Civil Rights Language Access Plan

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The Town of Hilton Head Island continually seeks to improve communication and accessibility to town programs, services, and information for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP). The town will ensure people with LEP meaningful access to its programs, services, and activities by providing accurate, timely and effective language access services that are free of charge and consistent with Federal law. This language access plan (LAP) contains the policy and steps describing how the Town of Hilton Head Island will provide programs, services, and information to people who speak other languages than English and have LEP or people who use various modes of communication, such as people with hearing, vision, or speech loss.

This LAP includes five steps to help identify and support people with LEP to ensure they are provided with effective communication, equal opportunity, and meaningful access to town programs and services. The five steps are:

• Identify persons for language access.
• Provide language and communication access.
• Train staff who will interact with persons with LEP.
• Provide public notice of language and communication access.
• Monitor, evaluate, and update the LAP when necessary.

Step 1: Identify persons for language access.

Individuals that do not use English as a primary language and have limited ability to speak, understand, read, or write in English are identified in the U.S. Census a having LEP. According to the 2021 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, the Town of Hilton Head Island has 5,456 people who speak a language other than English, which is 14.7 percent of the town's total population. According to these figures, 4,265 people are Spanish speakers, which is 11.5 percent of the total population, and the highest percentage of non-English speaking people residing within the town. Information provided in the 2021 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey indicates 2,010 people or 5.4 percent of the town's total population have a hearing disability and 1,141 people or 3.0 percent of the Town population have a vision disability.

Step 2: Provide language and communication access.

As part of community engagement, the town has secured services for on-demand interpretation and translation services with Language Line Services, Inc. These services include:

• Phone Interpreting for customer service, inspections and enforcement staff that can translate between English and other languages.
• Video Interpreting which allows for expanded interpretation services including American sign language and can be accessed via smart phone, tablet, or computer.
• Onsite Interpreting for in-person meetings or other situations where a live interpreter is preferred.
• Translation of Written Communications for certified translation services, high quality translation of documents, forms, or other written communication can be provided.

Step 3: Train staff who will interact with persons with LEP.

The Town of Hilton Head Island will provide access to iSpeak language identification guides and resources including training videos to all employees via the town's intranet portal. The purpose of the training is to ensure staff know the town's responsibility to provide language and communication access services, how to use this resource and how to maintain sensitivity when interacting with the public.

Step 4: Provide public notice of language and communication access.

The town will provide notice and information regarding the availability of language and communication access services to ensure people with LEP have effective communication, equal opportunity and meaningful access to town programs, activities, and services. The town has provided a language services page on its website with information for accessing language services. In addition to providing an English language website, the Town provides a Spanish language version of its website.

Step 5: Monitor, evaluate, and update the LAP when necessary.

The town will periodically monitor, evaluate, and update the LAP when necessary. The town will monitor the use of language and communication access services and any complaints, feedback, or suggestions regarding the services provided. Town staff will periodically be surveyed on the frequency of language and communication access services provided in their work.

Resources