Selected PROPOSAL-Historic-Barrett Planning Group-4-7-22
City of Northampton
HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN
Proposal for Consulting Services
Submitted by:
Barrett Planning Group LLC
Hingham, Massachusetts
In association with
Kathleen Kelly Broomer
Wayland, Massachusetts
781-934-0073 | 350 Lincoln Street, Ste 2503, Hingham MA 02043 | www.barrettplanningllc.com 2
CONSULTANT FOR NORTHAMPTON HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN
Table of Contents
Project Team .................................................................................................................................................... 5
Plan of Services ............................................................................................................................................... 7
Anticipated Project Schedule ...................................................................................................................... 10
Price Proposal ................................................................................................................................................ 11
Engage Your Community! ........................................................................................................................... 12
References ...................................................................................................................................................... 18
Qualifications and Resumes ........................................................................................................................ 20
781-934-0073 | 350 Lincoln Street, Ste 2503, Hingham MA 02043 | www.barrettplanningllc.com
April 7, 2022
Wayne Feiden, FAICP
Director Planning & Sustainability
210 Main St., 2nd Floor
City Hall
Northampton, MA 01060
Reference: City of Northampton Historic Preservation Plan
Dear Mr. Feiden:
Barrett Planning Group LLC is pleased to submit this proposal to assist the City with the Historic
Preservation Plan component of the Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan. For this engagement,
we look forward to collaborating with Architectural Historian and Preservation Consultant Kathleen
Kelly Broomer.
As principal-in-charge and project manager, I will lead our firm’s work. We have an outstanding team
here that will support the project throughout our time with the City. I will be joined by Alexis
Lanzillotta, Carly Venditti, and Greg Zapata for community engagement, assessment, and preparation
of deliverables to match the format of the City’s comprehensive plan. As necessary, we will engage
Language Connections or an equally qualified partner in Western Massachusetts for interpretation
and translation for people with Limited English Proficiency or communications disabilities.
Our firm employs five full-time planners, a full-time project manager and community engagement
team leader, a full-time associate planner, a GIS coordinator, and support personnel. For project
oversight and contract administration, I will be the City’s principal contact.
We provide a variety of planning services, including:
City and Town Comprehensive Plans
Community Engagement
Housing Needs Assessments and Housing
Plans
Fair Housing and Social Equity Planning and
Technical Assistance
Community Needs Assessments
Comprehensive Zoning Revision
Downtown and Neighborhood Revitalization
Strategies
Organizational Assessments & Strategic
Planning
Community Development Program Design
and Technical Assistance
Development Impact Analysis
Economic Development Plans
I am a planner and housing policy analyst with over 35 years of experience in planning and
community development. Before establishing my firm in April 2017 (www.barrettplanningllc.com), I
worked for RKG Associates, Inc. as Municipal Services Director for four years and before that, as
City of Northampton
Historic Preservation Plan
April 7, 2022
781-934-0073 | 350 Lincoln Street, Ste 2503, Hingham MA 02043 | www.barrettplanningllc.com 4
Planning Director for Community Opportunities Group, Inc., for 17 years. My earlier work experience
was with the Executive Office of Communities and Development (now called Department of Housing
and Community Development), where I served as Program Director of the State CDBG (“Small
Cities”) Program, and previously, as Community Development Director for the Town of Plymouth.
My firm is a certified Woman-Owned Business Enterprise with the State Office of Supplier Diversity.
The attached proposal summarizes our approach to the tasks described in City’s RFP. You will find
our resumes and qualifications attached at the end of the proposal as well. We are available to begin
working on the project within three weeks of receiving a notice to proceed and we will provide the
necessary attention to complete it on time. If you need additional information, please contact me at
(781) 934-0073, x7 or by email at judi@barrettplanningllc.com. As the sole owner of my firm, I have
the legal authority to execute a contract with the City of Northampton. We are very interested in this
project! On behalf of my colleagues at Barrett Planning Group and Ms. Broomer, I hope you decide to
approve our proposal,
Sincerely,
BARRETT PLANNING GROUP LLC
Judith A. (Judi) Barrett
Owner and Managing Director
City of Northampton
Historic Preservation Plan
April 7, 2022
781-934-0073 | 350 Lincoln Street, Ste 2503, Hingham MA 02043 | www.barrettplanningllc.com 5
PROJECT TEAM
Barrett Planning Group LLC
Judi Barrett, Principal-in-Charge and Project Manager. Judi Barrett, owner of
Barrett Planning Group LLC, is a veteran planner and community
development professional with 35 years of experience in state and local
government and the private sector, mainly in New England. She has prepared
numerous comprehensive plans, neighborhood revitalization plans, zoning
ordinances and bylaws, and housing plans, and she is highly respected for her
work in socioeconomic and fiscal impact analysis. Judi is known nationally for her work in
inclusionary zoning. As a consultant for the Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) Chapter 40B
Technical Assistance Program, Judi has worked with Boards of Appeal throughout the state. She is
the principal author of MHP’s Chapter 40B Handbook for Zoning Boards of Appeal (2017) and a
frequent trainer of city and town boards and staff. For this reason, Barrett Planning Group was hired
by Citizen Planner Training Collaborative (CPTC) to update the entire municipal planning and land
use curriculum for Massachusetts cities and towns. We wrote the statewide training on creating a
community-wide master plan.
Judi has led planning, zoning, economic development, and fair housing sessions at the American
Planning Association National Conference for the last several years and organized land use and
economic development programs for regional and statewide conferences. Examples of recent master
plan engagements include Bridgewater, Littleton, Hingham, and Medfield. Barrett Planning Group is
certified as a woman-owned business by the State Office of Supplier Diversity.
Judi will be joined by a team of three colleagues from Barrett Planning Group: Tyler Maren for
regulatory analysis, Gregory Zapata for research and analysis, and Carly Venditti for community
engagement. All resumes are attached at the end of this proposal.
Barrett Planning Group LLC is a certified women-owned business by the State Office of Supplier
Diversity. We employ five full-time planners, a full-time project manager and community engagement
team leader, a full-time associate planner, a GIS/visualization coordinator, and support personnel.
Kathleen Kelly Broomer
Kathleen Kelly Broomer has thirty-five years of experience advising Massachusetts communities on
matters of protecting community character while managing growth and change. An architectural
historian by training, she served as a preservation planner at the Massachusetts Historical
Commission (MHC), and provided technical assistance and staff support to the Planning Board and
Historical Commission in the Town of Weston and the Board of Appeals in the Town of Natick. She
is a former member of the Natick Historical Commission, and a former member of the board of
directors of Historic Massachusetts (now Preservation Massachusetts).
As an independent preservation consultant, Ms. Broomer has completed communitywide historic
properties surveys, survey assessments and updates, National Register of Historic Places
nominations, and historic preservation plans for a wide range of Massachusetts municipalities. The
author of historic preservation plans for Medfield (1999), Newburyport (1991), and Westminster
City of Northampton
Historic Preservation Plan
April 7, 2022
781-934-0073 | 350 Lincoln Street, Ste 2503, Hingham MA 02043 | www.barrettplanningllc.com 6
(1998), Ms. Broomer has focused more recently on providing communities with survey and National
Register assessments, producing survey plans for Plympton (2011) and Wellesley (2010), and co-
authoring the survey plan for Arlington (2019). While on staff at the MHC, she worked with local
historical commissions and district commissions to prioritize their survey needs, reviewed and
approved survey products submitted by municipalities and preservation consultants, evaluated
historic properties for National Register eligibility, and brought MHC’s Historic Properties Survey
Manual from draft format to publication.
Kathleen Kelly Broomer edited and completed the National Register nomination for the Parsons,
Shepherd, and Damon Historic District (Historic Northampton) as a consultant to the MHC. Her work
for MHC on The Diners of Massachusetts Multiple Property Submission, a National Register context
for the Commonwealth’s historic diners, led to National Register listing of the Miss Florence Diner
and twenty-one other diners statewide.
Ms. Broomer holds a Master of Architectural History degree and Certificate in Historic Preservation
from the University of Virginia School of Architecture, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith
College. Her experience in cultural resource management as a preservation planner and consultant
contributed to an interest in municipal zoning and land use. All preservation consulting work
undertaken by Ms. Broomer has consisted of short-term fixed-fee projects for local historical
commissions, the MHC, or private parties.
City of Northampton
Historic Preservation Plan
April 7, 2022
781-934-0073 | 350 Lincoln Street, Ste 2503, Hingham MA 02043 | www.barrettplanningllc.com 7
PLAN OF SERVICES
Barrett Planning Group is excited about helping the City of Northampton with its new Historic
Preservation Plan. Together with our preservation consultant Kathleen Kelly Broomer, we will work
closely with the Office of Planning and Sustainability, Planning Board, and Historical Commission
throughout the development of this plan. We look forward to learning from you and the City’s
residents, businesses, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations about Northampton’s
historically significant areas, buildings, structures, and objects, and the landscape that unites them. It
is our hope that through the planning process, we will assist you with advancing policies and
programs to prevent the loss of the City’s historic and cultural assets.
Toward this end, our approach blends methods of inquiry, fieldwork, documentation, analysis, public
engagement, and strategic planning. As the City’s RFP lays out a detailed list of tasks required to
prepare the Historic Preservation Plan, we have not repeated those tasks in our proposal; we accept,
by submitting this response, that the tasks are required as stated and will form the basis for the work
plan. Below, we explain our approach, assignment of personnel, and the skill sets we offer for each of
the project’s four phases, referring in short form to the tasks outlined in the RFP.
Phase I. Background Scope of Work
Tasks Primary Responsibility Support
Mobilization Barrett, Venditti, Broomer
Review of recent historic preservation
plans
Barrett, Venditti
Prepare introductory text Broomer Barrett
Meet with Historical Commission Broomer, Barrett
List of preservation partners Barrett, Venditti
Historical development of the community Broomer Venditti, Zapata
Review previous planning documents Barrett, Venditti, Zapata
Review existing inventory Broomer
Prepare analysis of current designations Broomer
Review existing ordinances Barrett, Maren Broomer
Review status of City-owned properties Maren, Zapata
Assess capacity Barrett Broomer
Phase I review meeting Barrett, Venditti, Broomer
Deliverables:
Barrett Planning Group will take lead responsibility for drafts, GIS maps, photography, and data.
Broomer will contribute significantly to the Historic Properties Inventory Analysis and National
Register of Historic Places and Local Historic District Analysis.
City of Northampton
Historic Preservation Plan
April 7, 2022
781-934-0073 | 350 Lincoln Street, Ste 2503, Hingham MA 02043 | www.barrettplanningllc.com 8
Phase II. Outreach
Tasks Primary Responsibility Support
Seek input from boards and commissions
(Historical, Planning, Central Business
Architecture, others determined with
Planning Department)
Barrett, Venditti, Broomer
Develop engagement plan, including but
not limited to suggestions in the City’s
RFP. (Please see our attached document about
Community Engagement.)
Barrett
Venditti
Zapata
Prepare text to present historic
preservation issues and challenges.
Describe assets, recent and potential
losses, challenges.
Barrett
Venditti
Zapata
Broomer
Phase II review meeting Barrett, Venditti
Deliverables:
Barrett Planning Group take lead responsibility for drafts, GIS maps, photography, and data to
prepare the Municipal Policy, Management and Capital Improvements Analysis, Public Awareness
and Engagement Analysis, and Overview of Historic Preservation Issues and Challenges. Kathleen
Broomer will provide as-needed consultation support.
Phase III. Recommendations
Tasks Primary Responsibility Support
Develop recommendations for Historic
Properties Inventory, National Register
and Local Historic Districts, including
individual properties and areas.
Broomer
Develop awareness and education
recommendations.
Barrett, Venditti
Develop recommendations for
ordinances, policies, regulations,
management, and capital improvements
Barrett, Maren Broomer
Develop mechanisms to protect public
investment and protect/maintain City-
owned historic properties
Barrett
Develop ten-year preservation action plan Barrett, Maren, Broomer
Prepare illustrated Executive Summary
for use as stand-alone document
Barrett
Present recommendations at public forum Barrett, Broomer
Prepare summary report Barrett, Venditti Broomer
Phase III review meeting Barrett, Venditti, Broomer
City of Northampton
Historic Preservation Plan
April 7, 2022
781-934-0073 | 350 Lincoln Street, Ste 2503, Hingham MA 02043 | www.barrettplanningllc.com 9
Deliverables:
Barrett Planning Group take lead responsibility for drafts, GIS maps, photography, and data to
prepare the following components:
• Public Awareness, Programming and Education Recommendations
• Municipal Bylaws and Regulations Recommendations
• Municipal Policy, Management and Capital Improvements Recommendations
• Recommendations for Mechanisms to Protect Public Investment in Private Historic
• Properties and Stewardship of City-Owned Historic Properties and those in which the City has a
legal or financial interest
• Action Plan
• Executive Summary
• Public Forum/Comments Summary Report
Ms. Broomer will prepare
• Historic Properties Inventory Recommendations
• National Register and Local Historic District Recommendations; and
• Action Plan items related to surveys, National Register nominations, and Local Historic Districts.
Barrett Planning Group will compile and organize all of the above deliverables in a cohesive, unified
document in a voice compatible with that of the City’s Comprehensive Plan. The document will be
organized substantially as laid out in the RFP Historic Preservation Plan table of contents.
Phase IV. Integration into Sustainable Northampton
Barrett Planning Group will integrate the final Historic Preservation Plan into the City’s
Comprehensive Plan, using Adobe InDesign templates provided by City staff.
City of Northampton
Historic Preservation Plan
April 7, 2022
781-934-0073 | 350 Lincoln Street, Ste 2503, Hingham MA 02043 | www.barrettplanningllc.com 10
ANTICIPATED PROJECT SCHEDULE
Phase I
• Mobilization and initial meetings: within 3 weeks of notice to proceed
• Background research, review of existing plans, data, and other information: within 6 weeks of
notice to proceed
• Phase I review meeting: within 9 weeks of notice to proceed
1 2 3 4 5 6
Phase II
• Community outreach and engagement process: within 11 weeks of notice to proceed
• Analysis; issues and challenges draft: within 15 weeks of notice to proceed
• Phase II review meeting: within 16 weeks of notice to proceed
1 2 3 4 5 6
Phase III
• Recommendations and Action Plan: within 21 weeks of notice to proceed
o Historic Properties Inventory, National Register and Local Historic Districts,
o Public awareness and education
o Ordinances, policies, regulations, management, and capital improvements
o Mechanisms to protect public investment and protect/maintain City-owned historic
properties
o Develop ten-year preservation action plan
1 2 3 4 5 6
• Within 25 weeks of notice to proceed:
o Prepare illustrated Executive Summary for use as stand-alone document
o Present recommendations at public forum
o Prepare summary report
o Phase III review meeting
1 2 3 4 5 6
Phase IV
• Within 27 weeks of notice to proceed
1 2 3 4 5 6
City of Northampton
Historic Preservation Plan
April 7, 2022
781-934-0073 | 350 Lincoln Street, Ste 2503, Hingham MA 02043 | www.barrettplanningllc.com 11
PRICE PROPOSAL
Barrett Planning Group proposes to prepare the Northampton Historic Preservation Plan for a lump
sum fee of $61,500. The fee is based on the following assumptions about the cost of each phase, as
shown below.
Phase Fee
I $10,500.00
II $20,000.00
III $26,000.00
IV $5,000.00
Total $61,500.00
City of Northampton
Historic Preservation Plan
April 7, 2022
781-934-0073 | 350 Lincoln Street, Ste 2503, Hingham MA 02043 | www.barrettplanningllc.com 12
ENGAGE YOUR COMMUNITY!
In our experience, an effective
community engagement plan promotes
collaboration, dialogue, and interaction
among residents. Communities have
different customs and ways of
conducting the work of local
government, so the public participation
plan needs to be designed in
partnership with those who will play a
key role in promoting the plan. Town
officials and staff, local boards and
committees, business leaders,
conservation and recreation groups,
neighborhood leaders, developers, and
others will play a crucial role in
building interest in the planning
process. These local organizers are essential to the success of any public participation event because
their “buy-in” establishes credibility and reinforces the importance of community involvement. A
process that makes information available and easily accessible, welcomes people to participate, and
makes participation as “user friendly” as possible will go far to make the Historic Preservation Plan a
great experience for everyone. This section of our proposal describes the many types of engagement
activities our firm has done with other communities on a wide variety of planning projects.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
In the wake of the George Floyd
tragedy, diversity, equity, and
inclusion have taken on renewed
urgency. We all must do as much as
possible to increase diversity in our
towns, our housing stock, our
business communities, our land use
and zoning policies, and in our climate
strategies. Any planning process
today will typically include a vision,
goals, and citizen participation
process that advocate for healthy, sustainable, diverse, and socially equitable policies and practices
that make Northampton a welcoming place for all. Diversity, equity, and inclusion should share a
similar role to sustainability in a city or town plan, acting as a “grounding principle,” and an
overarching theme. Carrying out a public process that celebrates diversity and inclusion and inviting
and hearing from those who rarely if ever participate in local government or the life of the city will
make this Historic Preservation Plan a realistic and implementable document for the next decade. We
will examine what the City has done and continues to do to uphold, respect, and protect diversity,
equity, and inclusion now, including the work of independent groups and community organizations,
City of Northampton
Historic Preservation Plan
April 7, 2022
781-934-0073 | 350 Lincoln Street, Ste 2503, Hingham MA 02043 | www.barrettplanningllc.com 13
analyzing where the gaps are, and recommending practices for inclusivity given our findings. If
language barriers exist, we will engage an interpreter and translation support from Language
Connections in Boston, the firm we typically use for these types of services.
Our Engagement Toolbox
Help Us Understand Your Community
In addition to a formal public outreach meeting that
customarily serves as the “kickoff” for any planning
process, we suggest a series of smaller discussions with
topic experts early in the process. Small-group
discussions always help to inform the existing
conditions inventory. When in-person, these discussions
take place around a table with several people, with one
person taking notes and another facilitating the
conversation. On Zoom or another conferencing
platform, it can easily be conducted through
conversations with participants and breakout rooms.
These early outreach meetings matter! First, they help the consulting team understand important
background about a community’s distant and recent past – conditions that have a direct bearing on
what exists today. Second, they help to spread the word that your community is working on a
planning process – and build a broad base of interested people to help with community outreach.
Everyone on our team has led walking tours at the onset of and during a planning and community
engagement process, helping them get to know the town and its residents on a personal level.
What Does a Great Future for It Look Like to You?
Visioning should invite participants to identify
features of of the City they consider special, unique,
worth preserving, and things they would like to
change. When conducted in person, activities like
these often involve giving participants pre-made,
color-coded comment sheets that they can write on
and place on a wall-size fabric sprayed with a sticky
surface. The end result is always impressive! It can
be done in virtual mode with tools like Padlet,
which we recently used in the master plan
engagement process for two communities in
Western Massachusetts (Blandford and East
Longmeadow), as subcontractors to Pioneer Valley
Planning Commission (PVPC). It can also be done
with Miro, a virtual “open house” meeting tool that
feels much like an in-person open house event, and
interactive online maps, both of which we are using
for the Walpole Master Plan. An open house at a
key stage of the project could be drop-in and self-
City of Northampton
Historic Preservation Plan
April 7, 2022
781-934-0073 | 350 Lincoln Street, Ste 2503, Hingham MA 02043 | www.barrettplanningllc.com 14
directed. People could bring their families, chat with
staff and consultants, write in ideas, or simply place
a sticker next to a sentiment they agree with.
Word Cloud
A “word cloud” activity is a great way to show
participants the “key highlights” of major themes
and ideas. This, too, can be done virtually by linking
a word cloud tool to Zoom so that participants can
add a few words about Northampton. Before a
meeting closes, the results of the word cloud can be
shown to the entire group. This activity can also be
done in-person, but when carried out “live,” it
usually occurs near the beginning of the meeting so a
team member can gather the words from attendees,
enter them in the word cloud software, and have the
word cloud ready to display at the end of the
meeting. Shown here is the word cloud generated for
Hopedale, where Barrett Planning Group serves on
the master plan team led by Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC).
Pop-Up and Tabling Activities
Northampton is well suited to
offer outdoor “pop-up”
outreach, too, as a way to hear
from businesses and their
employees, visitors, and
students. Pop-ups and event
tabling are a great way to
engage with residents at the
village or place level. We see
these kinds of activities as
playing an important part in
reaching beyond the “usual
suspects,” using tools such as
portable chalk boards, QR
code posters, and “selfie
stations.”
City of Northampton
Historic Preservation Plan
April 7, 2022
781-934-0073 | 350 Lincoln Street, Ste 2503, Hingham MA 02043 | www.barrettplanningllc.com 15
Engage Your Children in Visioning their Future!
Barrett Planning Group has had a lot of success
working with local youth through planning
activities conducted during and after school. In
Hingham, we teamed with a member of the
School Committee to provide student
engagement programs for children at the Middle
School and High School. The students worked on
teams to brainstorm what they consider special
about the town, what it lacks, and the many
opportunities Hingham offers to its children and
youth. Activities like these help to achieve at
least two purposes: first, to hear “unfiltered”
impressions of a community from a population
that often moves through town on foot or by
bicycle, which means they know about places
their parents never mention in a public meeting
or in a survey. What are the community’s hidden
gems? Second, if students give their parents and
enthusiastic account of a vision activity at school,
they help to inform their parents and interest
more people in the planning process.
Make a Planning Project Video
Communities today often produce a video about
the process for a master plan and other kinds of planning studies. The video includes short interviews
with local officials, business owners, and others, and footage of recognizable landmarks around town.
Typically done with the local media station, a planning project video can be seen on demand and used
to promote community participation in the planning process. In cities and towns with many groups
with Limited English Proficiency (LEP), it often helps to offer the same video experience in translation.
We enjoyed success with this activity in Hingham and Medfield (Barrett Planning Group was a
member of the Medfield consulting team):
http://100.17.2.222/CablecastPublicSite/show/522?channel=2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhdwBT2P8h8
Community Surveys
Most communities conduct surveys at some point in the planning process. They are invaluable for
creating participation options for people who cannot or for any reason do not participate in other
engagement opportunities. Barrett Planning Group has designed scores of community surveys for
many types of plans – not only master or comprehensive plans, but also neighborhood plans, fair
housing studies, economic development plans, and LEP communication access plans. A recent
example includes surveys provided in the City of Quincy to four LEP groups for whom we created
translated options. Something to keep in mind about master plan surveys is that whether distributed
online, at the public library or senior center, or at pop-up events, they are not designed or intended to
City of Northampton
Historic Preservation Plan
April 7, 2022
781-934-0073 | 350 Lincoln Street, Ste 2503, Hingham MA 02043 | www.barrettplanningllc.com 16
be “scientific” measurements of community attitudes. When used as a public participation tool, they
are an important part of a well-developed engagement plan. To encourage survey participation, we
will place boards around Town through which people can learn about the Plan and scan a QR code to
take the survey. We use Qualtrics for our online surveys because it provides advanced tools for data
analysis, significantly more than other online survey platforms commonly used for community
planning work.
Meeting-in-a-Box
Also called “Kitchen Conversations” or “Do-It-
Yourself” strategies for informal community
participation, the meeting-in-a-box is a well-tested
model for giving residents a box (literally) of
meeting materials and the training they need to run
a conversational-style meeting in their own living
room or back yard. In some communities, Town
staff take the lead for running these meetings, often
working in partnership with local organizations
that take charge of bringing affinity groups
together for a structured conversation (we recently
did this in Arlington for its five-year Housing Plan
update.) While activities like this will clearly
depend on the status of COVID-19 as the Master
Plan visioning process unfolds, they should be kept
in mind as an avenue for offering hard-to-reach
groups a comfortable way to participate.
Brand Your Planning Project – Logo and Website
Some communities decide to engage a local artist to brand the plan with a project logo. Logos for
planning projects are a great way to identify and illustrate the process so that every plan-related
activity and deliverable will have name recognition in the community. Another good reason to brand
a planning project is that by using imagery other than or in addition to the official city or town seal,
the logo helps to reinforce that plan’s success depends on everyone.
City of Northampton
Historic Preservation Plan
April 7, 2022
781-934-0073 | 350 Lincoln Street, Ste 2503, Hingham MA 02043 | www.barrettplanningllc.com 17
Many communities we have worked with in the past often have a project website to supplement their
branding efforts or a dedicated page on the city or town website. The project page features the new
logo, recordings of meetings, project updates, and Miro, Padlet, or similar engagement tools the public
can use for long-term engagement. All materials from events would be placed on the project website
with any associated surveys. The project website is a visually appealing space where the public will
learn about the project and upcoming engagement opportunities and be able to provide input. The
websites, events, promotional materials, and of course, logo, would share a common branding scheme
that would be visually distinct from other local government matters and events.
Display Boards
Informational and interactive display boards can be placed around town in locations determined in
consultation with City staff. Though not always an interactive device, display boards can be very
effective for conveying information about a community planning process of any kind, whether in a
public library, the entrance to town hall, or another public gathering place. Display boards can be used
to encourage participation, too. One of our clients posted a large board in the library and invited
residents to post photographs of their favorite places in the town. By the time the board was full,
residents had essentially created a “story” through photographs of places and events.
Use of Social Media
Every city and town we work with has taken a different approach to the use of social media. Some
communities maintain Facebook pages including Facebook Live, Twitter accounts, Instagram
accounts, Flickr accounts, and more. Others we have worked with prefer a combination of these tools
to garner as much feedback as possible public comments. We would be pleased to provide periodic
informational releases and news about the Historic Preservation Plan for Northampton’s use on
existing social media accounts. We will also optimize the usage of hashtags to personalize the project
and increase views.
Developing the Goals: What Can Your Community Do To Achieve Its Vision?
Goal statements need to be clear enough to communicate what the community expects to achieve
during the effective period of the plan, realistic enough to be credible and achievable, and set a positive
“can do” tone that helps to keep everyone focused on a bright future. Some communities set broad
goal statements followed by more specific policies to guide the work of decision-makers. Others
choose a “guiding principles and values” framework, drawing from the vision for the planning
project, to illustrate how the goals connect to and reinforce the vision. Photographs, icons, and other
techniques can convey the message as well. Draft goals should be taken back to the community for a
review process, whether in-person – such as an open house event – or online as a Zoom webinar or
similar format, or both. It is important to make sure the public sees and understands the relationship
between the vision they helped to craft and the goals that will achieve it.
City of Northampton
Historic Preservation Plan
April 7, 2022
781-934-0073 | 350 Lincoln Street, Ste 2503, Hingham MA 02043 | www.barrettplanningllc.com 18
REFERENCES
Barrett Planning Group LLC
Town of Bridgewater (2022)
Bridgewater Master Plan
Michael Dutton, Town Manager, or Jennifer Burke, Community & Economic Development Director
(508) 697-0919
TownManager@bridgewaterma.org
City of Quincy (2021)
Limited English Proficiency and Disability Communications Access Needs Assessment and Action
Plan
Melissa Pond, Senior Principal Planner
City of Quincy
(617) 376-1053
mhorr@quincyma.gov
Medfield Master Plan (2021)
Town of Medfield Sara Raposa, AICP, Town Planner
(508) 906-3027
sraposa@medfield.net
(As subcontractor to Community Circle)
Town of Milton (2021)
East Milton Square Vision Plan
Tim Czerwienski, Town Planner
Town of Milton
(617) 898-4848
Kathleen Kelly Broomer
Grafton Communitywide Historic Properties Survey Update (2020)
David Therrien, Chairman
Grafton Historical Commission
(508) 887-0165 (cell)
dave.therrien@verizon.net
Beverly Powder House National Register nomination (2019)
Emily Hutchings, AICP
Assistant Planning Director
City of Beverly
(978) 605-2342
ehutchings@beverlyma.gov
City of Northampton
Historic Preservation Plan
April 7, 2022
781-934-0073 | 350 Lincoln Street, Ste 2503, Hingham MA 02043 | www.barrettplanningllc.com 19
Arlington Historic Preservation Survey Master Plan (2019)
Kelly Lynema, AICP
Assistant Director of Planning & Community Development
Town of Arlington
(781) 316-3096
klynema@town.arlington.ma.us
City of Northampton
Historic Preservation Plan
April 7, 2022
781-934-0073 | 350 Lincoln Street, Ste 2503, Hingham MA 02043 | www.barrettplanningllc.com 20
QUALIFICATIONS AND RESUMES
Work samples are provided separately.
Barrett Planning Group LLC • 350 Lincoln St., Ste 2503, Hingham, MA 02043 • 781.934.0073
1
FIRM PROFILE
Barrett Planning Group LLC provides customized planning and
community development services for cities and towns and non-profit
organizations. Founded by Judi Barrett, a veteran planner with over
three decades of experience in the field, Barrett Planning Group is
known for our creative approach to planning and problem-solving, our
expertise as trainers and technical assistance providers, our
attentiveness to clients, and our expertise in capacity building. We
help municipal leaders strategize and become persuasive advocates
for the people who live and work in their communities and the small
businesses that fuel the local economy. We offer fresh ideas worth
listening to and advocate for public policies inspired by a commitment
to basic social fairness.
WHAT WE DO
• Community-wide and neighborhood-level planning
• Training, technical assistance, and capacity building
• Public education
• Community engagement
• Ordinances and bylaws
• Housing policy analysis and planning
• Market analysis
• Socioeconomic and fiscal impact analysis
• GIS mapping and spatial analysis
OUR MISSION
Barrett Planning
Group meets the
planning and capacity
building needs of
local governments
and their private-
sector partners. We
deliver creative,
place-based products
and services of lasting
value, and we
collaborate with other
firms that share our
commitment to
quality and innovation. In all our work, Barrett Planning Group
advocates for healthy, sustainable, and culturally and educationally
rich communities.
Barrett Planning Group LLC is a certified women business enterprise
(WBE) by the Massachusetts State Office of Supplier Diversity.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Community Planning
Neighborhood Development
Zoning & Regulatory Reform
Housing Policy & Planning
Fiscal & Economic Impact
Technical Assistance
Barrett Planning Group meets the planning and capacity building needs of local governments and their private-sector partners. We deliver customized, place-based
products and services of lasting value, and we collaborate with other firms that share our commitment to quality and innovation. In all our work, Barrett Planning
Group advocates for healthy, sustainable, and culturally and educationally rich communities.
Barrett Planning Group LLC
350 Lincoln St., Ste 2503
Hingham, MA 02043
judi@barrettplanningllc.com
781.934.0073 Ext. 7
Owner and Managing Director
JUDI BARRETT
BACKGROUND
Judi Barrett is the founding principal and managing director of Barrett Planning
Group LLC. She brings over three decades of planning and community
development experience as a consultant and community and economic
development professional with state and local government. Judi has devoted
her career to building the capacity of cities and towns to solve difficult public
policy questions and to develop effective leadership and advocacy skills. She has
prepared and managed a variety of projects for public and private clients,
including comprehensive and strategic plans, zoning revisions, housing studies,
and more. She is well known for her work in affordable and fair housing policy
and inclusionary zoning. A frequent panelist at regional and national
conferences and a guest lecturer for planning programs, Judi is also a technical
assistance resource and trainer for city and town officials and non-profit boards.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Owner and Managing Director, Barrett Planning Group LLC,
April 2017-Present. Founder of small private consulting firm
providing strategic planning, training, and technical assistance
services to municipalities from Maine to Florida. Judi Barrett has
prepared numerous comprehensive plans, affordable housing and
fair housing studies and plans, neighborhood revitalization and
commercial center vision plans, and zoning ordinances and bylaws
over her 33-year career. She is highly respected for her work in
socioeconomic and fiscal impact analysis.
Director of Municipal Services, RKG Associates, Inc., May 2013-
April 2017. Played an instrumental role in expanding RKG’s
practice in Massachusetts as part of a longer-term company plan
to consolidate and reorganize its New England economic
development operation. Responsible for marketing, business
development, project management, client relations, and
supervising teams of RKG staff and subcontractors. Projects
ranged from comprehensive plans to major zoning revisions,
housing market studies, economic development plans and policy
studies, conflict resolution, and training and technical assistance
contracts.
Professional Affiliations & Service
• American Planning Association
• APA-Massachusetts Chapter, Chair,
Housing and Community Development
Committee
• Urban Land Institute, Boston/New England
Chapter, Member, Housing and Economic
Development Product Council
• Trainer, Citizen Planner Training
Collaborative (CPTC)
• Trainer, Neighborhood Revitalization
Strategy Areas (NRSA) and Neighborhood
Planning Strategies for HUD CDBG
Grantees
• Guest Lecturer, Graduate Planning
Courses, University of Massachusetts,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Harvard Graduate School of Design
Judi Barrett
Owner & Managing Director
Barrett Planning Group
Barrett Planning Group LLC • 350 Lincoln St., Ste 2503, Hingham, MA 02043 • 781-934-0073
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Director of Planning, Community Opportunities Group,
Inc., March 1996-April 2013. Established and built a well-
respected municipal planning practice for a small Boston-
based firm that specializes in community development and
housing. Planning group offered services in city and town
planning, open space and recreation plans, housing and
economic development plans, zoning, fiscal impact analysis,
technical assistance, and capacity building. Also provided
expert witness services for Chapter 40B comprehensive
permit appeals. Won three planning awards from the Mass.
Chapter of the American Planning Association.
Director, Community Development Fund, Executive Office
of Community Development, June 1993-March 1996.
Managed the Community Development Fund (CDF), the
Commonwealth’s largest set-aside of Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for non-entitlement
cities and towns. Directed annual application round,
prepared application package and technical assistance
materials, oversaw the review and awards process, and
supervised grant compliance and grantee monitoring.
Community Development Administrator, Town of
Plymouth. September 1988-June 1993. Led a
comprehensive community development department with
housing, economic development, park and open space, and
other programs. Oversaw the formation of Plymouth’s “Main
Street” program (Downtown/Waterfront), wrote special
legislation that created the Tourism Fund and Visitor
Services Board, and provided staff support and technical
assistance to boards and commissions. Assisted with
preparing master plans for the Downtown/Waterfront Area,
North Plymouth, and Manomet.
EDUCATION
Harvard University, Bachelor of Liberal Arts (cum laude). Concentrations: American Civilization and
Government.
Graduate coursework in American Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston; and Economics and
Community Development, Harvard University and Tufts University.
Recent Conference Presentations
• APA National Planning Conference,
2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
• Central Florida Regional Affordable
Housing Coalition, 2018 Housing
Summit, “Regulatory Strategies to
Create Affordable Housing”
• ULI Housing Conference: Housing
Opportunity, 2016, Boston,.
“Affordability in the Suburbs: From Fair
Housing to Community Opposition”
• APA Northeast Region Conference,
2015, Saratoga Springs, NY. “Getting
Ahead of Demographic Trends”
• Southern New England APA Conference,
2011-2017, 2019
• Cape Cod Housing Institute, 2017, 2018,
2019, 2020
Judi Barrett
Owner & Managing Director
Barrett Planning Group
Barrett Planning Group LLC • 350 Lincoln St., Ste 2503, Hingham, MA 02043 • 781-934-0073
REPRESENTATIVE LIST OF CURRENT AND PAST ENGAGEMENTS
Zoning & Regulatory Barriers Assessment
Andover Zoning Bylaw Recodification and
Update
Bedford Zoning Bylaw Update
Millbury Zoning Bylaw Update
Southbridge Comprehensive Zoning Revision
Bedford Great Road Zoning Revision
Tewksbury Comprehensive Zoning Revision
Beverly Inclusionary Zoning Bylaw
Salisbury Inclusionary Zoning Bylaw
Lenox Comprehensive Zoning Revision
Comprehensive Zoning Update for Needham
Center
Boxborough Zoning Audit
Medfield Zoning Audit
Comprehensive Planning
Barnstable Local Comprehensive Plan
Bridgewater Master Plan
Hingham Master Plan
Littleton Master Plan
Tewksbury Master Plan
Carlisle Master Plan
Westford Comprehensive Plan
Dedham Master Plan
Clinton Master Plan
Ayer Comprehensive Plan
Harvard Master Plan
Shirley Master Plan
Lincoln Comprehensive Plan
Medfield Master Plan Fair Housing & Equity
Assessments (subcontractor)
Shrewsbury Master Plan (subcontractor)
Derry, NH Master Plan (subcontractor)
North Andover Master Plan
West Newbury Comprehensive Plan
Merrimac Master Plan
Community Development and Fair Housing
WestMetro HOME Consortium (Newton)
City of New Bedford
Town of Lexington
Devens Enterprise Commission (DEC),
Innovative Housing Guidelines
City of Worcester
City of Newton, Analysis of Inclusionary
Zoning Local Preference Policy
City of Lawrence, Arlington Neighborhood
Revitalization Plan
Socioeconomic Impact Analysis
National Development, Waterstone & Bridges
at Lexington
Westwood Planning Board, University Station
Westford Multifamily Impact Analysis
Dedham Planning Board, Legacy Place
Jeffrey Donohoe Associates, Impact of
Relocating Military Personnel from Island of
Guam
Town of North Andover, Impact of Royal Crest
Redevelopment Plan
Hudson, NH, Amazon Fulfillment Center
Technical Assistance & Strategic Planning
Massachusetts Audubon Society, Low-Impact
Development Training Workshop
Citizen Planner Training Collaborative (CPTC)
Comprehensive Curriculum Revision & Update
GrowSmart RI/Land Use Training
Collaborative Strategic Plan
City of Chelsea Strategic Plan for Affordable
Housing
Departmental Reorganization Study, Town of
Medway
Affordable Housing Trust Strategic Plan, Town
of Nantucket
Framingham Economic Development and
Industrial Corporation (EDIC) Strategic Plan
Barrett Planning Group meets the planning and capacity building needs of local governments and their private-sector partners. We deliver customized, place-based
products and services of lasting value, and we collaborate with other firms that share our commitment to quality and innovation. In all our work, Barrett Planning
Group advocates for healthy, sustainable, and culturally and educationally rich communities.
Professional Affiliations
• American Planning
Association Member
• Massachusetts Association
of Planning Directors
Member
Special Interests
• Equitable housing issues
• Human geography
• GIS and geographical
analysis
Current & Recent Projects
• Nantucket Housing
Production Plan
• Boxborough Planning Board
Zoning Audit
• Andover Zoning
Recodification and Update
• Bridgewater Comprehensive
Master Plan
• Dennis Housing Production
Plan
• Carlisle Master Plan
TYLER MAREN
Community Planner
Barrett Planning Group LLC
350 Lincoln St., Ste 2503
Hingham, MA 02043
tyler@barrettplanningllc.com
781.934.0073 Ext. 4
BACKGROUND
Community Planner Tyler Maren came to Barrett Planning Group from the
Westford Land Use Department, where he worked both during and after
graduate school at Clark University, where he completed his M.A. in Community
Development and Planning. He specializes in urban planning and housing, human
geography, social justice, and public service. Tyler believes that planning is
important to ensuring that our communities evolve and grow in an equitable,
healthy, and sustainable way. His areas of experience include working with
Barrett Planning Group’s local government clients on planning and zoning issues,
affordable housing, community engagement and research, and GIS mapping.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Community Planner, Barrett Planning Group LLC, September 2020-Present.
Provides general project support, zoning review, and advanced statistical
analysis. Responsible for writing and editing reports for our municipal clients.
Planning & Zoning Assistant, Town of Westford, MA, September 2017-
September 2020 (Intermittent). Assisted the Planning and Zoning departments
with document preparation, GIS tasks, site visits, and meeting minutes. Gained
wide-ranging experience in government administration, local housing and
economic development issues, and community engagement.
Research Assistant, A Case Study in Rural Southwestern Uganda, Colgate
University, May 2012. Conducted academic research with a team of 14 students
and professors on location in Southwestern Uganda. Led field studies in villages
near the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Gained practical experience in GIS
as well as qualitative and quantitative data collection.
EDUCATION
Clark University, Master of Arts in Community Development & Planning, 2020.
Concentration in Urban Resilience. Published research paper on housing issues
for refugee populations in Worcester, MA. Treasurer, IDCE Graduate Student
Association, 2019.
B.A. in Geography (magna cum laude), University of Massachusetts Amherst,
2016. Charter member, UMass Amherst Chapter: Gamma Theta Upsilon
(international geography honor society). President, UMass Amherst Geography
Club, 2016.
Barrett Planning Group meets the planning and capacity building needs of local governments and their private-sector partners. We deliver customized, place-
based products and services of lasting value, and we collaborate with other firms that share our commitment to quality and innovation. In all our work, Barrett
Planning Group advocates for healthy, sustainable, and culturally and educationally rich communities.
Professional Affiliations
• American Planning
Association Member
• Massachusetts Association
of Planning Directors
Member
Special Interests
• Graphic design
• Geographical analysis
• Visioning and consensus
building
Current & Recent Projects
• Carlisle Master Plan
• Arlington Housing Plan
• East Milton Square Visioning
Process
• Bridgewater Comprehensive
Master Plan
• Brewster Millstone Road
Visioning Process
• Hingham Master Plan
• Citizen Planner Training
Collaborative (CPTC)
Curriculum Update
BACKGROUND
Alexis Lanzillotta joined Barrett Planning Group in 2018 after enjoying a twelve-
year career as a public school teacher. She brings many of the skills cultivated in
the classroom to her role as a project manager for Barrett Planning Group,
particularly in creating educational materials for clients and designing
community engagement opportunities that promote participation, collaboration,
and enthusiasm among attendees. Alexis has designed sophisticated workbook
tools for the firm that can efficiently organize and analyze data from public
sources and select proprietary services. She is also the firm’s team leader for
graphic communications, using tools like Adobe Illustrator to provide polished
graphics for community engagement events, public meetings and hearings, and
final reports.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Project Manager, Barrett Planning Group: 2018-Present. Responsible for
demographic, economic, and fiscal impact research and analysis for our municipal
and private non-profit clients. Coordinates the work of subcontractors on major
project teams. Responsible for report writing and editing assignments, developing
materials for public meetings and co-facilitating public workshops. Expertise in
Adobe graphics applications and infographics design.
Latin Teacher, Duxbury Public Schools: 2006-2018. Taught introduction to the
Latin language and an overview of Roman culture to grades 7-8. Collaborated with
colleagues to restructure the Duxbury Latin curriculum based on ACTFL standards.
Latin Tutor, Academic Resource Center, Tufts University: 2004-2005.
Independent Tutor: 2006-2012.
EDUCATION
M.Ed. in Curriculum and Teaching, Fitchburg State University, 2010.
B.A. in Latin (cum laude), Tufts University, 2006.
Also successfully completed graduate-level coursework at the University of
Massachusetts Boston, 2013-2019, in the history of Latin literature and
methodologies for teaching Latin.
ALEXIS LANZILLOTTA
Project Manager
Barrett Planning Group LLC
350 Lincoln St., Ste 2503
Hingham, MA 02043
alexis@barrettplanningllc.com
781.934.0073 Ext. 2
Barrett Planning Group meets the planning and capacity building needs of local governments and their private-sector partners. We deliver customized, place-
based products and services of lasting value, and we collaborate with other firms that share our commitment to quality and innovation. In all our work, Barrett
Planning Group advocates for healthy, sustainable, and culturally and educationally rich communities.
Special Interests
• Community Development
• Coalition Building
• Graphic design
Current & Recent Projects
• Texas Bicycle and
Pedestrian Count Exchange
(for Texas A&M
Transportation Institute)
• Keys to Estimating Urban
Mobility Report (for Texas
A&M Transportation Institute)
• Mattapoisett Housing Needs
Assessment (for SRPEDD)
• Equity Fare Analyses (for
SRPEDD)
BACKGROUND
Carly Venditti joined Barrett Planning Group in 2022 upon completion of her
Masters of Urban Planning from Texas A&M University. She is enthusiastic about
returning to Massachusetts and expanding her professional endeavors to include
community work that addresses creative housing solutions throughout the greater
Boston metropolitan area. Carly was recognized by the Federal Department of
Transportation (DOT) as an Outstanding Student Contributor of the Year for her
work writing the Keys to Urban Mobility Report and her continued guidance to state
DOTs for real mobility applications in accessibility performance measurement.
OTHER PPROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Graduate Assistant Researcher, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Bryan,
Texas: June 2020 – May 2022. Facilitated the assessment, quality control, and data
management of bicycle and pedestrian data from over 100 permanent and 300
short-duration counters throughout Texas for the direct input and use in the Texas
Bicycle and Pedestrian Count Exchange. Conducted research and coauthored the
Keys to Estimating Urban Mobility Report with a focus on defining mobility and
accessibility concepts, new performance measures, and the changes in methodology
as mobility studies evolve. Generated a presentation and memorandum on the
applied application of equity in transportation for over twenty States' DOTs with the
eventual goal to create a performance measure to mitigate impacts from
transportation projects and attract community collaboration.
Comprehensive Planning Intern, Southeastern Regional Planning & Economic
Development District (SRPEDD): 2019-2020. Conducted a needs assessment for
housing in the town of Mattapoisett, MA by analyzing HUD, GIS, and Census Data, as
well as collaborated on the impending housing production plan to aid residents in
accomplishing long and short-term goals for community improvements. Participated
in Town of Norton, MA strategic 10-year town development plan by conducting on-
street interviews with residents and led community outreach groups activities.
Conducted equity fare analyses by riding GATRA and SRTA bus services in the cities
of Fall River, New Bedford, and Attleboro through NTD counts.
Project Management Intern, Waterbury Development Corporation, Waterbury,
CT: May-July 2018. Co-Authored and collaborated on Federal Development Agency
Public Works Grant application for Brass City Food Hub infrastructure to gain
funding for improvements on the sidewalk and paved thruway. Collaborated with
City of Waterbury Legal Team to streamline the procedure of collection/deposit of
fees for variance advertisement to comply with City Charter section 11F-11.
EDUCATION
Pursuing a , , GPA 4.0, May 2022.
, (MA), 2020.
CARLY VENDITTI
Community Planner
Barrett Planning Group LLC
350 Lincoln St., Ste 2503
Hingham, MA 02043
carly@barrettplanningllc.com
Project Management Intern, Waterbury Development Corporation, Waterbury, CT: May-July 2018. Co-Authored
and collaborated on Federal Development Agency Public Works Grant application for Brass City Food Hub
infrastructure to gain funding for improvements on the sidewalk and paved thruway. Collaborated with City of
Waterbury Legal Team to streamline the procedure of collection/deposit of fees for variance advertisement to comply
with City Charter section 11F-11.
EDUCATION
Pursuing a Masters of Urban Planning, Texas A&M University, GPA 4.0, May 2022.
B.A. in Political Science, Wheaton College (MA), 2020.
Barrett Planning Group meets the planning and capacity building needs of local governments and their private-sector partners. We deliver customized, place-based
products and services of lasting value, and we collaborate with other firms that share our commitment to quality and innovation. In all our work, Barrett Planning
Group advocates for healthy, sustainable, and culturally and educationally rich communities.
Professional Affiliations
• American Planning
Association Member
Special Interests
• Equitable housing issues
• Human geography
• GIS and geographical
analysis
• History and Political
Economy of Urban Areas
• Independent Radio and
Music
Current & Recent Projects
• Brookline Housing
Production Plan
• Carver Fiscal Impact
Analysis
• Charlton Fiscal Impact
Analysis
• Wayland Housing
Production Plan
GREGORY ZAPATA
Community Planner
Barrett Planning Group LLC
350 Lincoln St., Ste 2503
Hingham, MA 02043
gregory@barrettplanningllc.com
781.934.0073 Ext. 8
BACKGROUND
Community Planner Gregory Zapata came to Barrett Planning Group from the
Urban Planning and Community Development program at the University of
Massachusetts Boston, where he received his Master of Science. During his time
at UMass Boston, Gregory’s studies focused on housing scarcity in the
commonwealth, issues in urban politics, citizen participation in planning and the
social and political economic factors behind planning inequality. In his spare time,
Gregory also volunteers at a freeform radio station in his neighborhood.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Community Planner, Barrett Planning Group: 2021-Present. Responsible for
demographic, economic, and fiscal impact research and analysis for our municipal
and private non-profit clients. Responsible for research, editing and drafting
reports and assignments, as well as developing materials for public information
sessions and forums.
Teaching Assistant, Perkins School for the Blind: 2012-2019. Taught
independent living skills in residential and classroom settings. Collected data and
assisted with education and behavior plan writing. Led training for new teaching
assistants. Performed crisis prevention and de-escalation. Served as disability
service and accessibility advocate. Communicated with families, student teams
and stakeholders.
Administrative Assistant, Massachusetts Department of Transportation: 2011-
2012. Processed and distributed components of active rail and highway contracts
to relevant departments and entered contract data into Microsoft Access.
Managed public database of transportation projects
EDUCATION
M.S. in Urban Planning & Community Development, University of Massachusetts
Boston, 2021. Community development concentration with focus on social,
political and economic factors driving planning inequality. 2021 Luis Aponte-Parés
Award for Excellence in Planning Scholarship for outstanding research and writing
that advances urban planning practice and policy-making related to critical social
justice issues. Researched housing scarcity in Massachusetts, issues in
international planning and potential for regional cycling infrastructure
improvements. Thesis based on remote studio field work with non-profit in
Chelsea, Massachusetts which examined past, present, and potential food and
housing scarcity issues, as well as larger community concerns.
B.A. in History, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2008. Studied postwar
historical and political developments in the United States and Latin America.
Kathleen Kelly Broomer
5 Rolling Lane
Wayland, Mass. 01778
phone (508) 358-9620
kkbroomer@gmail.com
Experience
1997-present Architectural Historian/Preservation Consultant, Wayland and Natick, Mass.
1986-1992 Self-employed consultant specializing in history property and family history research. Extensive
experience as a preservation planner preparing cultural resource surveys, National Register of
Historic Places nominations, and communitywide preservation plans. Meets National Park
Service Professional Qualifications Standards per Code of Federal Regulations, 36CFR61.
Expertise in grants management, public information, and volunteer training.
Completed 35+ preservation planning projects for municipal historical commissions, community
development offices, and not-for-profit organizations awarded Massachusetts Historical
Commission (MHC) Survey & Planning grants. (1988-1992, 1997-present)
Edited and completed 20+ National Register nominations for MHC direct assistance support to
municipalities or reduction of MHC backlog. Conducted additional research and field
investigation as needed. (1988-1991, 1998-present)
Surveyed 250 buildings, including 55 parish complexes, in the City of Boston owned by the
Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston, A Corporation Sole (i.e., Archdiocese of Boston),
preparing inventory forms and National Register context statement. Survey funded by the MHC
and administered by the Boston Preservation Alliance. (2003-2004)
2016-2018 Land Use Department, Town of Weston, Weston, Mass.
Assistant town planner (part-time position). Project management of scenic road site plan and
right-of-way reviews. Drafted Certificates of Action for Planning Board. (2016-2018)
Coordinated preservation planning activities of Historical Commission. Initiated cultural resource
inventory update projects completed by intern and professional consultant to achieve local
compliance with Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) survey standards. Provided
information to property owners and town officials on Demolition Delay Bylaw process, and served
as liaison between town and MHC. (2016-2017)
1996-1997 Community Development Department, Town of Natick, Natick, Mass.
Technical assistant for Zoning Board of Appeals. Served as liaison between ZBA and public,
advising applicants and interested parties on zoning issues and appeals procedures under local
zoning bylaw and state zoning act. Evaluated petitions for appeals, conducted historic and
regulatory research, and drafted Board decisions.
1992-1996 Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston, Mass.
Preservation planner working in team environment in planning and grants divisions. Provided
technical assistance to local, regional, and state agencies and volunteer groups undertaking
historic property surveys. Evaluated historic property eligibility for listing in State and National
Registers of Historic Places. Participated in selection, development, monitoring, and product
review of projects funded through MHC Survey & Planning Grants program. Contributed to
development of historic properties database, plus GIS mapping of State Register properties.
Select Presentations and Publications
1991-present Speaker on local history, architectural history, and preservation planning to historical societies
and chambers of commerce in Ashland, Bedford, Natick, Randolph, Springfield, and Walpole,
Mass., and at public meetings and workshops sponsored by municipal historical commissions in
Bedford, Canton, Dover, Hopedale, Medfield, Newton, Sutton, Wellesley, and Westminster, Mass.
2013 “James A. Spillett. Hatter, Newsdealer, Capitalist.” 2013 Excellence-in-Writing Competition,
Honorable Mention. International Society of Family History Writers and Editors.
2012 “Neighborhood Research: Using Preservation Planning Records in Genealogy.” The Irish
Ancestral Research Association (TIARA) Newsletter, 29 (Fall 2012), 3.
2012 “Census: A Snapshot in Time [Bedford, Mass. in the 1940 U. S. Census].” Bedford (Massachusetts)
Minuteman, 10 May 2012, 1:2.
2009 Buildings of Massachusetts: Metropolitan Boston, Keith N. Morgan, editor (Charlottesville and
London: University of Virginia Press and the Society of Architectural Historians). Contributor of
entries on The Mall at Chestnut Hill, Newton; Capitol Diner, Lynn; The Rosebud Diner, Somerville;
Town Diner, Watertown; Wilson’s Diner, Waltham; and Main Street Diner, Woburn.
1998 “Preservation Planning for Municipal Buildings.” Historic Massachusetts Annual Leadership
Conference for Historical and Historic District Commissions, Medfield, Mass. Remarks printed as a
technical bulletin in Preservation & People (1999), published by Historic Massachusetts.
Board Memberships
2013-2017 Massachusetts Genealogical Council, board of directors
1998-2006 Natick Historical Commission, alternate member 1998-2000, member 2001-2006
1999-2001 Preservation Massachusetts (formerly Historic Massachusetts, Inc.), board of directors
Education
2009 Boston University Metropolitan College, Center for Professional Education, Boston, Mass.
Certificate in Genealogical Research
Intensive three-week professional program in genealogical principles and research design;
standards for genealogical proof, data collection, and evidence evaluation; ethnic and
immigrant genealogy; and forensic genealogy.
1986 University of Virginia School of Architecture, Charlottesville, Va.
Master of Architectural History with Certificate in Historic Preservation
1984 Smith College, Northampton, Mass.
Bachelor of Arts, Art History major
1983 Historic Deerfield, Inc., Deerfield, Mass.
Fellow of Early American History and the Decorative Arts
Eight-week introduction to historic house museum administration, interpretation, and collections,
including seminars on material culture of Connecticut River Valley. Docent in museum houses.
Kathleen Kelly Broomer
Client List
Municipal Historical Commissions and Planning Agencies
Arlington Historical Commission, Town of Arlington
Ashland Historical Commission, Town of Ashland
Bedford Historic Preservation Commission and Historic District Commission, Town of Bedford
Beverly Planning Department, City of Beverly
Boston Landmarks Commission and Boston Redevelopment Authority, City of Boston
Braintree Historical Commission, Town of Braintree
Brookline Preservation Commission, Dept. of Planning & Community Devt., Town of Brookline
Canton Historical Commission, Town of Canton
Dover Historical Commission, Town of Dover
Duxbury Historical Commission, Town of Duxbury
Framingham Historical Commission and Historic District Commission, Town of Framingham
Gloucester Historical Commission, City of Gloucester
Grafton Historical Commission, Town of Grafton
Holbrook Historical Commission, Community Development Office, Town of Holbrook
Hopedale Historical Commission, Town of Hopedale
Malden Historical Commission, City of Malden
Maynard Historical Commission, Town of Maynard
Massachusetts Historical Commission, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Medfield Historical Commission, Town of Medfield
Natick Historical Commission, Town of Natick
New Bedford Office of Housing and Neighborhood Development, City of New Bedford
Newburyport Historical Commission, City of Newburyport
Newton Historical Commission, Planning & Development Department, City of Newton
Norfolk Historical Commission, Town of Norfolk
Plympton Historical Commission, Town of Plympton
Randolph Historical Commission, Town of Randolph
Southborough Historical Commission, Town of Southborough
Sudbury Historical Commission, Town of Sudbury
Sutton Historical Commission, Town of Sutton
Walpole Historical Commission, Town of Walpole
Wellesley Historical Commission and Permanent Building Committee, Town of Wellesley
West Brookfield Historical Commission, Town of West Brookfield
Westminster Historical Commission, Town of Westminster
Nonprofit Organizations
Bedford Historical Society
Boston Preservation Alliance
First Baptist Church, Medfield
Friends of the Dwight-Derby House, Inc., Medfield
Original Congregational Church, Wrentham
Springfield Preservation Trust
The Trust for Public Land, Boston
Environmental Consulting
Epsilon Associates, Inc., Maynard
Kathleen Kelly Broomer
Select Survey Projects (by year completed) * Funded partly with MHC S&P grants
Comprehensive Surveys
* Brookline Lindens and Vernon-Harris survey update (with a colleague) 2021
* Sudbury Communitywide survey update to ca. 1940 (with a colleague) 2021
* Grafton Communitywide survey update to ca. 1970 2020
Maynard Communitywide survey continuation to ca. 1970 2019
* Brookline Greater Aspinwall Hill survey update – 2 phases (with a colleague) 2018-2019
Boston Longwood Medical Area survey update (with a colleague) 2018
* Malden Communitywide survey continuation to ca. 1970 2017
* Gloucester Additions to communitywide survey – 2 phases (with a colleague) 2016-2017
* Boston North End survey update to ca. 1965-1970 – 3 phases 2014-2016
* Randolph Communitywide survey continuation to ca. 1965-1970 2016
Framingham Additions to communitywide survey to ca. 1965 2015
Braintree Braintree Square-Elm Street survey to ca. 1965 2014
* Plympton Communitywide survey to ca. 1963 2013
Duxbury Additions to communitywide survey (with a colleague) 2013
* Bedford Old Bedford Center Historic District survey to ca. 1960 2011
* Ashland Communitywide survey to ca. 1960 2010
* Brookline Communitywide survey continuation, ca. 1920-1960 2010
* Brookline Communitywide survey, ca. 1920-1960 2008
* Randolph Communitywide survey continuation to 1910 2008
* Walpole Communitywide survey to ca. 1960 2008
Randolph Communitywide survey to 1910 2007
Norfolk Communitywide survey to ca. 1960 2006
* Newton Residential subdivisions survey, ca. 1940-1960 2003
* Medfield Communitywide survey continuation to ca. 1950 1999
* Bedford Communitywide survey to ca. 1948 1998
Hopedale Hopedale Village Area, ca. 1820-1950s 1998
* Holbrook Communitywide survey to ca. 1940 1992
Boston Commercial Back Bay-Stuart St survey to ca. 1960 1991
* Boston South End reconnaissance survey 1991
* Springfield Bay/Pine Point/Metro Center survey to ca. 1940 1991
* Boston East Boston neighborhood survey to ca. 1940 1990
* Wellesley Residential subdivisions survey, 1882-ca. 1940 1990
* Boston Roslindale/West Roxbury survey to ca. 1940 1989
Thematic Surveys
Eastern Mass. Roman Catholic Church parish complexes 2006
Boston Roman Catholic Church parish complexes 2004
Statewide 25 diners (preliminary to National Register nomination) 1997-2001
Survey Assessments and Property-Specific Surveys
Natick Thomas Sawin House Area (Mass Audubon property) 2020
Dartmouth University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Campus Survey 2020
Arlington Historic Preservation Survey Master Plan (with a colleague) 2019
Plympton Communitywide comprehensive survey assessment 2011
Wellesley Communitywide comprehensive survey assessment 2010
Kathleen Kelly Broomer
National Register Projects (by year listed) * Funded in whole or part by MHC
Individual Properties
* Holyoke War Memorial Building pending
Bedford Col. Timothy Jones House 2021
* Orange Orange Armory 2020
Beverly Beverly Powder House 2019
Walpole Union Station 2016
Wrentham Original Congregational Church/Whiston House 2014
* Boston Pilgrim Trinitarian Congregational Church 2013
Bedford Farley-Hutchinson-Kimball House 2012
Southborough South Union School 2011
Wellesley Wellesley Hills Branch Library 2007
Wellesley Elm Park and Isaac Sprague Memorial Tower 2007
Medfield First Baptist Church of Medfield 2003
Medfield Dwight-Derby House 2002
Historic Districts
* Sutton Manchaug Village Historic District 2018
* Gloucester Rocky Neck Historic District (with a colleague) 2018
Norfolk Rockwood Road Historic District 2017
Boston Gridley Street Historic District 2014
Bedford Old Bedford Center Historic District Boundary Increase 2014
Norfolk Sullivan’s Corner Historic District 2012
* Bedford/Billerica Two Brothers Rocks-Dudley Road Historic District 2010
Canton Canton Corner Historic District 2009
Haverhill L. H. Hamel Leather Company Historic District 2009
Holbrook Holbrook Square Historic District 2006
Bedford Bedford Depot Park Historic District 2003
Bedford Wilson Mill-Old Burlington Road Historic District 2003
* Hopedale Hopedale Village Historic District 2002
* West Brookfield West Brookfield Center Historic District 1990
* New Bedford Acushnet Heights Historic District 1989
* Sutton Marble Farm Historic District 1989
Thematic nominations for Massachusetts Historical Commission
* Framingham Lloyd’s Diner 2003
* Gardner Blue Moon Diner 2003
* Lowell Four Sisters Owl Diner 2003
* New Bedford Shawmut Diner 2003
* Salisbury Pat’s (Ann’s) Diner 2003
* Springfield Route 66 Diner 2003
* Worcester Chadwick Square Diner 2003
* Worcester Miss Worcester Diner 2003
* Chicopee Al’s Diner 2000
* Milford Ted’s Diner (demolished after NR listing) 2000
* Woburn Main Street Diner 2000
* Worcester Boulevard Diner 2000
* Worcester Corner Lunch 2000
Thematic nominations for MHC (continued)
* Fall River Al Mac’s Diner 1999
* Lynn Capitol Diner 1999
* Natick Casey’s Diner 1999
* Northampton Miss Florence Diner, Florence 1999
* Rowley Agawam Diner 1999
* Salem Salem Diner 1999
* Somerville Rosebud Diner 1999
* Waltham Wilson’s Diner 1999
* Watertown Town Diner 1999
* Statewide The Diners of Massachusetts Multiple Property Submission 1999
(MPS) – Historic context for individual listings
Not listed in National Register due to removal from site or owner objection:
* Millbury Central Diner
* Shrewsbury Edgemere Diner
* Worcester Charlie’s Diner
Nominations Edited for Massachusetts Historical commission
* Northborough First Baptist Church (Northborough Historical Society) 2016
* Randolph Stetson Hall, 6 South Main Street 2011
* Lowell Pawtucket Congregational Church 2007
* Northampton Parsons, Shepherd, and Damon Houses Historic District 2001
(Historic Northampton)
* Holliston Metcalf Pump House 2000
* Milton G. H. Bent Company Factory 2000
* Hopedale Bancroft Memorial Library 1999
* Brookfield Brookfield Common Historic District 1990
* Swansea Swansea Multiple Resource Area (MRA) 1990
(5 historic districts, 27 individual buildings)
* Lowell Howe Building 1989
* Lowell Warren Fox Building 1989
* Sheffield Sheffield Center Historic District 1989
* Wellfleet Pond Hill School 1989
* Wellfleet Wellfleet Center Historic District 1989
* Lincoln Woods End Road Historic District 1988
* Sheffield Sheffield Plain Historic District 1988
* Wellfleet John Newcomb House 1988
* Wellfleet Rowell House 1988
Arlington: Historic Preservation Survey Master Plan Final Report
8
Overviews of the historic and architectural resources in the four neighborhood survey units are
included in a later section of this report. These summaries are based on previous work found in
the Arlington Master Plan (2015), the Massachusetts Historical Commission’s Reconnaissance
Survey Town Report: Arlington (1980), a collection of architectural histories and town histories
published in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, and the Multiple Resources Area (MRA)
National Register nomination (1985) for Arlington. Other valuable references for smaller-scale
neighborhood development include the series of local historic district study reports and
individual National Register nominations outside of the MRA.
EXISTING INVENTORY DOCUMENTATION
The Inventory of Historic and Archaeological Assets of the Commonwealth, maintained by the
Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC), records approximately 1,174 historic buildings,
areas, structures, objects, and burial grounds in Arlington. Inventory forms and associated
documentation, including National Register of Historic Places nominations, are available through
the MHC’s Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS), at http://mhc-
macris.net. MHC also provides online mapping of the inventory at http://maps.mhc-macris.net.
An excerpt of the MACRIS street list of Arlington properties is provided in the appendices of
this report. The following inventory assessment is limited to Arlington’s representation in the
statewide historic properties inventory. Arlington Historical Commission maintains a separate
inventory for demolition review purposes, the Inventory of Historically or Architecturally
Significant Buildings, which is not the focus of the Survey Master Plan.
To support preservation planning goals, the inventory is expected to record the most intact
examples of the town’s historic development and demonstrate how historic resources are
concentrated. To meet MHC standards that a town’s inventory be both communitywide and
comprehensive, the process of identifying resources for survey is guided by the goals of
recording resources:
¥ in each geographic area of Arlington;
¥ reflecting the range of historic resource types (areas, neighborhoods, streetscapes,
buildings, structures, objects, landscapes, burial grounds, etc.) present in the town;
¥ reflecting the range of historic uses (residential, educational, commercial, industrial,
private institutional, municipal, etc.) present in the town; and
¥ illustrating the range of time periods and important themes, events, or persons in the
town’s history and development.
Communities compile their inventories through survey projects that record historic resources
using MHC inventory forms. Only forms submitted to the MHC are included in the statewide
inventory; duplicate copies of Arlington’s inventory forms are maintained at the Robbins
Library. A communitywide comprehensive survey is never complete, given the volume of
Arlington: Historic Preservation Survey Master Plan Final Report
9
historic resources in Arlington and a rolling age of 50 years for most resources to be considered
in a typical survey project. MHC currently recommends an end-date of ca. 1970.
Survey Activity to Date
Survey work undertaken by the Arlington Historical Commission from 1971 to 1981 constitutes
the foundation of the town’s inventory. Commission volunteers and professional consultants
completed three surveys, each targeting one or more geographic areas of the town and
concluding with a survey publication.
From 1971 to 1975, the Commission focused on the Mill Brook Valley, with Commission
volunteers submitting a number of MHC area and building forms in 1972-1973 before publishing
Mill Brook Valley. A Historical and Architectural Survey (1976, reprinted 1984). In addition
to individual buildings, this first phase survey identified about eighteen important areas and
streetscapes that correspond to local historic districts subsequently established, and enlarged,
from 1977 onward. The Commission’s survey work during this period also identified buildings
of townwide significance throughout Arlington.
Before completing Northwest Arlington, Massachusetts. An Architectural and Historical
Study (1980, second edition 1995), the Commission’s consultant, Landscape Research,
submitted about a dozen area forms to MHC, plus individual forms for historic resources on
three dozen streets. This survey project, conducted from 1976 to 1980, recorded a range of
buildings and streetscapes, from modest to high-style in architectural design, dating from the
mid-19th through the mid-20th centuries. Select forms prepared by Arlington Historical
Commission volunteers in the early 1970s were updated.
For its study of South and East Arlington, the Arlington Historical Commission contracted with
American Landmarks, Inc., and the consultant and Commission volunteers produced inventory
forms in tandem. This survey generated more than 300 inventory forms submitted to the MHC
in 1980, identifying about six areas of interest and recording individual resources on more than
seventy streets at the town center, northeast Arlington, the Spy Pond vicinity, and Arlington
Heights. Select forms from the early 1970s survey were updated or expanded. With the
publication of Ice, Crops, and Commuters: South and East Arlington’s Historical and
Architectural Heritage (1981), the Arlington Historical Commission completed its survey
publication series.
Building on the inventory previously compiled, MHC staff in 1983-1985 prepared new MHC
area and individual forms to list especially well preserved and historically significant resources
in the National Register of Historic Places under the Arlington Multiple Resource Area
(NRMRA 1985). These forms updated the survey documentation to National Register
requirements in effect at that time, and have been since been integrated with the town’s
inventory. It should be noted that the National Register of Historic Places has discontinued the
use of the Multiple Resource Area format, and MHC inventory forms are no longer sent to
Washington, DC with National Register nominations. See below for a separate assessment of the
town’s National Register listings.
Arlington: Historic Preservation Survey Master Plan Final Report
10
As the central repository for historic resource inventory forms in the Commonwealth, the MHC
has received inventory forms for Arlington resources completed by parties other than the
Arlington Historical Commission. Preservation planners and consultants working on multi-town
thematic or resource-specific surveys in the Boston area produced forms from 1984 to 2005.
Louis Berger & Associates recorded Arlington resources in a study of the water supply system
of metropolitan Boston; three were included in a thematic nomination listed in the National
Register in 1990. Architectural Preservation Associates documented the Power Substation on
Water Street owned by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), and McGinley
Hart and Associates recorded several MBTA railroad bridges. Additional bridges under the
jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Highway Department (now the Highway Division of the
Massachusetts Department of Transportation) were recorded through the Massachusetts
Highway Historic Bridge Inventory. VHB Inc. prepared inventory forms for two Roman
Catholic parish complexes in an MHC survey of parishes reconfigured by the Archdiocese of
Boston. A volunteer effort undertaken by the Save Outdoor Sculpture (SOS) survey generated
forms for four works in Arlington.
Arlington began to establish local historic districts under M.G.L. c.40C in 1977, guided in part
by the MHC area and building forms produced earlier in the decade. Updated and expanded to
justify each district’s creation or enlargement, new MHC building forms also facilitated a
district’s administration once approved at Town Meeting. Staff from the Society for the
Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA; now known as Historic New England or
HNE) submitted updated photographs to MHC in 1981 for about fifteen properties in the Central
Street vicinity, in preparation for that district’s establishment the following year. In 1996, Claire
Dempsey and Linda DesRoches, preservation consultants, documented a larger number of
buildings on Bartlett, Gray, Irving, and Jason Streets, principally to support establishment of the
Jason/Gray Local Historic District (1998). A contemplated expansion of the National Register
district at the town center did not occur.
In 2002, Richard A. Duffy, as preservation consultant, recorded a large number of properties on
Gray Street and Bartlett Avenue, and in the Hendersonville neighborhood of East Arlington.
This work both expanded the town’s inventory by adding newly documented resources, and
updated the inventory by providing more information on buildings already listed in the National
Register of Historic Places. Subsequent inventory forms were prepared to document significant
institutional buildings (e.g., those formerly known as St. James Church and Symmes Hospital).
Aside from updated MHC building forms for select properties subject to new preservation deed
restrictions, much of the survey work undertaken by the Arlington Historical Commission since
the late 1990s has targeted threatened resources or buildings in potential local historic district
expansion areas at the town center. The Commission was awarded an MHC Survey & Planning
grant for an intensive-level survey in 2017-2018, undertaken by J. M. Goldson Community
Preservation + Planning. The survey, completed in the summer of 2018, produced
approximately 135 building forms principally targeting the Bartlett Avenue to Lockeland
Avenue residential neighborhood abutting the west side of the Jason/Gray Local Historic
District. Select residential and commercial buildings on Massachusetts Avenue, Ramsdell Court,
Schouler Court, and Willow Court also were recorded, along with residential buildings in the
Lake Street and Village Lane neighborhood, on the Belmont side of Route 2.
Arlington: Historic Preservation Survey Master Plan Final Report
11
Geographic Distribution of Inventoried Resources
Most geographic areas of Arlington are represented in the inventory, though existing
documentation overall does not convey the density of historic development across the town.
Large concentrations of resources have been inventoried at the town center, both north and west
of Spy Pond. These and other concentrations of resources, such as Orvis Road in East Arlington
and Mount Gilboa/Crescent Hill in the western part of town, correspond generally to established
local or National Register historic districts. Arlington has inventoried very few non-district
areas, which is uncommon for a town with village centers and an appreciable number of 19th and
20th-century residential subdivisions. The MHC classifies 60% of the town’s recorded historic
resources as located at Arlington Center, 28% at Arlington Heights, and about 12% at East
Arlington. Outside designated districts, the inventory represents a sampling of historic
development on select streets, consistent with survey methodologies of the 1970s and 1980s.
While additional individually inventoried historic resources are scattered across the town,
significant geographic gaps remain. Very little has been inventoried in the east part of town
from Lake-Winter-River Streets to the Somerville line, and from Lake Street north and west to
Spy Pond. In the south, fewer than two dozen buildings have been inventoried between
Highland and Oakland-Cedar Avenues, especially from Gray Street to the Route 2 corridor and
Belmont line. The southwest part of town, especially west and south of the Appleton-Wachusett
Streets intersection, and the north/northwest, from Summer Street north to the Winchester line,
are also notably under-represented in the inventory. Even within areas of Arlington considered
well documented from a survey perspective, significant gaps exist, such as properties on Norfolk
Road and historically associated with the 1920s subdivision now known as Jason Heights.
Resource Types and Uses Represented in Inventory
Reflecting the greatest volume of historic resources in the town, Arlington’s inventory is largely
devoted to residential buildings and areas. As demonstrated in the Arlington Master Plan (2015,
Map 5.2), approximately 94% of Arlington’s existing housing stock predates 1970, making it
likely historic residential development will continue to dominate the town’s inventory as survey
work continues.
The total number of area forms in the inventory suggests wider survey coverage for Arlington
than actually exists. Some areas identified in the 1970s survey have since been consolidated into
existing c.40C local historic districts. Other areas correspond to historic districts listed in the
National Register in 1985. See Geographic Distribution of Inventoried Resources above.
Most survey projects in Arlington undertaken in the 1970s and 1980s addressed a range of
resource types, while survey work in recent decades has tended to focus on residential buildings.
The Arlington Historical Commission’s three survey study reports collectively identify major
industrial resources (including mill owner residences and worker housing). The Commission’s
1980 survey also is valuable for recording approximately 50 mixed-use historic resources along
Massachusetts Avenue, from Teel Street at East Arlington to Richardson Avenue at Arlington
Heights, an important corridor study for the town’s principal east-west transportation artery.
Arlington: Historic Preservation Survey Master Plan Final Report
12
Current distribution of Arlington’s resources included in the MHC inventory is as follows:
Resource
Examples Total Count and Percent of
Inventory
Buildings Residential, commercial, industrial, institutional 1076 total
(91.7% of inventory)
Areas National Register of Historic Places districts
Local historic districts (under M.G.L. c.40C)
Residential clusters, subdivisions, or streetscapes
Institutional complexes (e.g., churches)
61 total
(5.2% of inventory)
Structures Bridges, dam, water tower
Parks and landscapes, parkway
28 total
(2.4% of inventory)
Objects Statues and monuments, milestone,
religious shrine
6 total
(0.5% of inventory)
Burial Grounds Includes cemeteries 3 total
(0.3% of inventory)
Source: MHC Town Profile, Arlington (July 2018)
The Arlington Master Plan (2015, Appendix F) provides an inventory of town-owned resources.
These include community safety buildings (e.g., fire stations); schools (current and former);
libraries (current and former); properties managed by the Public Works, Cemetery, or Recreation
departments; and other buildings housing municipal functions. Of nearly 30 constructed before
1970, per the Master Plan data, about one-third have been inventoried. For preservation
planning and public information purposes, most town-owned historic resources predating 1970
should be included in the inventory.
Representation of Historic Periods and Themes in Inventory
MHC’s Town Profile for Arlington shows inventoried resources with construction dates ranging
from 1690 to 1980. While construction dates have not been identified for all resources, nearly
16% pre-date 1870, about 67% date from 1870 to 1940, and about 6% post-date 1940. The
comparatively limited number of historic resources from the early periods of Arlington’s history
indicates well preserved examples are likely to be of townwide significance. By contrast, given
what is known about residential development in Arlington during the post-World War II era,
post-1940 resources are under-represented in the town’s inventory. The Arlington Historical
Commission’s 1980 survey notably records select resources built through the 1960s.
MHC often assigns more than one historic theme (area of significance) to each historic resource
represented in the statewide inventory. In Arlington, the top historic themes identified to date
are architecture, community planning, agriculture, commerce, religion, transportation, recreation,
engineering, industry, education, landscape architecture, and politics/government. While it can
be expected that further survey work will document historic resources associated with these
Arlington: Historic Preservation Survey Master Plan Final Report
13
themes, identification of resources associated with other themes, especially ethnic heritage,
would be a high priority.
Quality of Inventory Documentation
Most of Arlington’s inventory was compiled more than thirty-five years ago. Inventory forms
met MHC survey standards in effect at the time of submittal. The existing inventory, as a
planning document, has considerable value as a starting point for update and expansion efforts to
serve current planning needs at the local and state levels. Today, the inventory photographs also
provide an important archival record of the appearance of historic resources in the 1970s and
1980s, which will help identify changes since made to those resources. As many historic
resources in Arlington were inventoried during neighborhood survey publication projects, much
of the critical overview historic context that ties the resources together appears in the separate
published reports, rather in the inventory record itself.
By the early 1980s, preservation planning had shifted from an early focus on individual
(“landmark”) historic buildings to a broader cultural landscape approach that recognized the
importance of clusters or concentrations of different types of historic resources. The Arlington
Historical Commission’s initial 1970s inventory was ground-breaking, from a preservation
planning perspective, in flagging important clusters of intact historic resources that merited
consideration as historic districts. Decades later, the Arlington inventory has been expanded
several times on a building-by-building basis for the purpose of creating and enlarging existing
historic districts, yet has not identified any new areas of preservation interest and concerns
elsewhere in town with the completion and submittal of MHC area forms.
As MHC survey standards have evolved, inventory form documentation has become more
detailed and complex. On the technical side, narrative architectural descriptions are now
required, historical research is expected to place the inventoried resource in the context of the
broad patterns of the town’s development, photographs should reflect current conditions, and
digital location maps – ordinarily excerpts of a town planning map – have now replaced hand-
drawn sketch maps on the inventory forms.
Updating Arlington’s inventory should not entail a re-drafting of every older inventory form to
meet current MHC survey standards. This would be an inefficient use of limited resources, and a
number of the town’s building inventory forms have already been updated more than once.
Aside from the goal of expanding local historic districts, recent survey efforts appear to be
propelled by the anticipation of receiving demolition review applications, rather than identifying,
and promoting locally, new areas of preservation planning interest within the community.
The Survey Master Plan provides an opportunity to rekindle the planning function of Arlington’s
historic assets inventory. By using the existing inventory as a starting point for identifying new
areas and resources of interest, the plan will raise public awareness of those areas, and set
priorities for completion of the necessary MHC inventory forms, with the goal of having the
town’s inventory convey, more accurately, the full range of historic (pre-1970) resources
surviving in Arlington. Future inventory work may include both revising existing forms, as
planning needs warrant it, and documenting previously unrecorded resources.
Arlington: Historic Preservation Survey Master Plan Final Report
14
MHC Inventory Points (blue), including properties listed in the
National Register of Historic Places (red) and c.40C Local Historic Districts (green)
Source: MHC MACRIS Maps, Arlington (July 2018)
Recent additions to inventory (completed September 2018) are not shown,
pending processing by MHC; see Appendix 2 in this plan for a list.
EXISTING NATIONAL REGISTER AND LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT DESIGNATIONS
Arlington has a large number of properties with local, state, and national historic designations.
Approximately 370 properties are presently listed in the National Register of Historic Places
(NR), and many others may be eligible for listing. Six districts are listed (representing a total of
312 properties), and 58 properties are listed individually (a few of these are also included in
listed districts). Arlington is represented in two multiple-town National Register nominations,
one for the Mystic Valley Parkway (including one district with eight properties in Arlington) and
one for the Water Supply System of Metropolitan Boston (featuring Arlington Reservoir
Standpipe and Mystic Dam). Seven local historic districts (LHDs) have been established,
representing a total of 359 properties, as per the State Register; some of these LHDs overlap with
National Register districts.
The State Register of Historic Places contains all of the above properties, as well as all structures
and sites subject to preservation easements approved or held by the Massachusetts Historical
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan:
LEP and Disability Communications Access
January 29, 2021
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
THOMAS P. KOCH, MAYOR
Chris Walker, Chief of Staff
Nina Liang, City Council President
Interview Participants - City of Quincy Staff
Lisa Aimola, Director of Communications
Megan Allen, Library Directory
Sergeant Karyn Barkas, Police Department
Mark Carey, Media Director
John Chen, Asian Liaison
Thomas Clasby, Elder Services Director
Deborah Coughlin, Treasurer
Nicole Crispo, City Clerk
Phi Du, Treasurer’s Office
Jay Duca, Inspectional Services Director
Jazmin Eltoury, Department of Public Works
Brian Glavin, Director of Information
Technology
Chief Joseph Jackson, Fire Department
Gordon Jones, Information Technology
Ruth Jones, Health Commissioner
David Murphy, Department of Natural
Resources Commissioner
George Nicholson, Veterans Services Director
Nicole Repucci, Constituent Services
John Rowland, M.A.A., Board of Assessors
Ally Sleiman, Emergency Management Director
Betty Yau, Constituent Services
Interview Participants - Quincy Public
Schools
Laura Owens, Assistant to Superintendent for
Communications & Operations; School
Committee Clerk
Heather Wojcik, Coordinator of English
Language Education
Planning Department
James Fatseas, Planning Director
Sean Glennon, Community Development
Director
Rob Stevens, Deputy Planning Director
Elizabeth Manning, Senior Principal Planner
Sherry Zou, Housing Programs Manager
Deborah Cabral, Lead Program Manager
Joe King, Assistant Planner
Melissa Pond, Senior Principal Planner
Judi Barrett
Fiona Coughlan, AICP
Alexis Lanzillotta
Catherine Dennison
City of Quincy
Barrett Planning
Group LLC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 1
Purpose ................................................................................................................................. 1
Project Overview .................................................................................................................. 2
Existing Plans ........................................................................................................................ 2
EXISTING CONDITIONS ......................................................................................................... 5
Limited English Proficiency Snapshot ............................................................................... 5
Disabilities Snapshot ........................................................................................................... 7
BACKGROUND RESEARCH FINDINGS ................................................................................ 9
Identified Needs and Key Observations ........................................................................... 9
Case Studies and Interviews ............................................................................................ 12
PRIMARY RESEARCH FINDINGS ........................................................................................ 32
City Staff Interviews ........................................................................................................... 32
Online Surveys .................................................................................................................. 39
RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................................ 48
Management of Communications Access Plan ............................................................. 48
Assessment: Needs and Capacity .................................................................................. 49
Oral Communication and Audio Media ......................................................................... 50
Written or Visual Communication ................................................................................... 51
Policies and Procedures ................................................................................................... 53
Notification of Services ..................................................................................................... 53
Staff Training ...................................................................................................................... 54
Assessment: Access, Quality, and Plan Review ............................................................. 55
BASE MAPS ........................................................................................................................... 57
BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................................... 63
APPENDICES & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ..................................................................... 66
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City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
1
INTRODUCTION
The City of Quincy has asked Barrett Planning Group LLC to prepare a Needs
Assessment and Action Plan for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and Disability
Communications Access. As we understand it, the City’s existing language access plans
do not adequately serve the LEP and disability populations in Quincy. The Needs
Assessment will be an important resource for ensuring the delivery and equitable
distribution of City services and provide a "living" reference document going forward.
PURPOSE
The overall intention of the Needs Assessment and Action Plan is to:
P Provide a comprehensive framework and implementation plan designed to
build the City’s capacity to communicate with and serve individuals with LEP or
disabilities;
P Cover a suite of “best practice” language access communication tools for City
staff, boards and commissions, the Mayor's Office, the City Council, and others;
P Demonstrate the City’s commitment to inclusivity and the promise of successful
communication and exchange with every resident regardless of communication
barriers;
P Increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the city to address local needs by
promoting opportunities for underrepresented groups to communicate with
their elected officials and service providers;
P Establish transparency and clarity in policy development, in the responsibilities
of municipal staff, within municipal operations, and when assessing resources;
P Identify operational gaps and assessing the need to fill those gaps;
P Evaluate the role of technology and its accessibility in this process, including the
need for greater integrated assistive technology while preventing overreliance
on digital communication efforts and its related biases;
P Grow the frequency of connections with LEP and disabled persons to ascertain
priorities and understand best practices; and
P Connect language and disability access to the City's overall mission and goals.
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
2
The final product will ultimately affect City residents, staff, local officials, service
providers, grant sub-recipients, contractors, and each of the internal and external
entities that may be working with the City. The Action Plan will provide
recommendations on general compliance policies, interpreter and translation services
(written, visual, technological, etc.), documentation and record-keeping,
complaint/investigation procedure, and requesting additional support.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Barrett Planning Group approached this task in four phases, beginning with analysis of
secondary resources including guidance from the Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) and other government offices, as well as examples of Language Access
Plans (LAPs) from cities and agencies around the country. This background research
facilitated the development of a targeted and effective primary research plan to
explore Quincy’s communications access needs.
EXISTING PLANS
The city currently has a Limited English Proficiency Language Assistance Plan (2008-
2009), and a Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and Disability Communications Access
Plan (2020). The 2008 plan was prepared to comply with Executive Order (EO) 13166:
Phase 1
•BACKGROUND RESEARCH
Quincy demographic analysis
Review of best practices in communications access
Phase 2
•DEVELOPMENT OF PRIMARY RESEARCH PLAN
Based on findings from background research
Phase 3
•PRIMARY RESEARCH
City staff interviews
Stakeholder and resident surveys
Phase 4
•ANALYSIS AND ACTION PLAN
Needs Assessment with Recommendations
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
3
Improving Access to Service for Persons with Limited English Proficiency. EO 13166
directs cities to take reasonable steps to ensure that LEP individuals have "meaningful
access" to public programs and services. According to the United States Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS), meaningful access to programs and services
means that LEP individuals are:
P Given adequate information,
P Able to understand the services and benefits available,
P Able to receive benefits for which they are eligible, and
P Able to communicate the relevant circumstance of their situation to the service
provider.1
In short, meaningful access means accurate, effective communications assistance
should be provided at no cost to the LEP individual or person with a disability, and the
assistance must not be significantly restricted, delayed, or inferior as compared to
programs or activities provided to the general public.2 The City of Quincy’s current
Communications Access Plan extends this standard to ensure that those with
disabilities also are provided with meaningful access according to the criteria HHS sets
for LEP individuals.
The two plans vary, although the basic framework is consistent. The updated plan
contains specific language about disabilities and the disability population. The older
document includes more resources and details such as an attachment of the complaint
form, a sample interpreter service agreement, and a 2010 Census Identification
Flashcard. The Needs Assessment and Action Plan will use these as points of reference
to build up on and expand. Below is a brief summary of each.
2008-2009 LEP/LAP Plan
The first LEP/LAP Plan discusses reasonable steps, meaningful access, primary
languages, vital documents, oral language service, staff training, enforcement,
1 United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), “Guidance to Federal Financial Assistance
Recipients Regarding Title VI Prohibition Against National Origin Discrimination Affecting Limited English
Proficient Persons,” 2004; last reviewed July 26, 2013.
2 City of Boston Department of Neighborhood Development, Language and Communications Access Plan, November
2020.
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
4
monitoring, posting and outreach, expense, and complaints. There is clear definition
of the federal government's role and checklists provided for specific items such as vital
documents. The oral language service description focuses on notice of the right to free
translation and optimal phone interpreters (a third-party service), leading to
procedures for in-person communication service if someone is a "walk-in" or if an
interpreter is not present/available. Regular monitoring confirms the yearly review of
the LEP/LAP Plan.
2020 LEP and Disability Communications Access Plan
The LEP and Disability Communications Action Plan discusses accessibility needs,
language assessment, primary languages, vital documents, language assistance
services, staff training, monitoring, postings and outreach, and complaints. The
language assessment and accessibility needs section introduces the Four Factor
Analysis: (1) determining individuals with eligible needs, (2) tracking the frequency of
contact with individuals, (3) determining which programs require interpretive services,
and (4) determining resources and costs associated with providing direct services. The
vital documents section ties in written language, oral language, interpretation requests
and assistive technology services. A brief overview of monitoring is provided, focusing
on ongoing inter-departmental meetings. The plan closes with a brief overview of the
complaint process.
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EXISTING CONDITIONS
Conveniently located 10 miles south of Boston, Quincy is a city of 94,121 residents. The
City is undergoing great demographic, housing, and economic changes as it grows in
popularity. Quincy attracts new residents because of its proximity to Boston, ease of
access to public transit, and relative affordability, among many other factors. According
to the recent report by UMASS Dartmouth's Public Policy Center, Transforming Quincy,
the city's population is rising steadily; the population grew by 10.6 percent between
1990 and 2016.3 The Metropolitan Area Planning Council projects a 10.5 percent
population increase by 2030, with a "high growth" estimate of 15.8 percent. Housing
production has kept pace with the state, and annual wages are above the state
average. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate fell as assessed
property values rose, which indicates that Quincy homeowners reap the benefits of
citywide growth and progress. The median household income alone has grown 24
percent since 2010. Quincy’s rapid growth will continue to spur major change, and the
City must respond by planning for a future that is available and accessible to all
residents.
LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY SNAPSHOT
Nineteen percent of Norfolk County’s population over five years old speaks a language
other than English at home. Most of those for whom English is a second language (ESL)
speak English very well," according to the U.S. Census findings. The proportion of
Quincy residents over five years old speaking a language other than English at home
is more than double that of Norfolk County as a whole, at 38.3 percent of the
population. ESL households in Quincy with the highest rates of English spoken "less
than very well," are Chinese-, Vietnamese-, other Asian and Pacific Islander-, and
Spanish- speaking households. As with most Metro-Boston communities, Quincy is a
diverse community. Forty percent of the city’s population is made up of racial and
ethnic minority individuals, and of these, almost one third (31 percent) are Asian. Only
3 percent of the total population is Hispanic or Latino.
3 UMASS Dartmouth Public Policy Center, Transforming Quincy: A Holistic Assessment of the Economic Contributions of
the Quincy Center Urban Revitalization District Project, 2019.
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
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Home to one of the largest Chinese
and Chinese American communities
in Massachusetts, Quincy has a
foreign-born population of about
30,620 residents, or 33 percent of the
City’s total population. Statewide,
about 17 percent of residents are
foreign-born. ACS estimates further
tell us that 1,270 new Quincy
residents moved from abroad in the
past year, and they comprise 1.4
percent of the City’s population. This
ongoing diversification surpasses
that in the majority of the
Commonwealth.4
4 ACS population estimates indicate that statewide, as well as in Norfolk County, 1.0 percent of residents 1 year
and older moved from abroad in the last year.
17,163
51,657
44,065
8,893
4,109
15,775
21,658
2,172
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
SPANISH AND
SPANISH CREOLE
OTHER INDO-
EUROPEAN
LANGUAGES
ASIAN AND
PACIFIC ISLAND
LANGUAGES
ALL OTHER
LANGUAGES
Figure 1. Detailed Languages Spoken at Home
and Ability to Speak English in Norfolk County
(Source: ACS 2009-2013 Language Tables)
Number of Speakers
Speak English Less Than Very Well
61%
5%
31%
1%2%
Figure 2. Race In Quincy
(Source: ACS 2014 2018 Estimates)
White Alone
Black Or African American Alone
Asian Alone
Some Other Race Alone
Two Or More Races:
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
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Below is a list of Quincy’s five most commonly spoken foreign languages (Figure 3), as
well as the most common places of birth among Quincy’s foreign-born population
(Figure 4). Table 1 breaks down languages spoken at home by age cohort.
Table 1. Languages Spoken at Home by Age
5 To 17 Years: 18 To 64 Years: 65 Years and Over
Speak Only English 5,801 6.5% 38,731 43.4% 10,560 11.8%
Speak Spanish 160 0.2% 1,525 1.7% 145 0.2%
Speak Other Indo-European Languages 728 0.8% 6,212 7.0% 1,160 1.3%
Speak Asian and Pacific Island Languages 2,531 2.8% 17,453 19.5% 2,956 3.3%
Speak Other Languages 112 0.1% 1,154 1.3% 92 0.1%
Source: 2018 American Community Survey (ACS) Five-Year Estimates, retrieved from Social Explorer, and Barrett
Planning Group LLC.
DISABILITIES SNAPSHOT
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 26 percent of
adults in the United States, including 23 percent of adults in Massachusetts, have some
type of disability. Accommodating the needs of populations with disabilities includes
providing access to information and services for those living with mobility, cognition,
independent living, hearing, vision, and self-care disabilities, and taking these steps is
necessary to achieve more fairness and inclusivity in governance and public decision-
Figure 4. Top Five Places of Birth for
Foreign-Born Individuals
(Source: ACS 2014-2018 Estimates)
1. China, Excluding Hong Kong
and Taiwan: 11,410
2. India: 2,890
3. Vietnam: 2,761
4. Hong Kong: 1,233
5. Ireland: 1,035
Figure 3. Top Five Foreign Languages Spoken
at Home for the Population 5 Years+
(Source: ACS 2014-2018 Estimates)
1. Chinese (Incl. Mandarin,
Cantonese): 16,137
2. Other Indo-European
Languages: 6,064
3. Vietnamese: 3,367
4. Other Asian and Pacific
Island Languages: 2,562
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
8
making. Addressing communication access issues has proven benefits such as building
inclusive programming, improving outreach, monitoring technical data, and reducing
health disparities for the disabled.5 Quincy is home to several social service providers,
and the demand for these services will continue to increase as Quincy and Metro
Boston grow.
According to ACS Five-Year Estimates for 2014-2018, 12 percent of Quincy’s
population lives with disabilities. Of these 10,760 residents with disabilities, 5,941 have
one type of disability and 4,819 have two or more types of disabilities. The largest
proportion of these individuals is between the ages of 35 and 64 (34 percent), followed
by age 75 and older (26 percent). Over this five-year interval, 1,281 Quincy residents
with disabilities between the ages of 20 and 64 reported incomes below the poverty
level in the past 12 months. Table 2 summarizes the types of disabilities found in the
city by age, while the map depicts a breakdown of those with disabilities by census
tract.
Table 2: Age by Disability Type
<5 % 5-17 % 18-34 % 35-64 % 65-74 % 75+ %
Hearing
Difficulty 42 1% 27 0% 148 1% 1,005 3% 615 7% 1,105 18%
Vision
Difficulty 0 0% 95 1% 405 1% 701 2% 326 4% 441 7%
Cognitive
Difficulty* N/A N/A 547 6% 1,211 4% 1,526 4% 459 5% 625 10%
Ambulatory
Difficulty* N/A N/A 0 0% 0 0% 97 4% 1,014 12% 1,887 31%
Self-Care
Difficulty* N/A N/A 77 1% 212 1% 408 1% 172 2% 810 13%
Independent
Living Difficulty** N/A N/A N/A N/A 584 2% 1,107 3% 577 7% 1,700 28%
* Percentage of Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population 5 years and Over
** Percentage of Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population 18 years and Over
Source: 2018 American Community Survey (ACS) Five-Year Estimates, retrieved from Social Explorer, and Barrett Planning
Group LLC.
5 The Center for Disease Control, Disability Impacts ALL of Us, 2020.
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BACKGROUND RESEARCH FINDINGS
This section contains a summary of key findings and observations from Phase 1. In this
secondary research phase, we compiled existing reports, plans, and surveys that were
either publicly available or received upon request. Barrett Planning Group analyzed
sixteen core case studies and noted their structure, datasets, and other pertinent
information to understand their purposes and motivations, as well as their impacts
upon implementation. Communication access plans, language access plans, disability
needs assessments, and language audits were reviewed as part of this research. These
documents were products of City departments, state agencies, universities, health
departments, private companies, non-profits, and more. Barrett Planning Group made
eighteen attempts to schedule follow-up interviews, of which there were five.
IDENTIFIED NEEDS AND KEY OBSERVATIONS
The following trends were identified through background research of best practices:
P There is a gap in identifying and addressing needs among populations with
disabilities, as HUD does not require the level of reporting it does for LEP/LOTE
populations. Barrett Planning Group experienced difficulty finding samples of
this work. Available communications plans were chiefly Language Access Plans
(LAP) that discussed LEP persons, with minimal emphasis on those with
disabilities.
P Plans that included accommodations for people with disabilities often omitted
access barriers related to the range of disability types. Populations with
disabilities were often included in these plans in terms of overcoming linguistic
barriers, particularly users of American Sign Language (ASL). One interview
participant noted that using the phrase “Communications Access” instead of
“Language Access” can be more inclusive, citing braille.
P Funding and financial barriers represent the most common challenges
communities and organizations face when servicing those in need, including
when individuals are seeking services. This fact was especially true in the
implementation phases of communications plans; if a community is not
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Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
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prepared for the increased costs of coordination required for interpreters at
public meetings/events, progress can be hindered substantially.
P Resources for LAP/LEP/disability communications access vary depending on the
sponsoring agency. Private and state entities often have larger pools of staff,
greater financial resources, and access to proprietary data sources and
specialized expertise. The availability of these resources can affect the need
identification process, rendering comparison unreliable. Transparency around
funding and governmental support is needed.
P COVID-19 has created new, unforeseen strain on communications access
including increased dependence on the Internet. Some LEP and disabled
populations may not currently have Internet access or may need technical
assistance. There is a need to assess telecommunications services and for the
provision of Internet in feasible ways (such as free Wi-Fi at municipal facilities)
to prevent bias and prevent exclusionary practices.
P An organized, coordinated LEP Service Plan equipped with resource links, lists,
required documentation, and even a multilingual handbook can prove
beneficial for diverse communities, helping them achieve measurable goals.
P A stakeholder management- team with a designated coordinator should be
established to monitor the needs assessment's implementation and ensure it
meets the needs of the community at-large. This management style was
successful in many of the case studies.
P Periodic updates of LEP and disability LAPs and programs should be made
based on changing conditions, public input, performance measurement, and
data analysis. Many plans are reactive, prompting action after something has
gone wrong. They should be proactive to prevent avoidable problems.
P Major cities should assess need at the neighborhood level, establishing basic
thresholds or having a tiered system to address needs contextually. Larger cities
are expected to conduct a neighborhood-level analysis, although HUD does not
require that for a city of Quincy's size.
P LEP and disabled populations are among the most vulnerable in the event of
natural disasters. A community must identify the needs of these populations,
confirm its ability to meet these needs, guarantee an "all-hazards approach," to
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Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
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emergency management, and build capacity to recover equitably. According to
MEMA, needs range from multilingual evacuation plans, to post-disaster budget
plans, to interpreter availability for disaster victims.
P Comparing institutional-level data with general demographic data highlights
the importance of programs and the utility of services to specific groups.
Comparisons of this nature were noted as a best practice by the Massachusetts
Department of Public Health.
P One study found that those with disabilities had identified unmet needs in the
following areas: affordable and accessible housing, inclusion support and
integrated activities, independent living and social skills programs, social and
recreation programs, afterschool programs, transportation services, and
family/caregiver support.
P Once a community identifies needs, tailored engagement strategies will help
assist hard-to-reach populations. One community noted that “on-the-ground”
outreach, dedicated assistive listening device education, and remote video
(rather than telephonic) interpretation helped to engage speakers of languages
other than English.
P Quantitative data limitations can be a significant hindrance when evaluating
neighborhood needs. Large margins of error associated with public datasets do
not accurately convey the level of detail required to service diverse
communities. Supplemental quantitative and qualitative data is necessary when
making effective policy decisions.
P Many organizations, particularly public school systems, are already working with
residents and must be considered a valuable resource for retrieving and
delivering information.
P User-friendly “toolkits” provide groups with ready-to-use resources, checklists,
and templates to strengthen communications access and ensure a closed
communication loop. Toolkits and similar resources double as self-assessment
tools and have been useful for organization and planning.
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CASE STUDIES AND INTERVIEWS
The State of ESOL in Worcester (2020)
The "State of ESOL" assessment was originally drafted to report on the progress of
Worcester's ESOL Network. The Network was created to provide options for the ESOL
community, target the demographics most in need, track data, and coordinate efforts.
Today, a staff person from the Worcester Public Library leads this effort. The Network's
pre-pandemic combined class capacity was around 1,400, and there were nearly 900
people signed up on various waitlists. The 2019 assessment identified five focus areas
for additional grant money: curriculum/materials, transportation assistance,
teacher/volunteer training, childcare, and expanded hours/locations. Barrett Planning
Group conducted an interview with the ESOL Network coordinator who explained that
the program gained momentum when the Mayor's Office asked what steps would be
necessary to get residents off ESOL class waiting lists and into classes. Today, there are
about 25 ESOL programs in Worcester ranging from larger, DESI-funded programs to
small volunteer-operated classes. Despite COVID-19, many programs are still running,
with some of the bigger groups successfully adopting web-based formats. Before the
Library was operating at reduced capacity, an in-person ESOL Navigator would help
patrons figure out available classes that fit their schedules. Libraries are important
resources as that they provide many services for free. The State of ESOL in Worcester
provides education data, the return on ESOL programs, and a cost analysis of the
available programs. The assessment's consideration of COVID-19 and its impact on the
future of the program was helpful to understanding the pandemic’s impact on
language access. Demand for ESOL classes has decreased since the pandemic, and
the Library is operating by appointment-only. Needs of and recommendations for the
disabled population are beyond the scope of the program and the document.
The Atlanta Regional Commission's (ARC) Limited English Proficiency Plan (2017)
The LEP Plan, similar to Quincy's existing plan, uses a Four Factor needs identification
as part of their analysis, administering this technique within LEP and Equitable Target
Areas (ETAs). ETAs help the ARC identify and understand communities with large
minority or low-income populations. The "ETA Index" measures the impact of
investments and programs contained within Atlanta Region's Plan. The index is used
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Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
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for policy development, project
prioritization and evaluation,
monitoring resource allocation,
and assisting in executive decision-
making. The Language Assistance
Plan makes up the second portion
of this document and contains
federally mandated sections. The
Assistance Plan prioritizes
identifying LEP persons who need
assistance, supported by multiple
datasets.
The ARC incorporates compelling,
informative, aesthetically-pleasing
graphics and maps for LEP
population visualization. The plan explains the ETA and how it is used to inform other
planning efforts in the city. There is also a staff volunteer resource guide for quick
reference purposes, an LEP Service Plan, and a customer handbook. This plan was one
of the first to identify combining a traditional LAP with a Needs Assessment for a
municipal government. It briefly mentions accommodations for deaf residents, but it
includes no discussion of other accommodations for residents with disabilities.
City of Austin Language Access Audit (2016) and Language Access Plan (2019)
The Language Access Audit (LAA) and LAP fulfill federal and local administrative
requirements. Austin’s City Manager approved Administrative Bulletin 14-04 in 2014,
which directs the development of language access procedures and establishes a
Translation and Interpretation Policy providing for web infrastructure, equipment,
translators, and interpreters for City departments. While the LAA addresses multiple
City departments, the 2019 Language Access Plan is specifically for the City
department that administers the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The airport
now abides by the Four Factor system. Their frequency of contact with LEP persons is
tracked by over-the-phone interpretation requests, interpretation requests at the
Visitor Information Centers/Podiums, ASL interpretation requests, and other related
records.
Distribution of the LEP population in Atlanta
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Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
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The audit and plan produced two major findings: (1) The City may not be meeting the
language assistance needs of all residents, as current practices are not aligned with
efforts identified in other, more effective programs and (2) City departments spend
approximately $2 million per year on bilingual pay programs, but lack of management
limits the ability to know whether employees are providing effective services or
whether the programs are an effective use of City resources. Plan recommendations
focused on implementation and included: establishing of a stakeholder team with
representatives and members of the public to design a citywide LAP; and designating
a person with authority to coordinate timely implementation, oversight, and updates
of the LAP consistent with the plan of the stakeholder team.
The general outline of both documents follows the typical format of a needs
assessment, outlining methodology, outreach, findings, recommendations, and an
implementation plan. A key strength of both resources was the use unique
department- or institution-specific datasets to address key issues. However, neither
document focused on disability communications and access, and Austin's citywide
plan appears to pass the onus of language access accommodations to various
departments rather than standardizing practices.
City of Boston Department of Neighborhood Development (DND) Language and
Communications Access Plan (2020)
This Access Plan fulfills the goals and requirements the City's Policy Directive on
Language and Communications Access, as well as federal law. As outlined in the plan,
DND is legally obligated to: identify a Language and Communications Access Liaison
as the main point of contact; develop an Access Plan to identify available
accommodations across programs, services, and activities; analyze data on the
demand for assistance in agency services; submit a yearly implementation report
(operational audit) to the Director of Language and Communications Access; offer
interpretation services and assistive technology; provide written translations of vital
documents into threshold languages; promote availability of physical and digital
communications access; and coordinate with the Office of Language Access and
Communications for staff compliance trainings. The plan addresses threshold
languages, lists vital documents, outlines data expectations, and groups data by
neighborhood, ranking need and denoting whether the population meets the 1,000
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Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
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individuals/5% population threshold. DND includes a demographic snapshot by
Boston neighborhood, conducting an analysis of language usage and encountered
language access needs with ACS data and Language Line calls.
Unlike other case studies, DND's Plan includes costs of services and where the money
is coming from, as well as pandemic-related projections. The plan also discusses
communications-related disabilities, but an analysis of the disabled population is
missing despite announced commitments throughout the plan to disability access. The
Plan provides a summary of DND divisions most likely to work with LOTE (speakers of
languages other than English). Given the diversity of and need in Boston, the
department has been transitioning program materials into ten languages, and has
used federal funds to translate flyers, advertisements, meeting notices, and supporting
materials, including applications.
An interview with the Deputy Director for Policy Development & Research confirmed
that the city offered to exceed its Safe Harbor interpretation and translation thresholds.
He reported that a citizen participation process was not required, their Four Factor
analysis serves as their needs assessment, their implementation plan is for internal use,
and the plan's data is reassessed every year. While navigating LEP/disability
communications processes, he recommended clearly stating what your department
considers "vital" and why. A department should provide access to important
documents based on professional judgement. The Boston Language and
Communications Access Ordinance, signed in 2016 with the goal of making the city
more accessible, is a support tool for the plan and guides citywide efforts on the topic.
California Census 2020 Language and Communications Access Plan (2019)
The California Complete Count Office is responsible for encouraging full participation
of California residents in Census 2020, particularly hard-to-count (HTC) and vulnerable
demographic populations including LEP individuals and people with disabilities. The
Count Office’s Language and Communication Access Plan (LACAP) was designed to
ensure access is linguistically and culturally appropriate when collecting Census
responses. With a specified timeline, the plan outlines a methodology to ensure 91%
of California's statewide LEP population will be reached. The methodology is based on
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aggregating language data for Census Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA)
geographies. It incorporates the median LEP population in 41 geographic data areas
statewide, excluding Los Angeles County.
The Census Office worked with Outreach and Public Relations contractors to develop
a website for translated materials, multilingual advertising, and other information in
California's top twelve language groups. The California Complete Count has a
relatively small number of documents that require translation compared to a
municipality. The state conducted a Pre-Implementation Plan Workshop Language
Gap Analysis, followed by Implementation Plan workshops.
Final deliverables include a strategic plan, an implementation plan, quarterly reports,
and a final report. The plan has the potential for widespread application beyond
Census reporting, articulating barriers that exist nationwide. The plan outlines access
barriers that may be overlooked in a typical LAP, acknowledging the range of disability
needs while presenting a coordinated timeline for meaningful access. It discusses the
importance of including disabled populations but offers limited data or explanation on
identifying and addressing their needs. It also classifies communities by size, which
could be a model for a growing city such as Quincy. Unlike Quincy, it is a statewide
agency with connection to considerable resources including a Public Relations team.
These opportunities are unavailable for most municipalities creating or updating an
Access Plan.
City of San Francisco Language Access Ordinance (2015)
San Francisco solidified its commitment to language access upon adoption of the
Language Access Ordinance (LAO) in 2001. Since then, the ordinance has been
amended in 2009 and 2015. The LAO was signed into law in 2015, making it the most
comprehensive self-imposed local language law in the nation. The 2015 amendments
to the administrative code included expanding the scope to apply to all departments
that provide information/services to the public, revising and strengthening complaint
procedures, and enhancing departmental compliance reporting requirements. Today,
the City's Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs Office oversees compliance and
engages community organizations and City departments regularly. Their services
include technical assistance, and on-demand translation and interpretation assistance.
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As one of the most comprehensive local language access laws, the ordinance serves
as a guide to other cities seeking to incorporate a legally-binding, all-encompassing
obligation to forwarding language and communications access. While the Ordinance
offers firm guidance, it does not comment on the way in which the City of San Francisco
assesses its community needs beyond standard demographic analysis.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Language Access Plan (2013)
MEMA's Language Access Plan is a rare example of a Massachusetts state agency that
went beyond the mandated LAP framework. MEMA provides an explanation of
language access applicability by department, specifically discussing their Operations
Division, Disaster Recovery and Mitigation Division, Nuclear Preparedness
Department, Planning Department, and their Training and Exercise Unit. They
conducted their own short needs assessment and a voluntary Language Resources
Assessment poll, which asked employees to self-identify languages in which they are
fluent. Through this effort, they noted their awareness of the limited number of staff
that speak Spanish and Portuguese fluently. Understanding that bridging
communication gaps is critical when preparing for and mitigating environmental
emergencies, MEMA observes the requirements of Executive Office for Administration
and Finance ("ANF") Administrative Bulletin #16 and updates the plan biannually, with
the Language Access Coordinator responsible for guaranteeing compliance.
MEMA states that the LAP's commitment to meaningful access is contingent on fiscal
feasibility, and that direct contact with the general public is limited outside of disaster
events. The Disaster Recovery Division works with victims, guiding individuals and
municipalities through the post-disaster reimbursement process. The Division
administers the Public Assistance (PA) and Individual Assistance (IA) programs as part
of this process, monitoring applicants to ensure completion. The Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) provides multilingual personnel on an as-needed basis.
Massachusetts Department of Public Health Guide to Language Needs
Assessments and Recommended Data Sources (2011)
The Department of Public Health (DPH) offers a guide to language needs assessments
that highlights procedural standards when drafting a final assessment. The document
is intended to be a reference for hospitals, but contains useful information that can be
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
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applied in a variety of contexts. Applicable benchmarks include professional
consultation, data usage, linking access to quality, information distribution, and public
education. The DPH provides a Quick Guide for readers, a comprehensive template
(submitted every three years), and an annual template. There is also a Purpose and
Benefits Q&A section – a product of a conversation between the DPH and directors of
interpreter services from across Massachusetts. The guide reiterates that needs
assessments should answer which languages are most prevalent, which populations
are most in need, which groups request interpreters most frequently, whether
departments are meeting needs, where can improvements be made, and what
outreach must occur. The document is primarily instructive rather than analytical,
providing helpful information but not identifying needs.
City of Irvine, California Disability Services Needs Assessment (2018)
Irvine utilized a survey, focus groups, and a community forum to inform their Disability
Needs Assessment. The assessment analyzed responses from 409 survey respondents,
input from 51 community members, and focus group data from service providers
participants. The survey focused on individuals with disabilities and parents/caregivers
of those individuals, asking about factors related to awareness and use of services, as
well as barriers and unmet needs. The focus groups consisted of disability service
providers, parents of 4-7 year old children with disabilities, parents of 6-17 year old
children with disabilities, and parents of disabled adults. The forum had 17 attendees
who confirmed the need for specific consideration of special populations and
emphasized strategizing outreach/engagement to ethnic communities. Secondary
data collection included Census data, school district data, and a best practices
landscape review. Irvine's assessment is a detailed review of the data collection and
research methodology. It possesses all the tenets of a true needs assessment,
complete with an exhaustive summary of needs, outreach and participation,
opportunities. and recommendations.
The assessment took place over seven months, allowing for more robust opportunities
for input. The process yielded ten recommendations ranging from working with public
safety on awareness education to creating opportunities for the lrvine Residents with
Disabilities Advisory Board for departmental input. The final analysis addressed needs
at the municipal level beyond literacy considerations, and it was one of the only
resources that acknowledged cognitive disabilities. However, there was little mention
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Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
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of accommodations for the city's sizeable deaf community, and no mention of disabled
LEP populations. Economic barriers were acknowledged for those with disabilities, but
not discussed with the same level of detail as other stated barriers.
City of Madison, Wisconsin Language Access Plan (2017)
The City of Madison completed their LAP plan in 2017, following the passing of
Resolution No. 34666 by Madison's Common Council. The Department of Civil Rights
and a group of community partners spearheaded the plan. The city formed a Steering
Committee for better oversight of the LAP development, held several focus groups to
solicit feedback from community stakeholders, and distributed an employee survey.
Focus group feedback led to the creation of an LEP resource guide. The Steering
Committee was led by the Department of Civil Rights, and also included select other
City staff members and community leaders with insights in language and
communications access. Madison's plan offers exceptionally thorough employee
training, including preparation for foreign language and ASL interactions over the
phone, in person, and in meetings. The plan addresses speakers of many languages
and ASL, going beyond the baseline standards. They even have Hmong- and Spanish-
speaking Community Connector positions.
The plan identifies vital documents and provides guidance for determining what must
be interpreted or translated. Vital and non-vital written materials must be available in
primary languages and translated upon request. Madison provides free interpretation
and translation services to achieve meaningful access to services and activities.
Translated materials are evaluated for accuracy of translation, including press releases
and citywide announcements. The City also provides interpreters at public meetings,
press conferences and city conferences. The City is proactively pursuing wayfinding
translation for City facilities, including building directories and emergency exits. When
appropriate, the City also encourages the use of pictorial signage.
The Disability Rights and Services Program Specialist confirmed that a factor in the
Plan’s creation was a police department request to use Google Translate on their
website. The Department of Civil Rights determined that machine translation services
do not represent “meaningful access” for the LEP population. Since the Plan’s
implementation, departments have met overwhelming success. Further discussion
revealed that the City moved to remote video interpretation services over phone
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translation service. The Department has tablets for free use of this video interpretation
as needed, particularly in the City’s courts. Because the City of Madison provides
remote video interpretation, its plan for translation services are largely framed on an
"as needed" basis, which can be difficult to adapt to use by other cities.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Development Services Agency
Language Access Plan (2016)
The Department of Development Services (DDS) drafted their LAP to expand their
business and operational functions to include in-person or telephonic
communications, written correspondence, explanatory documents, information on
rights and regulations, and legal documents of waiver, release, consent, etc. The LAP’s
overall purpose is to improve access, reduce disparities and delays, and increase
agency effectiveness. The needs assessment, although short, focuses on diversity in
approaches to addressing need that encompasses cultural awareness, consultation
with other state agencies and stakeholders, and ensuring initial contact. They provide
a list of locations where staff can deliver linguistic, cultural and technical services, and
annually commit to reviewing financial resources to furnish LEP services. DDS also
describes oral interpretation protocols for telephone support, in-person staff
assistance, non-profit referrals, and use of outside interpreters. The agency employs
Spanish bilingual staff and has a Language Access Coordinator who oversees
compliance, conducts site visits, assesses assistance arrangements, and works one-on-
one with clients. Because of this, DDS's LAP was one of the more detailed plans
reviewed in this phase. There was a “FAQs” section, raw datasets, tips for
communicating with clients, and a clear outline for follow-up processes. However,
there was a lack of explanation of data collection that informed their needs assessment.
The plan did not have an analysis of disability by type, nor did it explain how it would
address issues by disability type. The guidelines were generic, with emphasis on
interpreter assignments and departmental hierarchy rather than on addressing needs
and opportunities.
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The Washington Health Plan Finder Disability Access Plan (2019)
The Washington Health Plan Finder Disability Access Plan guides the Washington
Health Benefit Exchange (WAHBE) by establishing accessibility standards and outlining
priorities and objectives for reaching these standards. The Plan focuses on
accommodations for web-portal navigation, usability, and WAHBE customer service.
User accommodations include descriptive sections and data labels, high-contrast color
selections, text alternatives/descriptions of graphics, transcribed or captioned audio
and video, intuitive page layouts, scrolling compatible with mouse and keyboard
navigation, and page expiration warnings. WAHBE hired a consultant to evaluate its
Health Plan Finder portal, assessing the portal’s accessibility standards and testing in-
home use of accessibility features. Additional measures were to be implemented in
2020 with other system enhancements. Staff roles related to the implementation and
oversight of disability accommodation in customer support were provided, with similar
standards for contractors. The plan provides specific requirements for website
evaluation and accessibility, and the appendix catalogs related resources at the state
and national levels. While an independent consultant assessed the usability of the site
for participants with assistive technologies in their homes, little information was given
on the types of disabilities that require further analysis. Furthermore, there is no
discussion of assessing community needs.
NYC Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities Language Access Implementation
Plan (2018); NYC Department of Citywide Services Agency Language Access
Implementation Plan (2018)
The Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) Language Access
Implementation Plan and the Department of Citywide Services Agency Language
Access Implementation Plan have identical outlines. Both follow the Four Factor
Analysis approach. MOPD includes examples of department functions in the plan, as
well as quantitative criteria the department can use to assess its services.
Citywide Services Agency supplies an implementation timeline and specifics on the
usage of the following tools: the Volunteer Language Bank (VLB), Translation and Over-
The-Phone (OTP) Interpretation Services, and Translation of Most Commonly
Distributed Materials (MCD). The VLB is a network of multilingual employees willing to
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volunteer their services and is accessible to frontline employees to provide in-house
interpretation services. The Department of Information Technology and
Telecommunications (DoITT) and the VLB manage translation and phone
interpretation in designated languages, and the MCD is reflective of citywide
languages.
NYC Language Access 2.0: Sharing Best Practices, Improving Services, and Setting
Future Goals (2011)
Language Access 2.0 offers best practices on planning and implementation, internal
processes, community outreach, and measurement and evaluation. The document is
primarily a reference document for those in the communications access field, with
limited analysis and no application of an area-based citizen outreach process. Long-
term recommendations involve quality service delivery, accountability and quality
assurance, and communication with awareness. Areas of future focus include
enhancing interagency collaboration, increasing new technology usage - including
language assistance provisions in vendor contracts - offering opportunities to improve
skills, and recruiting bilingual employees.
Language Access 2.0 is helpful for outlining LAP best practices and a future vision that
any community can adopt. Although informative, this document does not focus on the
specifics of staff training, activity delivery, documentation, outreach, or monitoring and
is more of a guide for NYC departments and other municipalities. While containing
useful information, the document itself is not a needs assessment.
Boston Planning and Development Agency Research Division (2020)6
The Boston Planning and Development Agency's Research Division compiles
demographic data reports and conducts research analysis for the City and its
departments. The Division determines the availability and reliability of public data after
aggregation, analysis, and corroboration. They distribute the data to other
departments, where it is compared to observational, qualitative data and used to
6 Christina Kim and Phillip Granberry, Research Division, Boston Planning and Development Agency, interviewed
by Fiona Coughlan, Barrett Planning Group, January 7, 2021.
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formulate policy decisions. They work closely with the Language Access team,
Development Review, the Department of Neighborhood Development, the Disability
Commission, and Age Strong (formerly the Elderly Commission). The Division advises
departmental research teams, resolve technical issues, consult on data limitations, and
prevent the duplication of efforts. Currently the division is evaluating proxies for public
datasets to minimize existing limitations and is exploring the automation of fixed
neighborhood boundaries versus radius boundaries to identify communities of
concern.
The Division updates its data reports when new data is released. They have developed
a tested framework of neighborhood tract approximations that is used as the basis for
all reporting. This effort allows the City to obtain more granular and accurate data than
ACS alone provides due to limited detailed information at the block group levels and
a large margin of error. Five-year estimates have particularly large margins of error and
language tables are often missing data at the tract and block level, a frustration for
rapidly growing cities. Because of this, the Division supplements their work with Public
Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) data.7 PUMS helps identify people who speak English
“less than very well” and what languages are spoken at home.
Boston PDA staff emphasized that the usage of tract-level data will not retrieve the
detail needed to make accurate decisions. Local engagement and publicity around
neighborhood opportunities must continue irrespective of what data says.
Charlotte's Office of Equity, Mobility, and Immigrant Integration (2020)8
The City of Charlotte's Office of Equity, Mobility, and Immigrant Integration (EMM) is
responsible for integrating the immigrant population by facilitating service delivery,
providing resources and information, and helping departments correctly engage
immigrants. They also collaborate with nonprofits to ensure equitable and inclusionary
communications access. EMM maintains a strong relationship with local nonprofits,
using them as vehicles of information delivery. They use this observational data in
7 ACS PUMS files are a set of records from individual people or housing units. Disclosure protection is enabled so
that individuals or housing units cannot be identified. Quincy has not met the threshold for becoming its own
"PUMA." The City is a hybrid with Milton at this time.
8 Emily Yaffe, Office of Equity, Mobility and Immigrant Integration, City of Charlotte, interviewed by Fiona
Coughlan, Barrett Planning Group, January 8, 2021.
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conjunction with the ACS to engage immigrants, optimize their efforts, and ensure
departments are reaching the appropriate populations. Charlotte has been a member
of the Municipal Network — a nationwide collaborative of language access
professionals — since its creation in 2017. The Network shares resources, information,
and best practices for the benefit of all, encouraging an environment of growth and
development. This is not surprising as Charlotte has historically been at the forefront
of immigrant inclusion and was the first city government in the nation to adopt an
immigration compact. EMM is currently developing a citywide language access policy,
which will be subject to Title 6 requirements9. If approved, the policy will be regularly
updated and audited. The policy ultimately aims to create a citywide understanding of
language access and establish set strategies. Additionally, Charlotte has an Immigrant
Integration Task Force which drafted the 2015 Immigrant Integration Task Force
Report – a report heavily used by the EMM Office.10
The City offered a variety of recommendations throughout the phone interview, such
as:
P Instill confidence in non-English speakers, as LEP individuals who are confident
and comfortable have higher self-identification rates.
P Partner with nonprofits and public schools to create an "avenue of access" for
the service population.
P Talk to community groups already championing this work. As an example,
CDCs11 told the City of Charlotte what they needed and where the gaps were
when COVID-19 began. CDCs have the ability to reach a larger portion of the
population than City staff, and are relied on to do much of the “on the ground”
work.
P Cross-reference language data with other data, such as Place of Birth of the
Foreign Born Population.
9 Title VI, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq., was enacted as part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial
assistance.
10 The use of “task force” and similar language can be abrasive and exacerbate feelings of governmental mistrust.
Softer language such as “liaisons,” or “friends of” may be more helpful for establishing relationships with immigrant
and LEP populations.
11 Community Development Corporations
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Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
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P If departments are not on board with this work, consider implementing a
citywide language access policy and hiring a consultant to expedite the process.
Immigrant Community Committee Final Recommendations (2019)12
Charlotte established the Immigrant Community Committee under Mayor Vi Lyles to
address apprehensions among the various immigrant populations. The Committee
was assigned to co-create solutions with staff following a series of district meetings
about the accessibility of municipal services and activities and assuaging fears of
government. Immigrants were presented with opportunities to participate publicly
throughout the process. Feedback garnered from those opportunities helped shape
recommendations, influencing policy drafting that will help these groups going
forward. In 2019, the City hosted seven district engagement sessions for residents and
one engagement session for business owners, with a combined total of 524 attendees.
Each meeting was live-streamed with language translation. The Committee also
organized a visit to immigration court and a panel discussion with immigration
attorneys. These discussions revealed the importance of reducing community fears
through increased education of police policies, demonstrated police support for
immigrants, improved information-sharing via community liaisons, increased cultural
competency, and the creation a legal defense fund.
Immediate-action Committee recommendations included endorsing a citywide
language access plan; assessing multi-lingual staffing; considering demographics
when selecting individuals for boards/commissions; adding immigration issues to the
Federal Legislative Agenda; directing the Charlotte International Cabinet to share
advocacy agenda items; signing a Charlotte Compact on Immigration (reviewed and
approved by the City Attorney); and advocating for other governmental, nonprofits,
business, and faith organizations to do so. In addition to these recommendations, the
Committee continues to support actions that forward ongoing initiatives, such as
continuing to convene naturalization providers and cataloging their information,
standardizing language incentives across departments, continuing targeted
recruitment for multi-lingual staff developing the Cultural Concierge program,
12 City of Charlotte Immigrant Community Committee, Immigrant Community Committee Final Recommendations,
May 13, 2019.
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implementing the Civic Leadership Academy in Spanish, and establishing a Know-
Your-Rights community event.
Boston Public Schools Office of English Learners (2020)13
Boston Public Schools (BPS) offer progressive programming for non-English speaking,
ESL, and immigrant households, including conduits for parental involvement. BPS's
Office of English Learners has dedicated language liaison staff available to translate
resources, host events, answer questions, connect parents to the correct resources,
and inform individuals of their rights. There are nine total liaisons who together provide
interpretive support in Arabic, Portuguese/Cape Verdean, Haitian, Somali,
Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Spanish. The liaisons work with the English
Language Advisory Committee (ELAC) and District English Language Advisory
Committee (DELAC). The Committees are multicultural, comprised of English Learner
(EL) parents and community members who offer recommendations to BPS and district
officials on programs and services for EL students. Meetings discuss current conditions
and deliver COVID-19 updates. Both Committees’ meetings are open to the public and
translators are present for each. Anyone who is an EL can apply to be a member of
either Committee. ELAC and DELAC are designed to increase parental involvement,
acting as a bridge to relay information. Their meetings are monthly, augmented by
weekly conference calls between the Office of English Learners, BPS, and the City of
Boston. ELAC offers ESL courses in addition to those provided by the City, using
teachers from BPS. BPS continues to have every school identify their main languages
and populations, with information being translated into each of these languages and
upholding cultural sensitivity.
The Office of English Learners advises parents and the community-at-large on topics
including school financials, policies, and cultural programming. BPS utilizes subsidy
programs to provide take-home Chrome Books and iPads to facilitate access to
information for LEP parents. A simplified survey is also sent home on an as-needed
basis rather than a traditional Home Language Identification Survey (HLIS). ELAC and
DELAC have guidelines reliant on the survey results. The guidelines influence
13 Nagla Abdalla, Office of English Learners, Boston Public Schools, interviewed by Fiona Coughlan, Barrett Planning
Group, January 8, 2021.
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monitorization and achievement goals, as well as how the liaisons identify those in
need. The office highly-recommended engaging with Community-Based
Organizations (CBOs). CBOs frequently coordinate with BPS on education/awareness
programs under Title III, as many are supported by funding under the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). CBOs magnify the ability to reach EL
populations at the neighborhood level and offer vital information to evolve
programming.
Outreach Guide to Immigrant Communities (2020)14
The Outreach Guide to Immigrant Communities is a short infographic to help inform
City departments and employees how to connect with immigrant communities in
Boston. The guide has six key points: the purpose of engagement; successful outreach;
determining your audience; barriers and resources; delivering your message; what to
keep in mind; and checking with the experts. Each section is accompanied by bullet
points of information, suggestions, or questions for the reader. The guide's second
page contains a delineation of residents' top languages with some language access
needs by Boston neighborhood. The analysis includes the total number of residents
living in the neighborhood (aged +5) and those with language access need. The
neighborhood threshold is at least 5% or 1,000 persons of the total demographic,
whichever is less. The guide seamlessly outlines the purpose of engagement and helps
strategize an engagement plan to stay on track as follows:
The document includes data presented in a digestible and concise format, written as a
short “snip-it” in straightforward, plain language as opposed to a detailed report. There
14 City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Advancement, Outreach Guide to Immigrant Communities, 2020.
Sender
Message
Receiver
Feedback
Education
Model
Behavior
Postive
Reinforcement
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is minimal guidance on online outreach tools and no discussion of communication
barriers for LEP/disabled populations.
Language and Communications Access Department Experience Survey (2019)15
Boston's Language and Communication Access (LCA) program is a City of Boston
initiative dedicated to making all departments, programs, and services more
accessible for people with disabilities and who use a language other than English. The
survey targeted both LEP and disabled populations and was designed to provide an
enhanced understanding of an individual's experience when interacting and accessing
City departments, programs, and services.
The survey took an average of 10-15 minutes to fill out and consisted of 31 total
questions, including jumps/skips. The Language and Communications Access
Department circulated it, and it was made available in Cabo Verdean Creole, Haitian
Creole, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, and English. Questions were primarily
demographic, supplementing conventional datasets utilized by the City, although
some questions prompted the participant to describe their interactions with the City.
The survey included an explanation of how the results will impact programming and
policy decisions going forward, which creates a sense of purpose for the respondents.
BPHC's Community Health Needs Assessment (2019)16
The Boston Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) began in 2019 as the City's
first collaborative, citywide needs assessment and Community Health Improvement
Planning (CHIP) process. CHNA-CHIP commenced following collaboration with
community organizations, health centers, community development corporations,
hospitals, and the Boston Public Health Commission. The assessment's primary goal is
to systematically identify the health-related needs, strengths, and resources of the
community to inform future planning. Using a social determinants of health framework,
the assessment employed an equitable, participatory approach emphasizing hard-to-
reach populations. Secondary data was aggregated from multiple sources and
15 City of Boston Language and Communications Access, Language and Communications Access Experience Survey, July
25, 2019.
16 Boston Public Health Commission and Boston CHNA-CHIP Collaborative, 2019 Community Health Needs
Assessment, 2019.
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supplemented by a community survey in seven languages and online, thirteen focus
groups, and forty-five interviews with community leaders. The primary data used a
convenience sample to achieve an appropriate sample size.
Interview and focus group participants offered several suggestions for addressing
needs and framing their future vision. Areas of concern were gentrification and
displacement, transportation equity in lower-income communities, disinvestment in
mental health, lack of trust in the government, environmental concerns, and difficulty
accessing health care. Many wished to see a reduction in employment barriers to
increase economic mobility, a focus on early childhood education, preventing and
managing chronic disease, and preventing substance use and abuse. The primary
research process identified priorities for collaborative action that will drive the
development of the health improvement plan.
CHNA-CHIP is an extremely detailed assessment that prioritizes health equity and
inclusion. Data was organized and communicated clearly, including helpful Community
Profiles. The document was user-friendly, readable, and manageable for its size (432
pages). Thorough data analysis was completed within the community context for the
social and physical environment. Sufficient background information was provided, as
well as a detailed outline of approach/methodology. The assessment did not offer
recommendations but identified recurring themes and observations.
BPHC’s Equitable Community Engagement Toolkit: Sections 1 & 2 (2020-2023)
The Equitable Community Engagement Toolkits were created by the BPHC during the
Community Engagement Plan's decision-making phase. The toolkits continue to guide
staff members and partners in applying the BPHC Equitable Community Engagement
framework. Two sections divide the toolkit: the first section focuses on designing an
engagement plan,17 and the second focuses on additional resources and support for
the community engagement process.18
Section 1 of the toolkit uses six engagement principles and a six-step process to lead
engagement efforts, creating consistency and accountability. There is an emphasis on
17 Boston Public Health Commission, “Section 1:Toolkit,” Equitable Community Engagement Toolkit 2020-2023, 2020.
18 Boston Public Health Commission, “Section 2:Toolkit,” Equitable Community Engagement Toolkit 2020-2023, 2020.
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"reporting back and staying connected," which closes the communication loop and
prevents oversight. BPHC uses Interactive PDF's for easy dissemination. Sample event
invitations and virtual outreach guides are provided for those who need them. The
virtual guide is particularly useful in light of COVID-19. Section 2 offers tips on how to
optimize engagement. A page is dedicated to "determining the level of engagement,"
allowing for a determination of priorities based on the anticipated value to residents
and neighborhoods. Following this, there is a communication plan, data collection
plan, and a self-assessment evaluation matrix based on the six principles. This section
allows one to summarize efforts and report back in a streamlined manner, including
offering space to leave contact information. The section also provides templates and
samples of common documentation for easy access/distribution.
The BPHC did not have translated versions of the toolkits available on their website.
There is no mention of accommodations for/with the disabled in either section of the
toolkit (including AS). Section 1 does not explicitly state recommendations, other than
ensuring any change or perceived risk with potential to affect communities is vetted by
that community through the planning process. Section 2 recommends identifying
those at risk for exclusion, confirming typically marginalized groups can participate
during the "Identify Community Stakeholders" phase. One can cross-reference existing
partnerships by checking the Constituent and Neighborhood List in BPHC's The Guide.
Section 2 also recommends that key messages be persuasive, easy to remember, and
align with what stakeholders care about. Group responses should be sorted into
categories to identify varying perspectives, and any recommendations that cannot be
pursued must be examined and justified accordingly.
BPHC's Equitable Community Engagement Plan (2020-2023)19
BPHC’s Equitable Community Engagement Plan is an update of the 2016 plan, with a
two-part framework comprised of engagement principles and an engagement
spectrum. BPHC’s organizational policy and engagement toolkit support this
framework. As part of the update, BPHC gathered feedback via an internal workgroup,
consultations with BPHC’s Health Equity and Anti-Racism Advisory Committees, and an
online staff survey. This process revealed that stakeholders want a plan that integrates
equitable engagement principles within all programs and health service centers,
19 Boston Public Health Commission, Equitable Community Engagement Plan 2020-2023, 2020.
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provides tools and resources, helps establish trust with diverse communities, and
includes staff as residents in decision-making.
The plan provides definitions of terms for the unfamiliar reader and includes a clear
outline of the framework with a sample scenario of it in action. There continues to be
no mention of accommodations for/communication with the disabled (13% of Boston
residents older than 5 identify as having at least one disability) and there are no
translated versions of the plan online. The assessment did not offer recommendations,
but included overarching objectives and supporting strategies in fulfillment of these
stated goals.
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Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
32
PRIMARY RESEARCH FINDINGS
This section provides a summary of Phase 3 of the Needs Analysis, which focused on
primary research and involved two methods of analysis:
• Interviews with City staff from most departments
• Online surveys geared toward:
o Service providers, special groups, and other organizations, and
o Quincy residents
CITY STAFF INTERVIEWS
The City of Quincy Planning Department scheduled nineteen interviews over four days
with City staff from most departments, as outlined below.
Note: The strengths, limitations, and areas for targeted improvement described below
were identified through interviews with City staff. Resident survey response findings will
be discussed in the next section beginning on page 39.
Thursday
1/7/2021
Mayor’s Office, Communications • Treasurer's Office • Assessors
Constituent Services • Parks Department • Emergency Department
Veterans Services • Department of Public Works
Friday
1/8/2021
IT Department • Police Department • Library
Constituent Services • Inspectional Services • Asian Liaison
Monday
1/11/2021 Council on Aging
Tuesday
1/12/20201
Health Department • Quincy Public Schools
Fire Department • Clerk's Office
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Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
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Strengths
Commitment to Public Service
City staff generally convey a great sense of pride in servicing Quincy residents, as well
as an earnest desire to improve communications access for all constituents. Many
departments expressed that they enjoy intra- and interdepartmental camaraderie and
are very willing to help each other address communication barriers.
Voting Accessibility
In 2011, the City began to include English and Chinese on ballots, voting equipment,
and election notices. Vietnamese and Chinese interpreters are available at polling
stations, and the Clerk’s Office has staff members who speak Chinese, Portuguese, and
Spanish. Poll workers can call the Clerk’s Office on election days if someone needs
language assistance. Additionally, all polling locations have an AutoMARK machine
available for any constituent to use. This electronic ballot marker provides accessibility
to disabled voters for whom it would be difficult or impossible to mark a paper ballot
manually and can also provide language assistance to LEP voters. Common Cause and
the American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) come out to elections to
ensure that Quincy’s LEP constituents have equitable access to the voting process;
while these organizations are not local to Quincy, their work nonetheless benefits
Quincy residents and helps the Clerk’s Office ensure that they are upholding LEP
residents’ right (and ability) to vote.
City Website Improvements
In the past few years, the City’s IT department has undertaken significant steps to
address website accessibility. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) set three
tiers of conformance – A (lowest), AA (mid-range), and AAA (highest). The department
reports that compliance with A and AA tiers is the current standard, and that the City
website currently has no issues at these levels. The site is scanned twice a week for
accessibility compliance and the department gets notified if there are issues.
For LEP residents, the website allows viewers to select from a wide range of languages.
However, this tool is provided through Google Translate, which does not consistently
offer reliable translations and therefore cannot be considered meaningful access. The
department is aware of this current limitation and is hoping to explore ways of
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
34
addressing it through the City’s planned website redevelopment.20 The library is also
planning to redevelop its website, and the chosen platform reportedly follows Internet
accessibility guidelines and provides language translation. The library is also aware
that this translation tool is not fully accurate and plans to include a section that can be
manually updated in Chinese for improved accuracy.
Other (Department-Based) Technology Strengths
In addition to website improvements, some departments have addressed phone
accessibility, as well. The Emergency Management Department’s emergency line, Alert
Quincy, is available in multiple languages, selected by the user upon registration, and
includes an option for TTY (TeleTYpe)21 message delivery. The Elder Affairs office also
has its own TTY line. Lastly, the Police Department has access to Language Line
Services, a live over-the-phone interpreter service contracted through the state.
However, because participating municipalities are billed for accessing this service, the
department typically reserves its use for emergencies only.
Community Partnerships
City departments direct constituents to multiple service providers in the area and also
partner with these organizations as needed. Constituent Services refers residents to
various nonprofits such as Quincy Community Action Partnership (QCAP) and Manet
Community Health Center, and maintains a positive relationship with these community
resources. The library partners with Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC)
to expand their outreach, and the Mayor’s Office shares press releases with multiple
area Asian publications with assistance from Betty Yau (Constituent Services). Quincy
Public Schools collaborate extensively with Quincy Asian Resources, Inc. (QARI),
meeting weekly with the organization to support families. The Department of Public
Works also occasionally partners with QARI for translation assistance. Quincy Elder
Services works with the library, local churches, and QATV to share information with
constituents and also collaborates with the Wollaston Senior Center, which has
interpreters available. Multiple LEP survey respondents used the open response field
to identify South Shore Elder Services (and Frank Poon in particular) as their primary
20 The City currently has a bid out for redeveloping the website, which will further enable the IT department to
improve the site’s accessibility.
21 TTY, or TeleTYpe, refers to text-based telecommunication services for Deaf or hearing-impaired individuals.
The acronyms TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) and TT (Text Telephone) are also used.
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
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source of information about available resources. Lastly, many of these organizations
shared the surveys conducted as part of this Needs Assessment with their clients — and
further outreach was made possible by BCNC and Asian Community Development
Corporation (ACDC), who both volunteered to distributed paper copies of the survey
outside of Housing Authority locations, contributing 86 surveys to the nearly 500
submitted.
Increasing Language Capacity of Staff
Several departments reported that increasing the language capacity of their staff has
significantly improved their ability to serve LEP constituents. Having multilingual staff
members who understand the technicalities of the services provided is more efficient
than relying on an interpreter unfamiliar with the department’s work.
Responding to Community Needs
Some departments have taken the initiative to improve communications access as they
saw the need:
• After receiving a complaint a few years ago about screen reader capability, the
IT Department prioritized addressing accessibility deficits — and continued to
explore ways to improve even after the initial problem was addressed. This
event prompted the department to research and focus on advancing disability
access, an endeavor that has largely been internal and self-directed.
• Library staff independently established an Accessibility and Inclusion
Committee tasked with drafting a 5-year plan outlining how the library could
improve in these areas. At the time of this Technical Memorandum, this project
was in draft form after being placed on hold due to COVID. The committee
recently reconvened and is re-examining its draft 5-year plan again now that
COVID has changed so much of what they do.
• The City recently began utilizing Communication Access Realtime Translation
(CART) services for Council meetings. After a constituent expressed the need for
this service — which provides instantaneous transcription of what is being said
into visual print on a screen — the Clerk’s Office engaged the Massachusetts
Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH) to schedule CART
services as needed.
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Limitations
Some limitations outside of the City’s control add to the challenge of meeting
residents’ communication needs. Recommendations in the final plan will address these
constraints, as the City may need to supplement what is available in order to provide
truly equitable communications access to its constituents.
Lack of Neighborhood-Level Demographic Data
As the Boston Planning and Development Agency Research Division pointed out in
their January 2021 interview with the consultant team, data at the census tract level
often does not convey the detail needed to make informed communications access
policy decisions. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that census data limitations
may prevent the City of Quincy from accurately assessing its community needs, as well;
contact tracing efforts have led to more interaction between Health Department staff
and Portuguese-speaking LEP residents than ever before (and to a lesser but
observable extent, Albanian and Arabic). This may indicate that census data for Quincy
underrepresents these populations — and that current communications access
resources are not matched to community needs. Local engagement at the
neighborhood level provides valuable insight into community and neighborhood
needs that ACS data cannot.
Limited State Resources
While the state provides valuable support to the City through programs, grants, and
other resources, some departments working with or overseen by state departments
pointed to a lack of communication access resources:
• Standardize applications and forms issued by the state are not always translated.
• Phone translation services contracted through the state either get billed to the
City or are intended for specific purposes, leaving the onus on the City to find a
way to meet immediate, real-time interpretation needs.
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
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Areas for Targeted Improvement
While City staff generally relayed a strong commitment to public service, multiple
English-speaking interview subjects acknowledged that they do not have the
perspective of a constituent with a communication barrier. Several departments
expressed that there could be many LEP or disabled residents lacking the confidence
to seek services or unaware of what is available to them — a recognition that in itself is
a crucial “first step” to identifying communications access deficits. This section outlines
areas for improvement identified during this Needs Assessment and will help frame
the recommendations for the final plan.
Lack of a Robust Communications Access Plan
The majority of interview subjects acknowledged the lack of a cohesive plan for
addressing communications access and were unaware of work the City has already
done in this area.22 The burden to improve communications access often falls on
individual departments who are willing to improvise and “do whatever it takes” to
bridge communication gaps. There is a general (although not uniform) sense of
interdepartmental support, whereby certain departments “figure it out” together when
assisting constituents with communication barriers. Many departments rely heavily on
Betty Yau (Constituent Services) or other multilingual staff members, but several
pointed out that this is a “practice, not a system” and that there is not a clear
procedure to address communication barriers.
Communications access solutions are often reactive and internal rather than proactive
and City-wide. It is commendable that some departments and individual staff members
have taken the initiative to improve communications access as they saw the need.
Nonetheless, departments and constituents alike would benefit from the City adopting
a communications plan that outlines practices, procedures, and available resources.
Reliance on Website
Multiple departments reported that they primarily rely on the City website to deliver
information, which puts the onus of learning about existing resources on the residents
22 In 2008, the City completed its Limited English Proficiency Language Assistance Plan, followed by the 2020
update to its current form – Limited English Proficiency and Disability Communications Access Plan.
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
38
through a medium which is not fully accessible. This may indicate the need for
departments to evaluate their current outreach methods, as several staff members
conveyed that they “could do more” to ensure that constituents know what is available
to them.
While the IT Department has put forth extensive effort to improve online accessibility
and is continuing this effort through the upcoming website redevelopment, there are
still gaps for those using screen readers. The biggest hurdle for improving the site’s
accessibility is doing away with fillable PDFs and moving to html forms, which the
department is hoping to address through its planned website redevelopment.
Additionally, many agendas, minutes, and public hearing notices appear to be posted
as “image-only” PDFs, which are not compatible with screen readers. Making this shift
away from inaccessible types of PDFs will require City-wide, cross-departmental
collaboration and training.
Other Technology Limitations
CART services are not currently included in any departmental budget. The service is
costly and eventually the City may either need to put out a bid or engage in a contract
to comply with procurement law. Other departments have expressed the need for such
a resource, but it is unclear how or if they could access CART services for their own
meetings without the resource being formalized as a City-wide tool included in its
budget.
Lack of Consistent Real-Time Language Support
Departments handling face-to-face, ”on-the-ground,” or real-world responses tended
to be much more likely to cite a lack of language interpretation resources, especially
as related to matters of public health and safety. Multiple departments cited lack of
real-world interpretive services as a significant concern. Some reported that if they
do not have a staff member available who can communicate with an LEP constituent,
they are left using unreliable phone apps or “hoping” that a family member or neighbor
can interpret. This is especially problematic when the English-speaking householder is
a child who cannot and should not be expected to provide complete information to
their parents. As mentioned previously, the Police Department has access to real-time
phone translation services but reserves its use for emergencies only, as the City is billed
for its use. The Health Department also has temporary access to a phone interpretation
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
39
service provided by the state, but only for COVID-related situations such as contact
tracing.
ONLINE SURVEYS
Two surveys were conducted from January 8-19, 2021, with one version geared toward
residents and the other for service providers, volunteers, and other agencies that work
with Quincy residents. The survey met SurveyMonkey’s guidelines for accessibility,
which includes using high contrast templates and limiting format and question types.
SurveyMonkey’s accessibility guidelines can be found in the Appendix. Nearly 500
respondents — 23 service providers and 473 Quincy residents — participated in these
surveys, with a breakdown provided in the table below.
Table 3. Survey Responses Snapshot
Language Total Resident
Service
Provider Role
Chinese Simplified
(Includes 86 paper
surveys)
282 279 3 South Shore Elder Services (1);
Guangzhou Association (1)
English 161 145 16 8 Service providers
2 Volunteers
2 City employees
BCNC (4); QPS PTO (1); QPS (1);
Bay State Community Services
(1); Walker Community
Counseling (1); Disability
Commission (1)
Chinese Traditional 37 34 3 2 City employees
1 Service provider
1 Volunteer
Vietnamese 13 12 1 1 Volunteer
Spanish 3 3 0 N/A
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Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
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Commonly Used Services
Resident survey respondents were asked to identify the services or City departments
they had utilized. Only the library and schools made the top 7 services identified by
both LEP and English-speaking survey participants; otherwise, there were notable
differences between the services LEP and English-speaking constituents used. In fact,
some of the most commonly used services by one cohort were the least commonly
used by the other, and vice versa. However, this may be due to the outreach for the
survey, which was primarily promoted through service organizations as opposed to a
centralized source. A widely disseminated survey could provide valuable insight into
similarities and differences between the City resources LEP and English-speaking
constituents typically use. Further exploration of these trends could not only
highlight different community needs relating to language barriers, but could also
indicate which departments LEP constituents feel more comfortable using.
Top Services Used by Non-English
Speaking Respondents
Asian Office: 42%
Library: 38%
Elder Services: 36%
Quincy Public Schools: 33%
Health Department: 28%
Community Development: 27%
Housing Authority: 25%
Top Services Used by English
Speaking Respondents
Library: 69%
City Clerk: 54%
Quincy Public Schools: 48%
Police Department: 41%
Natural Resources: 39%
Public Works: 36%
Quincy Access Television: 33%
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Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
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Table 4. Notable Differences in Services Used According to English Proficiency
Non-English Speakers English Speakers
Asian Office 42% 12%
Elder Services 36% 13%
Community Development 27% 9%
Housing Authority 25% 6%
Traffic, Parking, Alarm, and Lighting 3% 25%
Quincy Access Television 3% 33%
Public Works 3% 36%
Natural Resources 16% 39%
Police Department 7% 41%
City Clerk 3% 54%
Perception of Meaningful Access
The final survey question for residents comprised of four statements regarding the
respondent’s experience communicating with the City. These statements were based
upon HHS guidance for meaningful access, by which standard a constituent with a
communication barrier is given adequate information, is able to understand the
services of benefits available, is able to receive benefits for which they are eligible, and
is able to communicate the relevant circumstance of their situation to the service
provider.
The survey snapshots included in the appendix provide a breakdown of responses to
this question by language. However, for purposes of comparison, the following charts
group results together by non-English and English surveys due to the low number of
Vietnamese and Spanish responses. The final question about the respondent’s ability
to communicate their circumstances and needs to City staff revealed the greatest
discrepancy between respondents who selected the English survey and those who
selected another language.
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Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
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0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Strongly
Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly
Disagree
I receive adequate information
about services and programs
provided by the City that are
available to me.
Non-English English
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Strongly
Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly
Disagree
I can understand the City services
and benefits available to me.
Non-English English
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Strongly
Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly
Disagree
I receive services provided by the
City for which I am eligible.
Non-English English
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Strongly
Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly
Disagree
I can communicate my
circumstances and needs to City
staff as needed.
Non-English English
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
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Notable Trends
Social media was identified as the most commonly used source of
information across languages.
Word of mouth, family/friends, newspapers, and service providers
(BCNC, South Shore Elder Services, YMCA) were the top open
response answers for other sources of information across
languages.
Of the residents who took the survey in Chinese, only 15% speak
both Mandarin and Cantonese, highlighting the importance of
having both Mandarin and Cantonese interpreters.
English survey respondents were significantly more likely to
indicate that they or householder have a disability. Of the 54
residents who said that they or a householder have a disability, 63%
were English-speaking and 37% were LEP respondents.
Areas for Improvement Identified by Residents
Inconsistent Availability of Oral Interpretation
Multiple respondents noted the limited availability of interpreters and reported that
they have had to wait for hours at a time to get an interpreter for what should have
been a simple task. While multiple departments have bilingual or multilingual staff
members, departments do not have a formal plan for coordinating schedules or
promoting availability of interpreters to the public. As a result, LEP residents are unable
to plan trips to City Hall with the confidence that someone will be able to assist them.
Sometimes this complaint is directed toward state resources or nonprofits rather than
the City itself — e.g., residents described having trouble getting interpreter support to
apply for state services or access the area service providers to whom they were referred
by the City. However, this may speak to a general lack of clarity from an LEP resident’s
perspective as to where to seek assistance and support.
City of Quincy
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Lack of Resource Promotion
One survey respondent noted that while City staff have “been very accommodating” to
them, “there is no information in the original mailings that would indicate
[interpretation would be available]” and that “many citizens who are less assertive
and informed may not know that they could be helped” as a result. Another
respondent stated, “Chinese residents, particularly new immigrants, are generally
unaware of many offerings in the way of services by Quincy. This may be due to
language barrier OR lack of entities directing such residents to services.”
This point was confirmed through consultant phone calls with three respondents who
left their phone numbers in lieu of a detailed open response on the online survey. With
the help of an interpreter provided through Language Connections, these residents
were able to relay their experiences to the consultants, and none of them were aware
of the City Hall resources to which they were directed during the phone call.
Lack of Accommodations for Deaf or Hearing-Impaired Residents
Some survey respondents identified a need for increased accommodations for Deaf
residents, with one noting that they are “unable to communicate with any city staff
unless . . . in person” due to a lack of accessible telecommunications resources. While
Elder Services has its own TTY line and the Quincy Alert system is available in TTY
format, the City does not appear to promote the use of 711 as a resource on its website,
nor have staff members been trained in accepting or making a TTY call. The Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) requires phone service providers to allow
incoming and outgoing calls through 711, a 3-digit Telecommunications Relay Service
(TRS) whereby calls are handled through an operator free of charge.
Survey respondents also pointed out that other means of communication are not
consistently accessible to the Deaf community. CART services are not available for all
public meetings at this time, nor do all videos shared on social media include closed
captioning (although it appears that the linked YouTube versions of videos provide this
feature).
Lack of Accommodations for Blind or Visually Impaired Residents
Some survey respondents with visual impairments stated that they are not always made
aware of important information that the City conveyed in writing — an especially
concerning problem when the information relates to public safety matters such as
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
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street closures. While the City’s online accessibility has improved, important resources
including meeting agendas and public hearing notices are not consistently compatible
with screen readers (i.e., some are digital “true” PDFs that include text and images, and
others are scanned “image-only” PDFs; this varies by department or board).
Reliance on Family or Friends as Interpreters
Survey responses revealed the problem with depending on English-speaking family or
friends to convey or interpret information. One resident (through an interpreter over
the phone) detailed their experience with an English-speaking disabled relative who
has communication difficulties having to act as an interpreter during an interaction with
the police. Another survey participant noted that they rely on friends to keep them
informed, but the communication is not always accurate or complete. On the other
end, an English-speaking participant whose LEP parents rely on them for interpretation
explained that it is challenging for them to translate all of the nuances in complex
English to their parents. Some City staff relayed similar concerns about the
communication barrier between LEP parents and their English-speaking children.
Sample Open Responses
Survey respondents were asked to describe their experiences either communicating
with City staff (if a resident) or working with LEP residents (if a service provider).
Residents occasionally used open response opportunities on the survey to ask for
assistance unrelated to the question, indicating that — while hopefully not
commonplace — there are Quincy residents who are unable to communicate their
needs or who do not know how to access services for which they may be eligible. Some
respondents left phone numbers or email addresses to provide additional information.
As much as resources allowed, consultants attempted to followed up with these
respondents. Language Connections provided oral interpretation services as well as
written translations of all non-English survey responses. The following pages include
select open responses relating to communication barriers between City staff and LEP
or disabled residents.
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“Since I don’t speak English, I did not go to the municipal government for help. I chose
to ask my friends, but usually could not get the correct information.”
“Because my English is not good, it is difficult for me to communicate in English. But I
am learning English at BCNC.”
“I want to apply or housing assistance, but I don’t know where to start.”
“I used to apply for a house in Quincy but I failed because of language problems. Is
there anyone who can help me? It will be appreciated!”
“I want to apply for a house, and I need help. Thank you.”
“I received a letter from a New York court accusing me of owing money to a grocery
store. I was hesitating at the time, so I took this letter to the Police Station of Quincy to
report the case. I hoped [they] could help me that day since I thought my personal data
was stolen. But…the police officer told me that he couldn't do anything for me and just
put me off with a few words. I had no choice but to return home.”
“Being totally blind, many times informational signage is used to announce important
issues, and I am not aware of them because of not being able to see the signage.”
“The stipulations were pasted on the wall that you have to bring an interpreter yourself
if you do not speak English.”
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“Some social service departments are so slow [due to lack of interpreters] that it takes
a whole day to queue up every time.”
“Many parent notices and other information are not provided in families’ home
languages. This makes them miss opportunities to be involved in their children’s
education.”
“I have communicated [with the City] several times about the issue of forced eviction.
Because I do not speak English, they always listen to the landlord who can speak
English. And my problems are always misunderstood and despised by them. I feel that
I have been discriminated against because of my language!”
“My English is limited and I can't express much. Therefore, I have problems
communicating with the city’s staff members. It would be much easier if I had an
interpreter.”
“…It's impossible to get help [at community centers] because nobody speaks Spanish.”
“I speak English well, but I have trouble translating more complicated communications
with my parents because I had not learned to speak to them in that way. Visiting any
Quincy City staffed office is difficult if it's for my parents because I will usually
communicate with staff in English and have trouble getting the point across to my
parents on site. It feels like an inconvenience for everyone.
“Even though I know English there are certain conventions and traditions that I don’t
understand, hence my understanding about a subject becomes limited. It would be
great [if] the English is more simplified.”
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RECOMMENDATIONS
The framework below provides an outline for action recommendation elements,
several of which are modeled after the Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Civil
Rights’ (OCR) 2013 Language Access Plan. These recommendations are also based
upon the findings of the Needs Assessment and reflect the targeted areas for
improvement identified through that process.
Together these elements can support the City in ensuring that all departments are
equipped to provide timely, quality communications access services to LEP and
disabled individuals.
MANAGEMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS ACCESS PLAN
Successful use of the City’s Communications Access Plan requires that the City appoint
a responsible party to administer it. This role could be filled by a newly formed
1. MANAGEMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS ACCESS PLAN
2. ASSESSMENT: NEEDS AND CAPACITY
3. ORAL COMMUNICATION AND AUDIO MEDIA
4. WRITTEN OR VISUAL COMMUNICATION
5. POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
6. NOTIFICATION OF SERVICES
7. STAFF TRAINING
8. ASSESSMENT: ACCESS AND QUALITY
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interdepartmental communications committee, a staff position, a commission or
board, or some other entity. The plan’s effectiveness will depend on its management,
as many of the recommendations below call for a clearly designated party to oversee
their fulfillment. This designated party or entity should oversee implementation of all
recommendations and will herein be referred to as “Plan Implementation
Coordinator.”
Recommendations for Management of Communications Access Plan
•Designate a responsible party (e.g., “Plan Implementation Coordinator”) to
adopt and oversee the implementation of a City-wide Communications Access
Plan.
•Develop materials for this responsible party to track plan implementation.
•Conduct a City-wide annual review of the plan’s use and implementation based
on the findings of both assessment elements.
•Update the Plan as needed based upon annual review.
ASSESSMENT: NEEDS AND CAPACITY
All City departments should have processes in place to identify and assess (1) the
communication assistance needs of its LEP or disabled constituents, and (2) the
department’s capacity to meet these needs.
Recommendations for Assessing Needs
•Supplement census data with data and observations from Quincy Public
Schools, service providers, and other organizations servicing Quincy residents.
•Host community forums with service providers and organizations at set intervals
(quarterly or semi-annually) to discuss communication needs of constituents
with language barriers or disabilities.
•Conduct resident focus groups or surveys to assess the City’s strengths and
weaknesses in its delivery of communications access to LEP or disabled
constituents.
•Through this assessment process, determine categories for level of support
needed and service goals for each category (i.e., high need, moderate need,
low need, etc.)
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Recommendations for Assessing Ability to Meet Needs
•Share needs and capacity information across departments during monthly
department head meetings.
•Create a self-assessment tool for departments to evaluate their communication
strengths, capacity, and areas of need. This assessment should address
communications to and from the department and include criteria for
accommodating the needs of LEP and disabled constituents.
•Designate responsible party/parties for conducting annual assessments within
each department. This party will report to the Plan Implementation Coordinator
who will conduct a City-wide assessment based on departmental assessments.
ORAL COMMUNICATION AND AUDIO MEDIA
Interpretive services may be provided through qualified bilingual and multilingual staff,
contract interpreters, and volunteer interpreters from community organizations. A
single point of contact should coordinate interpretive services so that departments can
refer any constituents to a designated resource according to a tiered response. The
City must ensure that the interpreters are qualified to provide the service and
understand client confidentiality.
Recommendations for Oral Communication and Audio Media
•Develop a tiered system for staff to access interpretive services:
1. Seek out interpretation assistance within department if available. If not
available,
2. Contact staff in other departments through established directory of
bilingual or multilingual staff. If not available,
3. Outsource interpreter services to designated qualified volunteer
interpreters. If not available,
4. Outsource interpreter services to designated qualified vendor
interpreters.
•Devise criteria for assessing bilingual or multilingual staff to determine ability to
provide interpreter services.
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•Develop a directory of qualified bilingual and multilingual staff members to be
posted internally in all departments.
•Identify staff positions for which bilingual skills would be an appropriate
selection criterion for employment. Include the criterion in the job description
and determine applicants’ language skills before making hiring decisions.
•Devise criteria for recruiting and assessing bilingual or multilingual volunteers
to provide interpreter services. [Review with City Solicitor to assess the need for
a disclaimer.]
•Allocate budget resources to contract with a telephonic or video on-demand
interpretive service such as Language Line.
•Establish a list of all qualified volunteer interpreters and vendor interpreter
services available provide direct, telephonic, or video interpretation assistance
to LEP individuals seeking information on or access to City resources.
•Ensure that videos shared by the City or any department are equipped with
closed captioning or have a written transcript available. Written transcripts
should be available for translation upon request.
•Determine department(s) to which TTY calls should be directed. Train
applicable staff in making and receiving TTY calls.
•List the availability of 711 TTY service on all written communication that includes
City contact numbers, including the website.
•Budget for and formally contract with CART services to provide visual written
transmittal what is being said onto a screen during live meetings.
WRITTEN OR VISUAL COMMUNICATION
As part of the annual assessment process, departments should identify vital documents
to be translated and made accessible in various formats. Additionally, whenever
possible, visual or written communications should be made accessible to blind or
vision-impaired individuals.
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Recommendations for Written or Visual Communication and Media
• Develop a system to ensure that individuals are provided with written language
assistance services (in accordance with the needs and capacity assessments).
Make staff are aware of the established system for pursuing written translations.
• Identify materials already available in non-English languages and make such
resources known among all departments and to the public.
• Determine criteria for approved qualified written translators.
• Provide points of contact and phone numbers for approved translators to ensure
staff can arrange for document translation when necessary.
• Designate a responsible party in each department to identify vital documents
necessary for the constituents to have meaningful access to a service or
resource. Per HHS, “Vital documents include but are not limited to: critical
records and notices; online and paper applications; consent forms; complaint
forms; letters or notices pertaining to eligibility for benefits; letters or notices
pertaining to the reduction, denial, or termination of services or benefits that
require a response from an individual with LEP; written tests that evaluate
competency for a particular license, job, or skill for which knowing English is not
required; documents that must be provided by law; and notices regarding the
availability of language assistance services for individuals with LEP at no cost to
them.”23
• Allocate resources (staff or budgeting) to prioritize translation of each
department’s vital documents into languages determined through the needs
assessment.
• Ensure vital documents are available in an accessible digital format — i.e., a
document form that is compatible with screen readers.
• Include text image descriptions with images posted on the City’s website or
social media.
• Explore installing key signage in braille in City buildings.
23 Department of Health and Human Services, Language Access Plan, 2013.
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POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Plan Implementation Coordinator should regularly review and update the City-
wide Communications Access Plan’s written policies and procedures.
Recommendations for Policies and Procedures
•Formalize the adoption of a City-wide Communications Access Plan.
•Designate a responsible party within each department for monitoring
implementation and effectiveness of the Communications Access Plan.
Department-based responsible parties should report to the Plan
Implementation Coordinator.
•Discuss implementation and effectiveness of the Communications Access Plan
at monthly department head meetings.
•Develop policies and procedures for receiving and addressing communications
assistance concerns or complaints from constituents to improve services.
NOTIFICATION OF SERVICES
City-wide and across all departments, efforts should be made to proactively inform
constituents that communications assistance is available at no cost. Multimodal
notification methods include but are not limited to multilingual posters, flyers, and
brochures; posted signage in buildings; statements on application forms and materials
distributed to the public, electronic media, and more.
Recommendations for Notification of Services
•Develop a City-wide strategy for notifying LEP or disabled individuals that
communications assistance is available to them at no cost.
•Designate a responsible party/entity within each department to identify
resources that constituents with communication barriers may not be aware of
or may be too intimidated to access.
•Utilize multimodal outreach methods to ensure that constituents are made
aware of the resources identified above.
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•Develop and prominently display information about the availability of
accommodations on vital documents, web pages, outreach material, and other
resources notifying constituents that communications assistance is available at
no cost and how it can be obtained.
•Prominently display information about the availability of communication
accommodations in City Hall.
STAFF TRAINING
The City should establish protocol and materials for staff training, equipping each
department with the necessary tools to ensure its staff understand and can implement
the policies and procedures of this plan.
Recommendations for Staff Training
•Develop and implement City-wide staff training resources, such as a toolkit with:
o Departmental self-evaluation (see first element, Assessment)
o Documentation indicating the appropriate tiered levels of response for
oral communications needs (see second element, Oral Communication)
o Contact lists for available resources
o An “I Speak” card
o Other tools as designated by the City
•Train applicable staff on:
o The policies and procedures relating to communications access
o Receiving and making TTY calls via 711
o Creation of html forms and true PDFs (as opposed to scanned PDFs)
•Incorporate training relating to the City’s Communications Access Plan into
onboarding for new staff.
•Require staff to review the policies and procedures in the Communications
Access Plan annually and sign off to confirm review.
•Establish a means of tracking staff training and annual review of materials.
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•Provide professional development opportunities relating to communications
access, working with diverse communities, ADA compliance, and other topics
related to communications access.
ASSESSMENT: ACCESS, QUALITY, AND PLAN REVIEW
As stated in the beginning of the recommendations section, the City must designate
an office, official, or some other entity to establish the necessary infrastructure for
overseeing, assessing, evaluating, and updating its Communications Access Plan — i.e.,
a Plan Implementation Coordinator. This final recommendation element closes out a
cyclical process of assessment, which should feed back into the Plan Implementation
Coordinator’s annual review of needs and capacity.
Recommendations for Assessment of Access and Quality
•Designate a responsible party within each department to track requests for
communication assistance, service provided, and who provided the services.
This person should report to Plan Implementation Coordinator.
•Develop and maintain an accurate City-wide record to assess the quality and use
of the Communications Access Plan. This record should:
o Track requests for communication assistance, service provided, and who
provided the services as reported by each department, and
o Review and address complaints received from individuals.
•Review categories of support needed and service goals identified in first
assessment cycle and adjust as needed.
•Identify best practices for continuous improvement of communications access for
individuals with disabilities or language barriers.
•Share the City Communications Access Plan to solicit feedback from
stakeholders and community partners including but not limited to:
o Quincy Public Schools
o Nonprofit service providers
o Boards and commissions
o Resident focus groups
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BASE MAPS
BOSTON
BRAINTREE
MILTON
HULL
RANDOLPH
WEYMOUTH
Ü
0 0.5 1
MilesSource: Town of Quincy, MassGIS, MassDOT, and U.S. Census Bureau
City of Quincy
Minority Population
1.12% - 16.0%
16.1% - 30.0%
30.1% - 42.0%
42.1% - 60.0%
60.1% - 90.6%
Language Access Plan
'HFHPEHU
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
58
BOSTON
BRAINTREE
MILTON
HULL
RANDOLPH
WEYMOUTH
Ü
0 0.5 1
MilesSource: Town of Quincy, MassGIS, MassDOT, and U.S. Census Bureau
City of Quincy
Foreign Born Population
6.32% - 7.25%
7.26% - 28.3%
28.4% - 34.3%
34.4% - 43.4%
43.5% - 51.5%
Language Access Plan
'HFHPEHU
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
59
BOSTON
BRAINTREE
MILTON
HULL
RANDOLPH
WEYMOUTH
Ü
0 0.5 1
MilesSource: Town of Quincy, MassGIS, MassDOT, and U.S. Census Bureau
City of Quincy
Percent of Disabilities
6.05% - 7.5%
7.51% - 11.5%
11.51% - 15.5%
15.51% - 20.1%
Language Access Plan
'HFHPEHU
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
60
BOSTON
BRAINTREE
MILTON
HULL
RANDOLPH
WEYMOUTH
Ü
0 0.5 1
MilesSource: Town of Quincy, MassGIS, MassDOT, and U.S. Census Bureau
City of Quincy
Foreign Born Population
1 Dot = 24.9799349
China
India
Vietnam
Ireland
Albania
Language Access Plan
'HFHPEHU
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
61
BOSTON
BRAINTREE
MILTON
HULL
RANDOLPH
WEYMOUTH
Ü
0 0.5 1
MilesSource: Town of Quincy, MassGIS, MassDOT, and U.S. Census Bureau
City of Quincy
Median Household Income
$0.00 - $35,000
$35,000 - $62,000
$62,000 - $81,000
$81,000 - $96,000
$96,000 - $141,776
Language Access Plan
'HFHPEHU
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
62
BOSTON
BRAINTREE
MILTON
HULL
RANDOLPH
WEYMOUTH
Ü
0 0.5 1
MilesSource: Town of Quincy, MassGIS, MassDOT, and U.S. Census Bureau
City of Quincy
MedianAge
34 - 36 years old
37 - 40 years old
41 - 48 years old
49 - 58 years old
Language Access Plan
'HFHPEHU
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
63
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Abdalla, Nagla. Office of English Learners. Boston Public Schools. Interviewed by
Fiona Coughlan. Barrett Planning Group. January 8, 2021.
Atlanta Regional Commission. Limited English Proficiency Plan. 2017.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Language Access Plan. Revised May 2019.
Boston Public Health Commission and Boston CHNA-CHIP Collaborative. 2019
Community Health Needs Assessment. 2019.
Boston Public Health Commission. “Section 1: Toolkit.” Equitable Community
Engagement Toolkit 2020-2023. 2020.
Boston Public Health Commission. “Section 2: Toolkit.” Equitable Community
Engagement Toolkit 2020-2023. 2020.
Boston Public Health Commission. Equitable Community Engagement Plan 2020-2023.
2020.
California Complete Count – Census 2020. Language and Communications Access
Plan. May 2019. Prepared for CA Census 2020.
City of Austin Office of the City Auditor. Language Access Audit. June 2016. Report to
the Austin City Council.
City of Boston Department of Neighborhood Development. Language and
Communications Access Plan. City of Boston. November 2020.
City of Boston Language and Communications Access. Language and
Communications Access Experience Survey. July 25, 2019.
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
64
City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Advancement. Outreach Guide
to Immigrant Communities. 2020.
City of Charlotte Immigrant Community Committee. Immigrant Community
Committee Final Recommendations. May 13. 2019.
City of Madison Department of Civil Rights. Language Access Plan. 2017.
City of San Francisco Administrative Code. Language Access Requirements for
Departments. Ordinance No. 27-15. File No. 141149. 2015.
Ersoylu Consulting. Disability Services Needs Assessment. February 2018. Prepared for
the City of Irvine Community Services Department.
Kim, Christina and Granberry, Phillip. Boston Planning and Development Agency
Research Division. Interviewed by Fiona Coughlan. Barrett Planning Group.
January 7, 2021.
Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services. Agency Language Access Plan.
July 2016.
Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Guide to Language Needs Assessments.
February 2011.
Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. Language Access Plan. 2013.
New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services. Agency Language
Access Implementation Plan (LAIP) 2018. 2018.
New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities. Language Access
Implementation Plan 2018. 2018.
New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs & Mayor’s Office of Operations.
Language Access 2.0: Sharing Best Practices, Improving Services, and Setting
Future Goals. December 2011.
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
65
The Research Bureau. Bureau Brief: English for Speakers of Other Languages. 2020.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Language Access Plan. 2013.
U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Language Access Plan. 2016.
Washington Health Benefit Exchange. Disability Access Plan. November 2019.
Yaffe, Emily. Office of Equity, Mobility and Immigrant Integration. City of Charlotte.
Interviewed by Fiona Coughlan. Barrett Planning Group. January 8, 2021.
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
66
APPENDICES & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
APPENDICES
A. Infographics with key findings from Quincy resident surveys (Chinese –
Simplified; Chinese – Traditional; English; Vietnamese; Spanish)
B. Secondary Research Outreach Matrix
C. Sample Toolkit: Boston Public Health Commission, Toolkit 1 for Equitable
Community Engagement, 2020-2023, Section 1, 2020
D. Sample Assessment Tool: Excerpted from US Department of Justice,
Language Access Planning and Technical Assistance Tool for Courts, 2014
E. SurveyMonkey Accessibility Guidelines
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The following government sites provide valuable guidance, resources, and tools for
development of communications access policies.
LEP.gov, a subset of the U.S. Department of Justice
• http://www.lep.gov
• Includes downloadable tools such as “I Speak” cards and signage
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Civil Rights: LEP Resources
• https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/special-topics/limited-english-
proficiency/index.html
• Provides LEP fact sheets and updates to LEP guidance from HHS
U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division: Disability Rights Section, A Guide
to Disability Rights Laws, February 2020
• https://www.ada.gov/cguide.htm
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
67
• Provides well-organized and concise summaries of disability rights
laws. Of particular relevance to this plan are the sections on the Americans with
Disabilities Act, Telecommunications Act, and Voting Accessibility for the
Elderly and Handicapped Act
Massachusetts Office on Disability, Disability Handbook for the Executive Branch, 2018
• https://www.mass.gov/doc/the-disability-handbook-for-the-executive-
branch/download
• The sections on communications and information access (pages 27-37) are
particularly useful for creating communications access policies.
This page intentionally left blank.
290 15.3%Identified Disability: 31Identified Family Member with Disability: 62Unaware City is Required toProvide Interpretation, Translation,or Assistive Technology Services: 149Been Provided/Used an InterpreterWhen Interacting with City Government: 781.9%75%86 16.6%24.4%1.1%8.5%14.8% 98%2%12.2%20.7%APPENDIX A. Resident Survey Infographics
41 30.3%Identified Disability: 31Identified Family Member with Disability: 62Unaware City is Required toProvide Interpretation, Translation,or Assistive Technology Services: 149Been Provided/Used an InterpreterWhen Interacting with City Government: 780% 78%0 21.2%18.2%3%24.2%9.1% 92%3 18.2%6.1%APPENDIX A. Resident Survey Infographics
170 41%Identified Disability: 31Identified Family Member with Disability: 62Unaware City is Required toProvide Interpretation, Translation,or Assistive Technology Services: 149Been Provided/Used an InterpreterWhen Interacting with City Government: 786.3% 74%0 21.2%31.7%3%8.5%15.5% 97%19 15.5%2.1%APPENDIX A. Resident Survey Infographics
14 41.6%Identified Disability: 31Identified Family Member with Disability: 62Unaware City is Required toProvide Interpretation, Translation,or Assistive Technology Services: 149Been Provided/Used an InterpreterWhen Interacting with City Government: 780% 71%0 16.7%41.7%0%16.7%16.7% 92%1 8.3%0%APPENDIX A. Resident Survey Infographics
3 100%Identified Disability: 31Identified Family Member with Disability: 62Unaware City is Required toProvide Interpretation, Translation,or Assistive Technology Services: 149Been Provided/Used an InterpreterWhen Interacting with City Government: 780%100%0 33.3%33.3%0%33.3%0%100%0 0%0%APPENDIX A. Resident Survey Infographics
This page intentionally left blank.
City of Quincy
Needs Assessment and Action Plan: LEP and Disability Communications Access
Contact Outreach Matrix
Who? Method of Contact Result?
Worcester Public Library and Worcester's
ESOL Network
Email and Phone Interview
Washington Heathplanfinder Email and Phone Interview
Madison Department for Civil Rights Email and Phone Interview
NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Email and Phone Interview
Department of Housing and Urban
Development, Boston Office (HUD)
Email Referral
Department of Housing and Urban
Development Fair Housing Office, Boston
(HUD)
Email and Phone Interview
City of Boston Department of
Neighborhood Development
Email and Phone Interview
City of Boston Department of Immigrant
Advancement
Email and Phone Interview
City of Boston Language and
Communications Access Department
Email and Phone Interview
Boston Planning and Development
Agency
Email and Phone Interview
City of Charlotte’s Office Of Equity,
Mobility And Immigrant Integration
Email and Phone Interview
Boston Public Schools Office of English
Leaners
Email and Phone Interview
City of Boston Mayor’s Office of New
Bostonians
Email Resource-sharing
Brewster Ambulance Phone Follow-up
questions
Quincy Sun Phone Follow-up
questions
QATV Phone Follow-up
questions
APPENDIX B. Contact Outreach Matrix
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Equitable Community
Engagement Toolkit
Section I
2020-2023
Apply The Equitable Community Engagement Framework
Into The Decision-Making Process
APPENDIX C. SAMPLE TOOL KIT. Excerpted for informational purposes from:
Boston Public Health Commission, Equitable Community Engagement Toolkit, 2020-2023
The Equitable Community Engagement Toolkit is designed to guide BPHC staff and
partners to apply the BPHC Equitable Community Engagement framework into the
decision-making process.
Every decision has the potential to affect communities. Whenever there is a change
or perceived risk from a community perspective, communities must be informed of
the change or provided with opportunities to participate in the planning and
decision-making process to achieve an equitable outcome.
The Toolkit is divided into two sections:
Community Engagement Principles: In Action
Community Engagement Process
Community Engagement Plan
Section I: Designing an Equitable Community Engagement
Section II: Additional Resources and Support
Introduction
Community Engagement Process: Steps 1-6 additional worksheets
Resource Guides
Templates
APPENDIX C. SAMPLE TOOL KIT. Excerpted for informational purposes from: Boston Public Health Commission, Equitable Community Engagement Toolkit, 2020-2023
ACCOUNTABLE
Communicate honestly about engagement processes and how communities contributed to the decision.
COLLABORATIVE
EVALUATED
INCLUSIVE
SUSTAINABLE
TRANSPARENT
Community Engagement Principles: In Action
Reduce barriers to participation, create culturally appropriate engagement settings, and ensureparticipation reflects community demographics and those whose lives or health outcomes will beimpacted by the decision.
Expand community assets through training, relationship- building, data sharing, technical assistance,funding, and other applicable resources so that communities can continue the work beyond theengagement “end date”.
Create engagement processes that are purposeful, adequately resourced, and responsible to groupagreements and outcomes.
Build relationships with communities that are transformational, partnership-centered and long-term.
Establish mechanisms to obtain participant feedback, regularly self-assess and improve engagementpractices.
Decide the purpose of the engagement and anticipate a decision or outcome.
Verify that final decision-makers agree on the level of engagement, the engagement method, and the anticipateddecision or outcome of the engagement.
Establish a budget or the required resources needed to adequately support the engagement process.
Form an engagement planning team representative of primary, secondary, and key stakeholders (residents, BPHCstaff, sector partners, or other city departments).
Coordinate engagement efforts and reduce duplication of the engagement process, include exploration of the political
or legal landscape of BPHC, City, and community initiatives.
Create an evaluation tool to obtain feedback from participants on the engagement.
Create a self-assessment tool for the planning team to measure the implementation of the Community EngagementPrinciples.
Identify stakeholders that may directly benefit and may be burdened or negatively affected by the decision or outcomeof the engagement.
Identify and proactively address potential barriers to participation for stakeholders of the engagement.
Ensure facilitators are prepared to facilitate a dialogue with stakeholders that values the diversity of perspectives and
ideas of all, particularly the less vocal.
Determine the engagement methods and develop a communication plan to reach and engage stakeholders throughout
the engagement process.
Identify a plan or the resources to support stakeholders (i.e. information, training, technical assistance) after theengagement process has ended.
Establish the appropriate methods and timelines for regular check-ins with stakeholders to use after the engagement
process has ended.
Determine the level of engagement and communicate the value to residents and neighborhoods.
Define what information is needed to make a decision and design a data collection plan.
Design a plan to report back to stakeholders on the engagement results, including how their input was used to informthe decision or outcome.
Apply the BPHC community engagement principles by completing each action step
listed below. Keep track of progress on the right-hand side. NO PROGRESSIN PROGRESSCOMPLETEDBoston Public Health Commission | Section 1: Toolkit 2
APPENDIX C. SAMPLE TOOL KIT. Excerpted for informational purposes from:
Boston Public Health Commission, Equitable Community Engagement Toolkit, 2020-2023
DETERMINE LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT2
DETERMINE ENGAGEMENT METHODS AND COMMUNICATE3
DESIGN DATA COLLECTION PLAN4
DEVELOP EVALUATION TOOLS
REPORT BACK & STAY CONNECTED
1 IDENTIFY COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS
5
6
Determine whatquestions to ask
stakeholders and howdata will be collected
at engagement.
FREQUENCY
Community Engagement Planning Process
PRIMARY STAKEHOLDERS SECONDARY STAKEHOLDERS KEY STAKEHOLDERS
Residents or staff whomay be directly affected
(benefit or burdened) bythe decision or outcome.
Agencies or organizations
who may be indirectlyaffected or have a direct
relationship with primarystakeholders.
Political or
organizational leaderswith the greatest
influence or power overa decision.
Select the most appropriate
and meaningful level ofengagement for each
stakeholder.
Select engagementmethods and design acommunication planthat is tailored to theneeds of stakeholders.
SENDERTIMINGKEY MESSAGE COMMUNICATION
CHANNELS
Define whatinformation is
needed on the issueto make a decision.
Invite stakeholders to engageand/or participate in theplanning of the engagement.Proactively address potentialbarriers to participation.
Explore existing data &identify what new
information can becollected by engaging
stakeholders.
Establish how collectedinformation will be
analyzed and thenreviewed by
stakeholders.
Determine how final engagementresults will be reported back to
stakeholders, including how theirinput was used to inform the
decision or outcome.
Identify resourcesto support stakeholders afterthe engagement has ended.
Establish methods andtimelines for regular check-ins with stakeholders to useafter engagement ends.
Follow the six steps of the BPHC community engagement planning process to implement an equitablecommunity engagement. See Section 2 of the Toolkit for additional support.
Create an evaluation tool to obtain feedback
from participants aboutthe engagement.
Create a self-assessment tool tomeasure the implementation of theCommunity Engagement Principlesafter the engagement ends.
Use evaluation results toimprove future community
engagement.
Beforeengagement
Start every engagement planning process by first identifying the issue, establishing a purpose, and
anticipating an outcome or decision of the engagement.
TRANSFER
DECISION-MAKINGCONSULTCOLLABORATEINFORM
Share information,listen for under-standing, and answerquestions for clarity.
Two-waycommunication toobtain feedback onexisting issues, projects,processes, or ideas.
Place finaldecision-making inthe control of thecommunity.
Support the prioritiesand ideas identifiedand led by thecommunity.
COMMUNITY
DRIVEN & LED
Partner in each aspect ofdecision-making, includingdevelopment of alternativesand identification of preferredsolutions.
"Come share your ideasabout what yourcommunity needs to be
healthy."
Flyers, social media,ethnic radio and TV.BPHC staff sends tocommunity-basedorganization to send
to residents.
Sent a month prior tomeeting with weeklyreminders.EX:
Boston Public Health Commission | Section 1: Toolkit 3
APPENDIX C. SAMPLE TOOL KIT. Excerpted for informational purposes from: Boston Public Health Commission, Equitable Community Engagement Toolkit, 2020-2023
Policy Program
Practice Project
Budget
Community Funding Benefit
Other:
What engagement methods
will be used to communicate
with stakeholders?
What new information isneeded to make a decision andhow will responses becollected?
Inform
Consult
Collaborate
Transfer Decision-Making
Duration:Plan Name:
Leads:
Team Members:Start Date:
End Date:
One Time Phases Monthly Series Other:
Community Engagement Plan
After completing the six steps of the BPHC community engagement planning process, describe the
community engagement plan below. Share responses with stakeholders when implementing the plan.
What is the purpose of the
engagement?
List the required resources
needed to support the
engagement.
What is the anticipated
decision or outcome of the
engagement?
Who are the final decision
makers?
Which stakeholders will be
engaged?
Which stakeholders will
participate in the planning?
At what level will
stakeholders be engaged?
What is the anticipated
value of the engagement for
residents or neighborhoods?
When and how will the results
of the engagement be reported
back to stakeholders?
When and how can
stakeholders provide feedback
on the engagement?
(Budget, staff, etc)
Boston Public Health Commission | Section 1: Toolkit 4
APPENDIX C. SAMPLE TOOL KIT. Excerpted for informational purposes from:
Boston Public Health Commission, Equitable Community Engagement Toolkit, 2020-2023
BEFORE
DURING
AFTER
Identify event roles and
responsibilities (facilitators,
moderators, note takers,
chat box monitors, or tech
assistance).
Collaborate with partners
to send event invitation to
community stakeholders at
least 2 weeks in advance
and weekly reminders.
Create promotional
flyer and set agenda
for the event. Set up
participant registration.
Orient participants to the
purpose of the engagement,
the BPHC Community
Engagement Principles and
process.
Describe the process to
collect information from
participants (polling, small
group discussions, etc).
Send participant
feedback evaluation
form and thank
participants for their
participation.
Share engagement
and evaluation
results with
participants no more
than 2 weeks after
the engagement.
Post engagement
results on the BPHC
intranet no more
than 2 weeks after
the engagement.
Conduct a planning
team self-assessment
to improve future
engagements.
Introduce facilitators,
guest speakers, and
planning team with
video on. Review agenda
and share virtual
meeting ground rules.
Virtual Community Engagement Guide
When planning a virtual community engagement event, follow the phases and steps below to succesfully host an equitable community engagement event.
Boston Public Health Commission | Section 1: Toolkit 5
APPENDIX C. SAMPLE TOOL KIT. Excerpted for informational purposes from:
Boston Public Health Commission, Equitable Community Engagement Toolkit, 2020-2023
1 ACCOUNTABLE
2 COLLABORATIVE
3 EVALUATED
4 INCLUSIVE
5 SUSTAINABLE
6 TRANSPARENT
You are invited to share your feedback with BPHC, as we
work to build a COVID-19 recovery plan that is responsive to
community needs.
Date and Time
Thurs, Sept 24
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Location
Online Event
RECOVERYRECOVERYRECOVERY
FROM RESPONSE TOFROM RESPONSE TO
Example Event Invitation SEPT
24
By Boston Public Health Commission
From Response to
Recovery: Virtual
Community Engagement
Event
Free
Register
About this Event:
Community
Driven & Led
Transfer
Decision-MakingConsultCollaborateInform
BPHC uses the community engagement spectrum to
determine how we will engage with the community. For this
event, we plan to consult and collaborate with you.
We want to hear your feedback on BPHC recovery plans and
ensure they address what your neighborhood needs to
recover from COVID-19.
BPHC is committed to equitable community engagement. The
principles below represent what you can expect during any
event with BPHC.
Boston Public Health Commission | Section 1: Toolkit 6
APPENDIX C. SAMPLE TOOL KIT. Excerpted for informational purposes from: Boston Public Health Commission, Equitable
Community Engagement Toolkit, 2020-2023
Boston Public Health Commission
1010 Massachusetts Ave, 2nd Floor
Boston, MA 02118
Visit us at www.bphc.org
APPENDIX C. SAMPLE TOOL KIT. Excerpted for informational purposes from:
Boston Public Health Commission, Equitable Community Engagement Toolkit, 2020-2023
A.Existing Services and Ongoing Need for Language Assistance Services
A court benefits from conducting an assessment of its existing language access policies
and the extent to which such policies are being followed and implemented. This assessment
should provide some sense of the work needed to provide comprehensive language access and
better inform the planning process. In addition, ongoing assessment helps to measure current
and future needs and to monitor progress.
Consideration Response
1.Does your court provide interpreters in all
court proceedings with LEP parties?
2.For what proceedings are court interpreters
provided?
Criminal only
Some criminal:
please specify):
________________
Civil only
Some civil (please
specify):________
Not Applicable
3.Does your court provide interpreters in court
proceedings with LEP witnesses?
4.Are LEP victims provided interpreters
throughout court proceedings?
5.Are LEP parents or guardians of minors
provided interpreters throughout court
proceedings?
6.Do the interpreters used by your court have
their skills assessed periodically for quality?______% (Percentage)
7.When interpreters are provided, does your
court provide the interpreter without assessing
costs to either party?
8.Does your court provide translated materials at
no charge to LEP individuals in all court
operations?
9.Does your court provide interpreters at no
charge to LEP individuals in all court
operations?
10.Does your court provide notice of its language
access policy to a) court staff, b) parties, and c)
the public?
a) Yes
b) Yes
c) Yes
a) No
b) No
c) No
11.Does your court gather case language data by
a) requiring filing parties to provide available
information on language needs of parties and
witnesses with the initial filing, and b)
requiring court staff to record language data of
which they are aware?
a)
b)
12.If you responded “Not Started” to
Consideration 11 (a) or (b), what processes are
in place to track an LEP individual’s need for
language assistance services?
Record primary
language
information upon
first contact
Other process(es):
________________
________________
________________
CompletedIn ProgressNot Started
CompletedIn ProgressNot Started
CompletedIn ProgressNot Started
CompletedIn ProgressNot Started
CompletedIn ProgressNot Started
CompletedIn ProgressNot Started
CompletedIn ProgressNot Started
CompletedIn ProgressNot Started
CompletedIn ProgressNot Started
APPENDIX D. SAMPLE ASSESSMENT TOOL. Excerpted for informational purposes from:
Federal Coordination and Compliance Section, Civil RIghts Division, US Department of Justice
Language Access and Technical Assisstance, 2014
Consideration Response
13.Does your court assign interpreters to court
proceedings without requiring a motion or
relying on a day-of request from the LEP
person or their representative?
14.Does your court provide language assistance
services in court operations without relying on
a day-of request from the LEP person or their
representative?
15.Does your court have systems in place to: a)
monitor the performance of staff that provides
language assistance services, b) monitor the
performance of interpreters, and c) respond to
complaints against staff or interpreters?
a)
b)
c)
16.Does your court have a process to collect data
on:
a)the number of LEP individuals you serve, by
language?
b)the number of LEP individuals in your
service area, by language spoken?
a)
b)
17.How often does your court assess the language
data for the languages spoken by LEP
communities in your service area? (Select all
that apply)
Annually
Biennially
No data is collected
Not Sure
Other: (please
specify):_________
18.What data sources does your court use to
identify the LEP communities in your service
area? (Select all that apply)
US Census/ACS
US Dept. of
Education
US Dept. of Labor
State agencies
County agencies
Community
organizations
Case management
system
Interpreter
scheduling system
Stakeholders
Justice system
information
Other: (please
specify):_________
19.Has your court reviewed the language access
recommendations and resources of the a)
American Bar Association, and b) National
Center on State Courts?
a)
b)
20.What else might your court need in order to
assess current needs and plan and project for
future language assistance service needs?
Section A Planning Steps:
Based on the responses above, what action items will you develop?
Who is responsible for implementing them?
What are the timelines and priorities?
How will you identify measures of progress?
CompletedIn ProgressNot Started
CompletedIn ProgressNot Started
CompletedIn ProgressNot Started
CompletedIn ProgressNot Started
CompletedIn ProgressNot Started
CompletedIn ProgressNot Started
CompletedIn ProgressNot Started
CompletedIn ProgressNot Started
CompletedIn ProgressNot Started
APPENDIX D. SAMPLE ASSESSMENT TOOL. Excerpted for informational purposes from:
Federal Coordination and Compliance Section, Civil RIghts Division, US Department of Justice
Language Access and Technical Assisstance, 2014
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VPAT Documentation
SurveyMonkey WCAG2 Conformance Claim [PDF]»
Creating Accessible Surveys
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An accessible survey is designed so that people with varying
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An accessible survey enables survey takers using screen
magnifiers to successfully complete the survey.
An accessible survey has the necessary text elements to
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APPENDIX E. SurveyMonkey Accessibility Guidelines
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An accessible survey doesn't require a mouse or keyboard to
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Our default survey theme, Simple, is not compliant with Section
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the standard themes that are Section 508 compliant. If you create
APPENDIX E. SurveyMonkey Accessibility Guidelines
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a custom theme, use a tool like the tanaguru contrast finder to
ensure that the color combinations pass WCAG standards for
contrast ratio.
Accessible Surveys Checklist
To ensure your survey is accessible, check all of the following:
2 Use the classic survey format The classic survey format is best
for people using a screen reader to take a survey. The One Question
at a Time and Conversation survey formats are not accessible.
2 Only use accessible question types and settings.
Avoid these question types and settings:
Matrix of Dropdown menus question type
Click Map question type
Accepting payments page
Multilingual Surveys— People using a screen reader won't be
able to select their preferred language from the dropdown
menu
Forced Ranking setting for a matrix/rating scale question
type
All other question types and settings are accessible.
2 Add alt text to images and videos. To make your survey
accessible to people using screen readers, Section 508 requires
that a text equivalent is provided for every non-text element, like
images and videos. This alternative text, known as alt text, can be
in the alt attribute of the image or in the context surrounding the
image, like a caption. Since screen readers can't read an image,
they'll announce the alt text instead.
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You can add descriptive alt text to images in your survey. Click the
links below to find steps to add alt text to each image type:
Image choice question
Freestanding survey images
Image A/B Tests
Logo
If you add a video to your survey, provide closed captions with the
video.
2 Keep asterisks for required questions. By default, when you
require a question an asterisk will appear next to the question.
Don’t turn this option off. In the survey introduction, let survey
takers know that asterisks mean a question is required.
2 Change star rating icons to black. If you’re using an accessible
theme and adding a star rating question change the icon color to
black for good contrast. You’ll see a color dropdown when editing
the question.
2 Write clear error messages. When survey takers enter an
invalid response to a question with answer validation applied, or
skip a required question, an error message appears above the
question. Customize the error text so that people know specifically
how to answer the question so they can move on.
2 Don't edit default navigation labels. By default, navigation
buttons are labeled “Previous”,”Next”, and “Done,” which work well
with screen readers.
2 Don't include images that blink or flash. If you use animated
content in your survey, check that it meets the time refresh
requirements.
2 Place text fields close to row labels. When a row label is
positioned far away from the text field, it may cause issues for
screen magnifiers used by low vision respondents. For Multiple
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Textboxes, Contact Information, or Matrix/Rating Scale questions,
adjust the question layout to keep the labels and text fields close
together.
2 Use page titles for Heading 2 (H2). If you want to use an H2 in
your heading rank, turn on page titles.
Example Survey
Our Accessible Survey Test includes all the survey elements that
meet WCAG2 conformance level AA.
Taking Surveys with a Screen Reader
Screen Readers We Support
JAWS
NVDA
VoiceOver
TalkBack
Most question types are compatible with screen readers
(exceptions are listed in the accessible surveys checklist. For the
best survey taking experience, we recommend using the most
updated version of one of our supported browsers.
Headings
The following table describes what each heading level represents in
a SurveyMonkey survey. Please refer to your preferred screen
reader's manual to learn how to navigate online forms and surveys.
Heading LevelHeading Level DescriptionDescription
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Heading 1 Survey title
Heading 2 Page title
Heading 3 Page description
Heading 4 Navigate between questions in a survey
Heading 5 Error messages
Please note that Heading level 5 (error messages) comes before
Heading level 4 (question text).
When taking a survey, you can use your screen reader to
navigate the list of questions by navigating between
elements at heading level 4.
If you receive error messages when submitting a page, use
your screen reader to navigate heading level 5 to move
between questions with error messages.
SurveyMonkey surveys don't use heading level 6.
Feedback
SurveyMonkey is dedicated to helping people create surveys that
are accessible. If you have feedback on how we can do better,
please fill out the SurveyMonkey Accessibility Feedback Form.
We may not be able to respond to your feedback directly, but we'll
make sure your thoughts and suggestions reach the right teams.
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