Equitable Public Engagement through Linguistic Justice Practices
The current federal administration under President Biden has prioritized addressing racial inequities across all levels of public life since day one (literally). On his first day in office, Biden signed Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. A recent fact sheet outlined essential steps that departments across the federal government are taking to achieve some of the objectives of E.O. 13985.
Of particular interest to Linguistic Justice is the administration’s desire to increase public engagement in the legislative process, particularly from underserved and minority communities. The administration recently shared a summary of learnings and recommendations on the topic. While their focus is the federal level, federally funded agencies, state, and local governments can learn much from their findings. Below we share a few of the administrations’ recommendations, plus a few of our own. You can download a PDF copy of this blog below.
How to Make Forums and Requests for Input Linguistically Inclusive
Public engagement is the basis for a sound democracy. Unfortunately, most levels of government have not adapted (yet) to the changing lifestyles and demographics of the populations they serve. Many agencies pay Lip Service to the idea of inclusive environments but take little initiative to make them so. Here are five ways governments and government funded agencies can do better.
Improve Location and Time
Public input meetings often occur in the evenings in city centers with little to no free parking. They often require commute time. The location does not change even if the impacted community lives far from the city center. All of this results in low attendance at many of these meetings. Those who do attend are often older white community members. Little to no consideration is given to the needs of younger and non-white community members, and so the input received usually lacks diverse perspectives.
The government at every level needs to consider carefully the impact this lack of flexibility is having and make appropriate changes to improve public participation. Have multiple meetings in multiple locations. Ensure that if a specific neighborhood bears the brunt of the proposed changes, you give that neighborhood a chance to voice its concerns at a meeting that is at a time and place convenient for its constituents.
Remember that many lower-income communities disproportionately work second and third shifts and adjust accordingly.
If logistical concerns make multiple locations impractical, switch to virtual meetings. Virtual meetings allow stakeholders to join from almost anywhere and increase the practicality of joining for even part of the meeting. Community members wishing to attend can often join by using their phones from wherever they are, making it more likely that they will follow through on attending.
Government is there to serve the people, and it can only truly do that when it considers the practicalities of daily life, especially for underserved communities of color, including those from linguistically marginalized communities.
Communicate & Educate Effectively and Appropriately
Many constituents do not truly understand the role and importance of public meetings in the democratic process, particularly regarding regulatory processes and new legislation. These meetings are most people’s easiest way to have a voice in government decisions, but they may not understand that. For immigrant and minority communities with a history of government distrust, they may also not believe that. Therefore, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) recommends “[p]roactively disseminat[ing] relevant materials” and “[d]emonstrat[ing] how public comments make a difference in rulemaking by providing prominent examples.”
Aside from educational materials, ensuring meetings are advertised appropriately and in all necessary languages is vital. Posting meeting information solely on the municipal or state website and solely in English is an excellent way to ensure underserved communities of color don’t know about it. Determine where members of the public are most likely to see the information about the public interest meeting and publicize it accordingly. Use translated taglines so that non-English speakers know they will be able to understand it in their preferred language and have their voice heard through qualified interpreters.
Make language accessibility information available to the public in a timely manner via email, on social media, or via physical flyers in local establishments. Make disseminating critical information short, efficient, and easily accessible through QR codes. By adding a QR code to short translated flyers, community members quickly and easily gain access to necessary information in their preferred language. This also makes it easier for you to update information. Rather than having to track down all the flyers, social posts, etc, simply update the information at the code’s final destination and in any calendaring systems.
Get community members involved in sharing the information by contacting local businesses and prominent community members. Always be sure to present information in the appropriate language for different audiences. Any translated materials need to be done by a qualified linguist. Choosing qualified local linguists will also give you access to the communities they are a part of, thus helping your outreach efforts.
Use Linguistic Justice Practices for Virtual Meetings
Often meetings that involve interpreters are not taking best practices into account, resulting in communicating information via relay and not truly offering the opportunity for non-native English speakers to participate on equal footing with their English-dominant counterparts. In virtual settings, it is also not uncommon for hired interpreters to have a limited understanding of how to use the simultaneous interpreting feature on the meeting platform. This creates unequal opportunities to participate for those with limited English proficiency.
We have created a list of ways to ensure your virtual meetings meet language justice standards. Download it here.
Know Your Communities Better
It is impossible to meet all your constituents’ needs if you do not know the composition of the communities you are meant to serve. If the only community leaders you know how to reach out to live in affluent areas, you are failing most of your community members. While these prominent stakeholders may be the loudest, they do not represent everyone. You should be able to identify community leaders and grassroots businesses in every area you serve to ensure that you disseminate information effectively.
Be Intentional
Our fifth and final recommendation is the key to all the others. Governments of every level, as well as federally funded agencies, must be intentional in decision-making that reflects their constituents’ diversity. What works for one may not work for another. But it is impossible to know what works and what does not if no one intentionally seeks out that information and makes an earnest effort. Unfortunately, current laws requiring better outreach and language access are often vague, sounding more like an invitation to comply with federal mandates, rather than a mandate to provide the practical tools, support, and guidance needed for engaged decision-making. Community engagement will likely not improve until governments and federally funded agencies see it as their duty to implement better inclusive language access policies, carrying out their implementation with a high level of accountability and processes that provide a high level of support for their employees.
To Know Better is to Do Better
It may be a cliche, but it is true that you cannot do better unless you know better. Governments at every level – and any organization serving diverse populations – owe it to those they serve to constantly learn best practices for meeting their needs. Governments, and federally funded agencies, must improve multilingual communication and outreach practices to better serve low-income and non-English speaking constituents. By keeping abreast of the federal government’s recommendations and seeking to learn from social justice-minded organizations, organizations can be confident they are doing their due diligence to serve their communities to the best of their abilities.
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