[EXTERNAL] Language Access in our region
Valenzuela, Matias <Matias.Valenzuela@kingcounty.gov>
Tue 4/18/2023 12:14 PM
To: Commission-Public-Records <commission-public-records@portseattle.org>
Cc: Levy, Susan (Susie) <slevy@kingcounty.gov>
WARNING: External email. Links or aachments may be unsafe.
Dear Port of Seale Commissioners:
At Public Health - Seale & King County, we believe language access services are equity in acon. These
services assist individuals and communies in the ability to find, understand and use informaon and
services to inform health and other decisions and acons for themselves and others. As informaon is
oen only created in English, mullingual communies are days behind, or le out enrely, in receiving
basic and vital informaon. Addionally, informaon tends to be text heavy, culturally irrelevant, and
does not follow basic literacy principals. Community based language access programs provide mely,
culturally responsive, and accurate informaon to regional communies.
For instuons and governments, creang strong Language Access Orders are a crical step in serving
our communies. During the past 15 years, we at Public Health and in King County have taken concrete
steps, including:
In 2009 we passed our Translaon Policy as part of Public Health’s comment to Language Access
and equity.
In 2010, based on our Public Health policy, King County Execuve Dow Constanne created a
Language Access/Translaon Execuve Order.
In 2016, the King County Immigrant and Refugee Task Force, which became the basis for the
Immigrant and Refugee Commission, called out language access as an essenal component in the
successful integraon of immigrants and refugees.
In 2018, the King County Council adopted an ordinance to protect and support immigrants and
refugees. This ordinance now in King County code 2.15 lays out language access requirements for
King County government.
In 2020, as part of our COVID-19 pandemic response and our declaraon of Racism as a Public
Health Crisis, Public Health created a Language Access Team to provide centralized, quality
language access services based on community approaches and relaonships to provide crical
health and other informaon to all residents.
Public Health - Seale & King County is eager to be a partner with other jurisdicons and organizaons
in our collecve language access work that beer serve our communies.
Sincerely,
Matías Valenzuela, PhD (he/him/él)
Director, Office of Equity & Community Partnerships
Public Health Seattle & King County 206-263-8697
kingcounty.gov/depts/health/equity