL welcome at checkpoints on TV screens.
•   Have signage at SEA information desks that share language resources.
•   Bigger and more prevalent signage at SEA and all other Port of Seattle locations to inform community
members of their rights to request an interpreter.




23

               Key Recommendations
6.   Outreach and effective partnerships with Immigrant communities
•   Develop a standard practice of translating Port outreach materials (program fact sheets, flyers) in the
in the top tier languages spoken in near-Port communities.
•   Use the Duwamish River Multi-Cultural Working Waterfront To u r as a model for other Port facility
tours aimed at specific immigrant communities, providing narration in those languages.
•   Enhance  the  SKCCIF  Community  Liaison  program  to  reach  and  engage  additional  immigrant
populations on specific Port programs and opportunities.
•   Create a pilot program with a culturally connected community-based organization to develop
Port-trained “language ambassadors” that can represent opportunities to engage with the Port
on internships, workforce development and small business initiatives.

24

                 Proposed Next Steps
1.  Request an extension of two years to complete the remaining deliverables, moving
the due date on these deliverables from February 29, 2024 to February 28, 2026.
2.  Complete a language access manual providing guidance for how to establish and meet
interpretation and translations requests, how to select quality, certified translators and
interpreters when needed, when to consider alternative forms of language access
when translation or interpretation may not be the most effective methods, and posttranslation
and interpretation quality assurance review.
3.  Develop a compensation policy for employees who are tasked with interpretation
services outside of their regular job duties.
4.  Support the Language Access Cohort to develop annual department language access
plans – focusing on goals, implementation, reporting, and budget inclusion.
5.  Support these departments to develop budgets for 2025 to implement their plans.

25

                   Questions?


26