24th Anniversary of Executive Order 13166

Sunday, August 11, marked the 24th anniversary of Executive Order 13166, “Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency.”  At its core, the Executive Order acknowledges a fundamental principle: The Federal government must be able to understand and communicate with all people in the United States, including those with limited English proficiency, to keep our country and communities safe and prosperous.

Communication is critical to our mission. For over two decades, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has worked in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and stakeholders to eliminate language barriers in Federal and federally funded programs or services. Effective and meaningful communication with people with limited English proficiency is critical to planning and implementing a safe, efficient, sustainable, and equitable transportation system for all. For example, providing translations of vital documents or offering an interpreter during important conversations or hearings enhances the effectiveness of Federal and federally funded programs and services, ensuring they reach and benefit all intended communities.

DOT remains steadfast in its commitment to ensure that our programs and the programs we fund remain open to all, regardless of a person’s English proficiency. Together with over forty other federal agencies that have revised or are revising their language access plans, DOT has prioritized implementing effective policies and procedures to eliminate language barriers to our programs or the programs we fund. For example:

DOT launched the DOT Navigator to help communities understand how to apply for grants to plan and deliver transformative infrastructure projects and services. The DOT Navigator includes Spanish-language content.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) makes its consumer safety information, including information about recalls, more accessible to Spanish speakers through its Spanish-language website, NHTSA.gov/Espanol. In addition, NHTSA has a long-standing practice of providing Spanish translations of its safety campaigns to stakeholders and safety partners through its TrafficSafetyMarketing.gov website. NHTSA employs custom outreach to Spanish-speaking media to help highlight traffic safety.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launched a pilot program to translate into Spanish select web content for users of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS, commonly referred to as drones) to communicate UAS-related safety information.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) launched an initiative to translate public-facing websites and applications. FRA’s official web portals offer a Spanish-language sites with safety, trespass, and suicide prevention information.

There remains more to be done. In the coming year, DOT will strengthen language assistance services and continue building a Departmentwide language access culture. We will continue engaging with our partners in the Federal Language Access Working Group (FedLAWG) led by DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. As a member of FedLAWG, DOT will

• conduct effective language access training for DOT staff;
• recruit, assess, hire, and retain multilingual staff;
• contract with qualified translators and interpreters; and
• use technology to deliver accurate and reliable language assistance services.

Through this unified approach, DOT seeks to fulfill the promise of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Executive Order 13166 in preventing discrimination and ensuring equal treatment under the law. 

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