DCR will deploy multi-lingual signs “across our system, including of course, on
all the Metropolitan beaches” beginning in 2022.
On Wednesday, February 9, at 10:00
AM, the Metropolitan Beaches Commission
and Save the Harbor/Save the Bay
convened a Virtual Public Hearing to address language barriers on the
Metropolitan Region’s public beaches in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston,
South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull.
At the hearing the Commission took testimony from people who do not
predominantly communicate in English about the obstacles they face when they
try to use and enjoy the region’s public beaches.
 |
| At King’s Beach and the rest of the Metropolitan Region’s public beaches, water
quality, beach rules, and regulations need to be accessible to people that do
not speak English as their primary language to promote equity. |
“Overcoming language barriers is a key
issue,” said Chris Mancini, Executive
Director of Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay. “If we don’t have diversity in
programs and signage on our beaches, folks will be forced to be spectators when
they should be involved, active participants.”
 |
| More
than 50 people took part in the hearing, which was Co-Chaired by
Senator Brendan Crighton of Lynn and Representative Adrian Madaro of
East Boston. It was translated into six
languages and included representatives from Lynn, Nahant, Revere,
Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull. |
Representative
Adrian Madaro of East Boston, who Co-Chairs the Commission,
set the tone in his opening remarks saying, “in East Boston, language justice
and language access are not merely aspirations; they are absolute necessities
to ensure the safety, wellbeing, and success of all of our neighbors.”
Participants heard presentations on current and best
practices for multilingual signage and websites. “Of the 250 signs we looked at
across our Massachusetts coast, just four of them were in languages other than
English,” said Bruce Berman, Director of
Strategy and Communications of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. “That’s simply
not good enough.”
“QR codes on beach signage is one easy way to connect people to the
multilingual resources they need,” said Save the Harbor/Save the Bay Policy Intern
Caroline Adamson during her presentation, pointing
out that QR codes are already in use on signs in Revere and elsewhere.
Among those who testified at the
hearing were Stephanie Cooper,
Acting Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Recreation and Julia Mejia, City Councilor-at-Large,
City of Boston.
According to Acting DCR Commissioner Cooper, “we are focused on having our areas
accessible and safe. We also need to have signage and information that provides
people with the rules and regulations. What are the amenities? What do I need
to know to enjoy the beach and be safe?” Cooper underscored the importance of
the use of QR codes, observing that, “Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s presentation
highlighted some of where we are headed and some of the progress we still need
to make. The great thing about a QR code is that you can provide a lot of
information in all the languages that you want. Our plan is to use QR codes
this year.”
“I hope that in the years to come our public spaces
resemble, more accurately, our community,” said Julia Mejia, Boston City Councilor-at-Large. “When I look at a lot
of the signs, oftentimes at our public beaches, everything is still very much
in English. I think that we need to do a better job of making sure that, if we
are serious about creating spaces where people are seen and reflected, then
translation and information justice is a part of that conversation.”
Commission Co-Chair Senator Brendan Crighton of Lynn agreed, and was
“inspired by the powerful testimony” he heard at the hearing. “We look forward
to using this community input to make our beaches more equitable and inclusive
for all people regardless of the language they speak.”
The Metropolitan Beaches Commission
welcomes public participation and will gladly accept written testimony from all
interested parties. Please email your comments to rodriguez@savethe harbor.org.
For
more information about the hearing contact Save the
Harbor's Executive Director Chris Mancini by email to mancini@savetheharbor.org
or on his cell at (617) 909-6667, or their Director of Strategy &
Communications Bruce Berman by email to bruce@bostonharbor.com
or on his cell at 617-293-6243.
Recordings of this hearing are available in English,
Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian-Creole, Arabic, Vietnamese, and Mandarin here
About
the Metropolitan Beaches Commission
The Metropolitan Beaches Commission is a permanent
Commission charged with making findings and recommendations to the Legislature
and the Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) on ways to improve
the metropolitan region's public beaches. It was established by the
Massachusetts Legislature in 2006 and is led and managed by Save the
Harbor/Save the Bay. You can find more
information about the MBC on Save the Harbor/Save the Bay's website, and
download copies of our previous reports at https://www.savetheharbor.org/mbc-archives.
Late last spring, the Commission decided to focus attention
on ways to increase diversity, equity and inclusion on the Metropolitan
Region’s public beaches, to improve access for people of color, people with
disabilities, and people who may not speak English as their primary language.
Last May, we heard from a diverse group of civic leaders and community members
about ways in which we could increase diversity on the beaches and in our beach
programming. In November, the Commission focused on ways to increase and
improve access for people with disabilities on the Metropolitan Region’s public
beaches. The most recent hearing focused on ways to overcome language barriers
that prevent people from safely enjoying their beaches.
“We hope these three
hearings will enable us to do for equity, diversity and inclusion what we did
for management and maintenance of the Metropolitan Beaches during the last
rounds of public hearings.” said Commission Co-Chair Senator Brendan Crighton
of Lynn. “Working together we will provide DCR, the Commonwealth and our
communities a blueprint for improving public access to take these beaches from
good to great.”
“Our state beaches are public treasures that belong to all
of us,” said Commission Co-Chair Representative Adrian Madaro of East Boston.
“We need to advance environmental justice and center diversity, equity, and
inclusion so that people of all backgrounds can enjoy them for years to come,
no matter what language they may speak.”
Following this hearing on language barriers, the Commission
will host a Virtual Summit, at which they will present their preliminary
findings to a broad and diverse audience of beach users to get their thoughts
and input. Following the Summit, the Commission will share a report of their
findings and recommendations with the Legislature, the Administration, DCR and
the public. It will serve as a roadmap for improving access and increasing
diversity, equity and inclusion on our public beaches going forward.
“The legislative and
community members of the Commission hope that this hearing will help us improve
the beach experience for people who do not speak English as their primary
language,” said Chris Mancini, Executive Director of Save the Harbor/Save the
Bay. “We are looking forward to working together with DCR, other state
agencies, and our beachfront communities to develop strategies to improve
access to these spectacular urban natural resources for people of all languages
and backgrounds.”
For more information about the MBC or the hearing, please contact
Save the Harbor's Executive Director Chris Mancini by email to mancini@savetheharbor.org
or on his cell at (617) 909-6667, or their Director of Strategy &
Communications Bruce Berman by email to bruce@bostonharbor.com
or on his cell at 617-293-6243.
You can access this release in your
language by using
the Google Translate button on the top left of your browser.
