Final Letter Report on the New York City Department for the Aging’s Compliance with Local Law 25 Regarding Translation of Agency Website
The audit determined whether the New York City Department for the Aging (DFTA) is in compliance with Local Law 25, which governs the translation of websites of New York City agencies. The objective of this audit was to determine whether DFTA is complying with the local law, which is intended to make City agencies more accessible to foreign-born residents with limited English proficiency by ensuring that they have adequate access to information, benefits and services provided on City websites. Our audit of DFTA is one in a series of audits we are conducting on the City’s compliance with Local Law 25.
New York City, with a population of more than 8.5 million people, is home to one of the most diverse populations in the world, with more than 3.2 million foreign-born residents from more than 200 countries.[1] According to the New York City Department of City Planning, nearly one-half of all New Yorkers speak a language other than English at home, and almost 25 percent of City residents age five and over, or 1.8 million persons, are not proficient in English.[2] For residents with limited English proficiency, interacting with City government and receiving access to City services can be a challenge.
Most City agencies have a significant presence on the internet and they rely on agency websites to provide information and interact with the public. Accordingly, in 2016, Mayor de Blasio signed Local Law 25, amending the City’s Administrative Code in relation to citizens’ ability to access translation of City websites. Local Law 25 requires that every website maintained by or on behalf of a City agency include a translation service enabling users to view the text of that website, wherever practicable, in languages other than English. It also requires that the translation service be identifiable in a manner that is comprehensible to speakers of the seven most commonly spoken languages in the city. As determined by the Department of City Planning, the seven most commonly spoken languages in New York City amongst residents with limited English proficiency are:
- Spanish
- Chinese (includes Cantonese, Mandarin, and Formosan)
- Russian
- Bengali
- French Créole (also called Haitian Créole)
- Korean
- Arabic[3]
Results
Our audit found that DFTA generally complies with Local Law 25. DFTA’s website, found at http://www.nyc.gov/html/dfta/html/home/home.shtml, includes a translation feature for viewing text in the top seven languages spoken by residents with limited English proficiency. The website provides information for seniors, including senior services and programs, benefits and resources, health and wellness, job training and volunteering. All of this information can be translated into the City’s top seven languages. Furthermore, DFTA’s website contains a periodically-issued “Senior News” newsletter, which can also be translated into the City’s top seven languages. However, we found attachments accessed through DFTA’s website that only translate into three or four of the top seven languages.
The audit recommends that DFTA continue to adhere to the requirement of Local Law 25 that the agency’s website offer translations into the City’s top seven languages. Doing so will ensure that the agency will meet the needs of residents with limited English proficiency who seek to access City services online. The audit also recommends that DFTA ensure that all uploaded documents linked to its website translate into the top seven languages spoken by residents with limited English proficiency.
In its response, DFTA agreed with the report’s recommendations and stated that “DFTA will continue to adhere to the requirements of Local Law 25 that the agency’s website offer translations into the City’s top seven languages. We will also ensure that all essential uploaded documents linked to DFTA’s website translate into the top seven languages spoken by residents with limited English proficiency.”
[1] NYC Department of City Planning (DCP), NYC’s Foreign-born, 2000 to 2015, March 2017, https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/about/dcp-priorities/data-expertise/nyc-foreign-born-info-brief.pdf?r=2, downloaded April 12, 2017; DCP, Limited English Proficient Population, https://www1.nyc.gov/site/planning/about/language-access.page, downloaded April 12, 2017.
[2] DCP, Limited English Proficient Population, op. cit.