One Richmond city council candidate is wondering why information on the municipal website isn’t available in other languages.
Mark Lee, who is running under the Richmond Citizens’ Association banner and is himself a translator, recently pointed out this lack on Twitter
He pointed out city council passed the Cultural Harmony Plan three years ago, but “there is still no translation of the City website, one of the ‘short term’ recommended actions.”
This recommendation is included in one of the “strategic directions” of the Cultural Harmony Plan, entitled “Communication and Community Engagement,” which states one communication method could be multilingual translation services on its website.
In fact, the city is in the process of updating its website which currently dates back to 2010 and it will include a translation tool for “those who need assistance information in languages other than English,” explained city spokesperson Clay Adams.
The refreshed website, which is expected to launch in early 2023, will also have a new menu structure and search engine.
“The focus will be on our customers, meaning the residents and businesses who rely on the website, with the amount and structure of information provided designed to give them more efficient access and a better overall user experience,” Adams said in an email.
He added it’s not a “huge financial investment” as the city will be using its current content management system, but the user experience is expected to be “far better.”
Work on the new website began last spring.
