Page 23 - The Indian EYE 121925

NORTH AMERICAN Newsline DECEMBER 19, 2025 | The Indian Eye 23

Mayor Adams issues directive to Agencies to Identify Ways to

Improve Communications with Non-English Speakers

Goal is to Make All New York City Agencies More Language Friendly

OUR BUREAU
need, and help our city government
NEW YORK, NY connect with every New Yorker, re-
gardless of their background or the
ew York City Mayor Eric Ad- language they speak as we make it
ams has issued a directive to
Ncity agencies to evaluate how easier to live, work, and raise a family
in the greatest city in the world.”
they can further incorporate language “The Adams administration has
technologies into their day-to-day in- ushered New York City into the 21st
teractions with the public to improve century with bold technology strategies
communications with all New Yorkers, that make city services and benefits
including non-English speaking com- more accessible to all New Yorkers,”
munities. To start, the city is planning to said New York City Chief Technol-
install language apps on all city-owned ogy Officer (CTO) Matthew C. Fra-
smart devices — more than 100,000 in ser. “Today’s announcement builds
total — to make city services more ac- upon the mayor’s forward-thinking
cessible to New Yorkers as part of the efforts to deploy technology in fresh
City of New York’s push to become ogy to improve communications with available, and to know where to turn ways to remove barriers to govern-
the most language-friendly city on the all New Yorkers, no matter what lan- for help in a crisis,” said Deputy May- ment resources for those who need
globe. The New York City Office of guage they speak. This is a global city, or for Communications Fabien Levy. them most. By putting language tech-
Technology and Innovation (OTI) will where you can hear over 175 languag- “The Adams administration is chang- nologies at the fingertips of more
provide support to city agencies to fa- es spoken on every street, every store, ing that by being laser-focused on than 100,000 public sector workers,
cilitate downloads and usage of tools and every stoop. That is why we are speaking to all New Yorkers. With this the city is significantly expanding its
like Google Translate and Apple’s issuing a directive to our city agencies new directive, we will double down on ability to deliver the services and sup-
built-in Translate app, while continu- that will make it possible to expand that mission by giving our agencies port that non-English speaking New
ing to evaluate advances in technology the use of language apps in their work. new tools to meet New Yorkers where Yorkers deserve. That is a success in
to ensure effective, safe, and quality The city will kickstart this process by they are, deliver the information they any language.”
communications. Additionally, the ensuring every city-owned smart de-
New York City Police Department vice has language apps, like Google
(NYPD) will immediately begin us- Translate, available at their fingertips.
ing language technology to commu- Additionally, the NYPD is updating
nicate with New Yorkers they interact its Patrol Guide Policy to allow officers
with on a day-to-day basis, while New to use translation apps while interact-
York City Public Schools has begun ing with the public, and, in our school
development on Hello, a new app to system, we will begin developing a
help bridge language gaps that will new custom app to bridge language
be rolled out in the spring of 2026. gaps in school communities. Today’s
In order to reach New Yorkers
in the languages they speak, NYC311 announcement further builds on the
work we have done to improve service
already provides interpretation ser- delivery and make New York City gov-
vices in over 175 languages. Residents ernment more inclusive and accessible
can text 311 at 311-692 to receive because when we embrace technol-
help through translation services. ogy, we are able to deliver every part
In 2024, these language resources of our vision more effectively — mak-
were used in more than 320,000 cus- ing our city safer, more affordable,
tomer interactions across 104 lan- and the best place to raise a family.”
guages. Additionally, MyCity, which “Our administration has made it
connects New Yorkers to city ser- clear that we need to use every tool
vices and benefits, is available in the we have to meet New Yorkers wher-
city’s 10 most common languages. ever they are; for me, that mission has
“From the very start, our admin-
istration has continually expanded always been personal. Growing up in
a community full of immigrants, like
our use of technology to keep New my own, I learned first-hand how im-
Yorkers safer, stronger, and more portant it is for government to speak
informed, but to be a more inclusive to every person, with every tool, in ev-
and accessible city, we must also be ery language. But, too often, language
the most language-friendly city on the and cultural barriers have made it
globe,” said Mayor Adams. “Today, we hard for our city’s residents to under-
are taking another step forward by ex- stand what’s happening in their neigh-
panding the use of language technol-
borhood, to learn what resources are

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