Participants of the event from various immigrant communities in DC
July 1, 2014, WASHINGTON, D.C. (ayyaantuu) – On Saturday June 21, 2014 the DC Office of Human Rights (OHR) convened a multilingual community dialogue and resource fair where about 100 diverse limited and non-English proficient residents made recommendations for strengthening Language Access in the District. The recommendations were the result of two-hour simultaneous roundtable discussions that took place in 10 different languages. As the second installment in a series of events hosted by OHR to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the DC Language Access Act, this unique community dialogue supplemented report findings from an Urban Institute study released in April, with direct community feedback on Language Access implementation over the last 10 years directly from the intended users.
July 1, 2014, WASHINGTON, D.C. (ayyaantuu) – On Saturday June 21, 2014 the DC Office of Human Rights (OHR) convened a multilingual community dialogue and resource fair where about 100 diverse limited and non-English proficient residents made recommendations for strengthening Language Access in the District. The recommendations were the result of two-hour simultaneous roundtable discussions that took place in 10 different languages. As the second installment in a series of events hosted by OHR to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the DC Language Access Act, this unique community dialogue supplemented report findings from an Urban Institute study released in April, with direct community feedback on Language Access implementation over the last 10 years directly from the intended users.
“It’s truly incredible to be part of a city that welcomes, nurtures and
enables its immigrant communities to thrive and contribute,” said OHR
Language Access Program Director Winta Teferi. “As an immigrant myself, I
know that Language Access is crucial for ensuring that those who speak
little or no English can participate meaningfully in their government.
Because DC is home to one of the most linguistically diverse
populations, it is imperative that we engage and hear from all
communities to ensure we meet the unique needs of all residents who
speak little or no English.”
As a result of the discussion with a participation of a 15-member
delegation of Oromo Community Organization of Washington DC, Afaan
Oromo was recommended to be one of the language access in the District
of Columbia. The participants of the event including officials of the
various DC Government agencies understood very well the importance and
the rights of Oromo residents needing such services in Afaan Oromo.
Because of the rapid growth of Oromo community in the Washington, D.C.,
there has been an increasing demand for Afaan Oromo translation services
and Oromo participation in the affairs of the District.
Once the final work is finalized, the Language Access Department of the
DC Office of Human Rights will declare the Afaan Oromo as an official
language access in DC. Necessary signs will be translated and written in
Qubee and placed in public quarters. Interpreters and translators in
each and every DC government institution, hospital, school, DC
government agency, etc. will be facilitated.
The Oromo Community Organization of Washington DC requests its members and supporters to support it in this effort.
–You may find more pictures on DC Government Speaks facebook
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