Final Letter Report on the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner’s Compliance with Local Law 25 Regarding Translation of Agency Website

Executive Summary

The audit determined whether the Office of Chief Medical Examiner is complying with Local Law 25, which is intended to make City agencies, and ultimately the City as a whole, more accessible to foreign-born residents whose primary language is not English.  This audit of OCME is one in a series of audits we are conducting of the City’s compliance with Local Law 25.

New York is home to one of the most diverse populations in the world, with more than four million foreign-born residents from more than 200 different countries.  More than 75 percent of all New Yorkers speak a language other than English at home, and almost 46 percent, or 1.8 million people, are limited in English proficiency.  For New Yorkers 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 rely on agency websites to both provide information and to 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:

1) Spanish

2) Chinese (includes Cantonese, Mandarin, and Formosan)

3) Russian

4) Bengali

5) French Créole (also called Haitian Créole)

6) Korean

7) Arabic

Results

The audit found that OCME generally complies with Local Law 25.  OCME’s website, found at http://www1.nyc.gov/site/ocme/index.page, includes a translation feature for viewing text in various languages, including the top seven noted languages, and key documents in the top most frequently encountered languages of residents with limited English proficiency.

OCME’s primary function involves the investigation, examination and analysis of deceased persons.  Its website provides important information pertaining to its functions and services, how services are accessed and its locations.  The website also provides answers to frequently asked questions.  OCME defines its vital forms as official documents that require signatures and brochures that explain key practices and policies of the agency.

When we initially examined OCME’s website, we found that it provided a “General Information” brochure and a brochure entitled “Information for Family and Friends” that could be translated into nine languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Polish, Russian and Spanish.  OCME’s website was subsequently updated during the course of the audit.  We reviewed it after the update and found that the information in the “Information for Family and Friends” brochure had been incorporated into the “Frequently Asked Questions” section of the website and that the information in the “General Information” brochure had been incorporated into other sections of the website.  We also found that all of this information could be accessed in the top seven languages upon translation of the website.

In addition, we found that OCME’s website also provides two forms on its website, the Request an Expert Speaker Form and the Internship Inquiry Form.  Both forms could be translated into the top seven applicable languages.

The audit recommends that OCME continue to maintain its compliance with Local Law 25 to ensure it effectively meets the needs of residents with limited English proficiency when accessing City services online.

In its response, OCME agreed with the report’s findings and stated, “OCME has reviewed the Report and the Findings and Recommendations, and thanks the Office of the Comptroller for its finding that OCME generally complies with Local Law 25, including a translation feature on our website for viewing text and key documents in various languages including the top most frequently encountered languages of residents with limited English proficiency. OCME will continue to maintain compliance with Local Law 25 to ensure we effectively meet the needs of residents with limited English proficiency when accessing City services online.”