The City of Winston-Salem launched an innovative Language Access Plan, which prioritizes offering residents who don't speak english In both the city and Forsyth County, access to important and emergency information in your language.
The plan was launched Monday, July 22 during a press conference in the City Council Chambers.
This conference, for the first time, was held in Spanish and was led by Javier Correa-Vega, Winston-Salem language coordinator.
Attendees who do not speak Spanish had to use an interpretation device to hear the presentation, which was translated by Adolfo Briseño, administrator of Human Relations and Hispanic Outreach.
“This new plan is a success for all of us who address Hispanic issues. All agencies, departments and organizations in the city of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County work together, we are connected in the time of an emergency or something important,” Correa-Vega told Enlace Latino NC.
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Language Access Planistic approved in July
The administration policy of Language Access Plan was approved by City Manager Patrick Pate in July, which contains policies, procedures and practices to assist employees in better communicating with the residents they serve who speak languages other than English.
The Language Access Plan had a planning and implementation cost of $25,000. Funding was received from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation.
The document of complete plan can be found on the City's website.
Why did the idea of creating the plan arise?
Correa-Vega cited that the idea of the language access plan arose in 2022, after the fire at the Weaver fertilizer plant in Winston-Salem.
“In the event of an emergency, such as the one that occurred at the Weaver plant, we will be present to provide interpretation and translation on site,” the official said.
The official explained that, in the event of a major emergency, the first step will be to communicate with the media, which he said: “they are your allies,” when disseminating important information.
“We will be offering updates at all times along with Briseño, who already knows the job of being a reporter. We will try to ensure that the information in Spanish comes out simultaneously with that in English,” he said.
Correa-Vega and Briseño work hand in hand with Bob Thompson, who is another coordinator of the language access plan.
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Instant interpretation system
The plan has a team of translators that the coordinators can take to any place at any time.
“We will use them at community meetings, events and emergencies. The devices come in electronic backpacks carried by the translators with which five languages can be translated simultaneously,” he explained.
The coordinator said that precisely one day after the launch of the plan, an emergency arose due to a bomb threat in Winston-Salem.
“We used the system and were able to provide information in Spanish and Swahili, which is a language spoken in Africa. Many African refugees live here,” he said.
Most residents speak Spanish
Correa-Vega brought up the 2022 Census estimates, which indicate that 14.7% of the population in Winston-Salem speaks Spanish, that is, 36,897 of the total population of 251,000.
There are also a significant number of refugees from Eastern Europe, Asia and the Pacific Islands, which together with Spanish speakers total 48,694 inhabitants who speak a language other than English at home.
level system priority
To determine translation and interpretation needs, the plan has a list of language priorities by priority levels:
1 level: At this level there is Spanish and sign language, in which all important documents and emergency messages are translated. The City will continue recruiting personnel who speak those languages and will train those who do not.
2 level: Emergency messages will be translated and the city will provide access to sign language translation for documents and remote interpretation. This level includes languages such as Pashto, Dari and Farsi, among others.
3 level: For other languages, the city will offer translation and interpretation services on an individual basis.
The language guide that has a list of at least 70 languages has been presented to police officers and other municipal employees, in case they need it.
Also bilingual sign language
The Language Access Plan also includes sign language, which is currently only offered in English.
The coordinator said that the next Municipal Council meeting scheduled for August will be the first that will have live American Sign Language interpreters, and that it is expected that bilingual sign language in Spanish can be implemented in the future.
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They can file complaints
The city also established a process for residents who do not speak English to file complaints.
To file a complaint, residents can contact Javier Correa-Vega at: 336-734-1509, at javiercv@citiofws.org. You can also contact Bob Thompson at: 336-734-1306 and at roberth@cityofws.org.
See here the full document Winston Salem Language Access Plan
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