Title
Language Access Program
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FileID
File ID: 2026-01431
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Location
Location: Citywide
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Recommendation
Recommendation: Review and comment.
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Contact
Contact: Alicia Scholer, Language Access Coordinator, (916) 808-6073, ascholer@cityofsacramento.org, Economic Development Department
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Presenter
Presenter: Alicia Scholer, Language Access Coordinator, (916) 808-6073, ascholer@cityofsacramento.org, Economic Development Department
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Attachments
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-City of Sacramento Language Access Policy
3-City of Sacramento Language Access Gap Analysis, Survey Results, and Policy Recommendations
4-Presentation
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Description/Analysis
IssueDetail
Issue Detail: The City of Sacramento is committed to ensuring all residents, regardless of English proficiency, have meaningful access to City programs, services, resources, and information. To support this commitment, the City hired a Language Access Coordinator, which started in February 2025, and adopted the Citywide Language Access Policy in May 2025.
The policy expands access to interpretation services and the translation of public-facing documents. Spanish translations are prioritized due to Spanish being the most prevalent non-English language spoken at home by 17.7% of the population in the City of Sacramento according to 2024 census data. In comparison, 61% of residents speak only English. Further, the City’s Language Access Policy adopts the state’s policy where any language that meets or exceeds a 5% threshold of non-English speakers requires “state and local agencies..to effectively communicate with them through certified bilingual persons and translated materials,” per the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act. According to the City’s policy, additional languages for translation can be provided as needed to support outreach to Limited English Proficiency (LEP) communities and as funding and resources allow.
Sacramento is one of the most linguistically diverse cities in California. Nearly 39% of residents (197,902 people) speak a language other than English at home, and more than 84,577 residents (16.7%) have Limited English Proficiency. The City provides free language assistance in multiple languages, including Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Hmong, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Punjabi, Russian, Persian (Dari/Farsi), Hindi, and others as needed. (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 1-Year Estimates).
An estimated 10% of the population in the City of Sacramento has a form of hearing loss ranging from deaf to hard of hearing (NorCal Services 2025). The City of Sacramento has recently received an unprecedented number of American Sign Language (ASL) requests. The City fulfilled 12 American Sign Language (ASL) requests in fiscal year 2026. The scope of the Language Access Coordinator role does not include facilitation of citywide accessibility needs or ADA accommodations. The position is to coordinate spoken and written languages, but the City’s vendor does provide ASL interpretation, so the Language Access Coordinator has helped coordinate this service.
As part of the policy's implementation, the City recently launched the "I Speak" campaign to improve public awareness of available language services. Language identification displays are now available at the 19 most commonly utilized public-facing City service counters, including police facilities, community centers, the Department of Utilities customer service counter, the Planning and Building counter, Front Street Animal Shelter, the Revenue Division counter at New City Hall, and Hart Senior Center. Residents identify their preferred language so City staff can connect them with free interpretation services. The displays include "I Speak" cards in the City's eight most requested LEP languages: Spanish, Hmong, Mandarin, Cantonese, Russian, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Punjabi.
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PolicyConsiderations
Policy Considerations: The City Auditor’s Office partnered with the City Manager’s Office and third-party consultant, Nimdzi Insights, LLC., to perform a language access gap analysis, conduct surveys, and provide recommendations for improvement. The audit was released in October 2022, titled, “Language Access Gap Analysis, Survey Results, and Policy Recommendations.” The audit identified 16 recommendations, including hiring of a dedicated Language Access Coordinator. It was noted in the audit that a Language Access Policy was being drafted by the City Manager’s Office to address areas for improvement that were identified by the gap analysis and survey results.
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EconomicImpacts
Economic Impacts: Not applicable.
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EnvironmentalConsiderations
Environmental Considerations: The informal update is an administrative activity and is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), per CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5).
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Sustainability
Sustainability: Not applicable.
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Commission/Committee Action
Commission/Committee Action: Not applicable.
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RationaleforRecommendation
Rationale for Recommendation: Information Only.
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FinancialConsiderations
Financial Considerations: Not applicable.
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Public/NeighborhoodOutreachComments
Public/Neighborhood Outreach and Comments: Not applicable.
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