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DATA COLLECTION-INTERPRETER REQUIREMENT To determine the communication barriers LEP persons may encounter, we conducted a survey to assess the frequency with which LEP persons have attempted to access services and programs. Surveys were sent to the Division Chiefs and the Business Manager to determine whether to provide language access. We considered the totality of the circumstances as directed by the Office of Language Access, using the following analysis: o Five Division Chiefs and one Business Manager surveyed their staff on the proportion of Limited English Proficient speakers. o Frequency of LEP contact with the Department of Public Works employees: o One hundred percent of staff members had no contact. o Nature and importance of services provided: o Customers interested in soliciting a bid for a contract, building, or renovating a home or commercial dwelling, grubbing or grading land, requesting repairs or investigating illega l structures are several primary functions for the Department. Customers may complete permit applications online or in person at the West Hawai'i, and Hila offices. Most applica nts speak and write English. When this is not the case, the front desk staff have the Language Line placard on their desks or an electronic version on their computers and tablets with the toll free number for language interpretation or written translation. Staff is instruct ed to show the LEP customer the "Interpretation Services Available" on display so the LEP customer can indicate what language is required to be interpreted. o Resources are available to the Department with costs for providing interpretation and translation services: o The County of Hawai'i has a contract with the Language Line to provide telephone interpretive services. Since the frequency with which LEP persons have contact with departmental employees is minimal, the cost of providing this service when needed is not prohibitive. RESOURCES Public Works has a list of bilingual staff willing to assist with interpretation in Arabic, Chinese, French, Hawaiian, lloca no, Japanese, Korean, Samoan, Spanish, and Italian. A current list provided by the Department of Human Resources is attached as Appendix A. The list is updated every January by Human Resources Department and sent to the Department. Division Chiefs have a printed and electronic version of the Language Line service with instructions for staff to access interpretive and translating services in 170 languages, att ached as Appendix B. This allows them to communicate with LED individuals in the field or the office through a toll free number. The service is available 24 hours a day. 3