New York State Office of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy announced Feb. 18 the launch of the NYS Language Dashboard by the NYS Office of Language Access (OLA). She said the dashboard seeks to provide a point of reference for those seeking a deeper understanding of the population of New Yorkers whose primary language is not English, or who have limited English proficiency (LEP), and inform data-driven decisions around language access that can eliminate communication-related obstacles.

 

“OGS is proud to support [New York] Governor [Kathy] Hochul’s commitment to ensuring all New Yorkers can equitably access government programs and services without language being a barrier,” Moy said. “By creating an accessible digital dashboard, we are enabling State agencies, localities, providers, and community partners to better understand the changing linguistic demographics of their fellow New Yorkers, enabling stronger programmatic outcomes, tailored outreach strategies, and inclusive communications.”

 

According to State officials, the dashboard will be used for demographic analysis and to inform plans aimed at providing better language-access services by pinpointing the location of groups of language speakers, the proportion of populations with LEP within the state or a county, and other important intersectional characteristics of this population, such as age group, hearing, vision and education levels, birthplace, and more. They said it offers seven views for users to explore: summary, top languages, languages by county, characteristics, language profile, New York State map, and birthplace.

 

NYS Chief Diversity Officer Julissa Gutierrez said, “Language access is a fundamental pillar of equity and inclusion. This dashboard is a game-changer in how we ensure all New Yorkers, regardless of the language they speak, have access to the information and resources they need.”

 

She added, “By harnessing data to drive culturally responsive outreach, we are taking a meaningful step toward breaking down barriers and fostering a more inclusive state. I applaud Governor Hochul and OGS for their leadership in advancing language equity across New York.”

 

They said the data used in the dashboard is sourced from the latest five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. They said the dashboard will be updated annually with the latest data available, which is currently from 2022. They said OLA, which falls under general services, created the dashboard in collaboration with the governor’s office and statewide language access coordinators, with support from Cornell University’s Program on Applied Demographics.

 

NYS Office of Language Access Executive Director Margarita Larios said, “OLA’s goal is to support and guide state agencies as they comply with the language access law and to influence cultural change that fosters language justice and belonging for all in our state. We are proud to have worked with our partners to create a tool that gives state government and the public deeper insight into New York State’s rich linguistic diversity from an intersectional perspective.”

 

She added, “When exploring this dashboard, I encourage everyone to think of the people behind these estimated figures whose diverse experiences greatly contribute to our state. I want to thank Gov. Hochul and OGS Commissioner Jeanette Moy for their support, trust, and encouragement on this project and all our work.”

 

Meanwhile, NYS Chief Disability Officer Kim Hill Ridley said,”Full access to communications for people with sensory and communication disabilities is absolutely necessary. They are a right for those who need it, not a luxury or a privilege, and can in several ways, be the difference between life or death. I am so proud to work for a Governor who acknowledges the importance of communication access and with OGS, who has done an exceptional job at executing this priority.” 

 

You can view this fact sheet on the New York State Language Dashboard’s landing page to learn more about the different dashboard views and to read the frequently asked questions (FAQs).

 

Visit languageaccess.ny.gov for more helpful resources and to learn more about your language access rights in New York State.

 

The dashboard is accessible here.