North Carolina Launches Language Access Resources for State Government
Effort Seeks to Make State Government More Welcoming and Effective for All
RALEIGH: Governor Roy Cooper announced that more North Carolinians will have the opportunity to connect with state government information, programs and services thanks to efforts to improve language access.
"It’s important that people from all communities can access important information they need," said Governor Cooper. "Increasing language access helps ensure that more North Carolinians can fully engage in the activities and responsibilities of public life."
North Carolinians interact with state government in a variety of ways, including to get a driver’s license, start a small business, pay taxes, seek employment and visit state parks and cultural attractions. Language access improvements will help the more than 1.2 million North Carolinians who use languages other than English.
In December 2023, Governor Cooper launched the NC Equity for Digital Language Access with an assessment of the current state of language access across all state cabinet agencies. Based on the findings, the Governor’s Office produced a language access plan template, a comprehensive policy, and a toolkit to help agencies prepare or update their own tailored Language Access Plan.
Many agencies have used these tools to complete their language access plans, which are available at nc.gov/language access. Additional language access plans will be added as they are completed. The language access plan template, policy and toolkit are also available on the website and can be used by other government agencies to improve language access in their departments.
The Governor's Office led this effort along with the North Carolina Department of Information Technology’s Office of Digital Equity and Literacy, the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.
According to the most recent U.S. Census, 8.5% of North Carolina residents who now call North Carolina home were born outside the country. While many of these New Americans are proficient in English, census data shows that 451,823 have Limited English Proficient (LEP). State government language access efforts will help integrate New Americans into North Carolina and encourage improved well-being and economic prosperity.
About Language Access Plans
Language Access Plans (LAPs) outline strategies for state government agencies to address language barriers, such as by providing interpretation, translation, staff training, and public outreach to ensure all residents can engage with critical and essential services including public safety, health, education, emergency preparedness and disaster response. Key goals include improving service delivery, building trust among diverse communities, and increasing access and opportunity for all. North Carolina's LAPs emphasize compliance with federal regulations including Title VI of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964 while addressing the specific needs of the state’s residents. More information is available at nc.gov/languageaccess.
The following state government agencies currently have their language access plans available to the public online:
The NC Department of Administration
The NC Department of Adult Correction
The NC Department of Commerce
The NC Department of Environmental Quality
The NC Department of Health and Human Services
The NC Department of Information Technology
The NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The NC Department of Public Safety
The NC Department of Transportation
The NC Office of State Budget and Management
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