EO 13166 24th Anniversary Statement - August 12, 2024

 

August 11, 2024, marked the 24th anniversary of Executive Order 13166, “Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency.”  At its core, the Order acknowledges a fundamental principle: that the federal government must be able to understand and communicate with all people in the United States, including those with limited English proficiency, to keep our country and communities safe and prosperous.

 

Communication is critical to our mission.  For over two decades, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) has worked in partnership with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to eliminate language barriers to federal services.  Indeed, communicating with and understanding people with limited English proficiency is critical to enforcing the law, protecting the environment, providing housing or food assistance, promoting student achievement, ensuring public health, and upholding economic prosperity and justice.  When government agencies provide, for example, translations of vital documents or offer an interpreter during important conversations or hearings, we enhance the effectiveness of federal services, ensuring they reach and benefit all intended communities.

 

OSHRC remains steadfast in its commitment to ensure that the programs and services it offers remain open to all, regardless of a person’s English proficiency.  Together with over forty federal agencies that have revised or are revising their language access plans, we have prioritized learning about and implementing effective policies and procedures to eliminate language barriers to our programs.  For example, in July 2024, OSHRC published a substantially revised and updated version of its Language Access Plan, which is now available publicly on our website, at:

 

 https://www.oshrc.gov/publications/accessibility-information/

 

In the coming year, we will continue to engage with our partners on the Federal Language Access Working Group (FedLAWG) led by the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division.  As a member of the FedLAWG, we learn and share information about conducting effective language access staff training; recruiting, assessing, hiring, and retaining multilingual staff; contracting for qualified translators and interpreters; and using technology to deliver accurate and reliable language assistance services.  Through this unified approach OSHRC seeks to fulfill the promise of Executive Order 13166 in preventing discrimination and ensuring equal treatment under the law. 

 

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