DOT issued its guidance in 2001. Several Types of Language Access Services Are Provided, but Little Is Known about the Effects and Costs of Services

The types of language access services provided by the transit agencies and  MPOs we visited included translated service brochures, multilingual  telephone lines, translated Web sites, bilingual customer service staffs, and  a host of other services. However, the effects and costs of these services  are largely unknown. Little is also known about the costs of providing such services, and most  agencies saw the language access they provide as a cost of doing business  as opposed to an additional cost; however, agencies told us that costs could  become prohibitive if services were substantially expanded or provided in  several additional languages. Some agencies also employed more direct tactics to include LEP  groups in the planning process. In addition, several agencies we visited distributed translated  public meeting notices in various establishments throughout the  community. Furthermore, few of the agencies we visited had  conducted a formalized assessment of the needs of the LEP populations in  their service areas, or had assessed the success of their language access  activities in meeting these needs, although DOT’s LEP guidance  recommends that they do so. DOT Assists Grantees on Language Access Services through Its Guidance and Other Activities, but These Resources Are Not Often Accessed by Local Agencies

DOT’s LEP guidance provides grantees with a five-step framework for how  to provide meaningful access to LEP populations, along with some  information on how to implement such a framework; however, officials at  the majority of the 20 transit agencies and 7 MPOs we visited were not  aware of the LEP guidance. Officials  at transit agencies and MPOs we visited stated that training and technical  assistance that is widely available, and specific to language access and how  to implement DOT’s LEP guidance, could help them more effectively  provide access to LEP populations. DOT’s LEP Guidance Provides Steps to Meaningful Access, but DOT Took Limited Steps to Make Grantees Aware of Guidance

DOT’s 2001 LEP guidance outlines five steps funding recipients should take  to provide meaningful access for LEP persons, including (1) conducting an  assessment of the language groups within their service areas and the  language needs of these groups; (2) developing and implementing written  plans outlining their strategies for ensuring access to services for LEP  populations; (3) making staff aware of the LEP access plan, training them,  and providing them with the tools necessary to carry out the plan; (4)  ensuring that language access services are actually provided in a consistent  manner and that LEP populations are aware of these services; and (5)  developing monitoring programs that allow agencies to assess the success  of their LEP access programs and to identify needed modifications. Besides offering workshops, DOT also participates in the Federal  Interagency Working Group on Limited-English Proficiency, which  provides resources to federal grantees mainly through its Web site,  http://www.lep.gov. The transit agency credits  this effort with increasing its ridership. An official from NHI identified two training courses in which  language issues were discussed. However, these reviews do not fully  take into account Executive Order 13166 or DOT’s LEP guidance, and the  criteria for finding a deficiency with regard to providing language access  are inconsistent. At smaller  agencies, we interviewed the general managers as well as other agency  officials. We reviewed oversight documents  pertaining to Title VI compliance reviews, triennial reviews, and planning  certification reviews to determine how language access is considered by  these reviews (i.e., specific questions regarding language access activities)  and to what degree these reviews incorporate DOT’s LEP guidance.
Why GAO Did This Study

More than 10 million people in the United States are of limited English proficiency (LEP), in that they do not speak English at all or do not speak English well. These persons tend to rely on public transit more than English speakers. Executive Order 13166 directs federal agencies to develop guidance for their grantees on making their services accessible to LEP persons. The Department of Transportation (DOT) issued its guidance in 2001, with revised guidance pending issuance. This report reviews (1) the language access services transit agencies and metropolitan planning organizations have provided, and the effects and costs of these services; (2) how DOT assists its grantees in providing language access services; and (3) how DOT monitors its grantees' provision of these services.

What GAO Found

Transit agencies and metropolitan planning organizations provide a variety of language access services, predominantly in Spanish, but the effects and costs of these services are largely unknown. Types of services provided included, among other things, translated brochures and signs; multilingual telephone lines; bilingual drivers; and interpreters at public meetings. However, few agencies we visited had conducted an assessment of the language needs in their service areas, or had conducted an evaluation of their language access efforts. As a result, it is unclear whether agencies' efforts are comprehensive enough to meet the needs of LEP persons, and community groups in the areas we visited saw important gaps in agencies' services. In addition, although those costs are largely unknown, several agencies saw providing language access as a cost of doing business, not as an additional cost. However, if efforts were to be expanded to include additional services or languages, agency officials told us that costs could become prohibitive. DOT assists grantees in providing language access through its guidance and other activities, but DOT has made limited efforts to ensure that grantees are aware of the available assistance, which was not often accessed by the agencies we visited. This assistance includes DOT's guidance--which provides a five-step framework for how to provide meaningful language access--as well as workshops and peer-exchange programs that include language access practices, and training courses that touch on language issues. DOT also participates in a federal LEP clearinghouse, www.lep.gov . However, few agencies we visited had accessed these resources. Several local officials stated that easily accessible training and assistance specific to language access and examples of how to implement DOT's guidance could help them more effectively provide access to LEP populations. Transit agencies' and metropolitan planning organizations' provision of language access services are monitored through in-depth civil rights compliance reviews and two broader reviews--triennial reviews of transit agencies and planning certification reviews. However, these reviews do not have consistent criteria for determining whether an agency is deficient in providing such services. Furthermore, these reviews do not fully reflect Executive Order 13166 or DOT's guidance. Without thorough and consistent monitoring that takes into account the guidance, local agencies' language access activities will likely remain varied and inconsistent.