FEMA SPEAKS YOUR LANGUAGE
[https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20211025/fema-speaks-your-language]


Release Date: 
October 25, 2021 

NEW YORK – FEMA provides translation and interpretation services in
order to reach out and communicate with disaster survivors who speak
little or no English. FEMA also has staff and technology to support
disaster recovery for those who are deaf, hard-of-hearing or have low
vision.

Translations are based on the U.S. Census and other demographic
research.

In New York, FEMA’s written translation services allow messaging to
be delivered in 25 languages: Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Burmese,
simplified Chinese, French, Greek, Gujarati, Haitian Creole, Hebrew,
Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Kirundi, Korean, Malay, Polish, Portuguese,
Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese and Yiddish.
Other languages could be added if the need arises.  

For the Hurricane Ida disaster in New York, FEMA also posts news
releases and fact sheets in 25 languages on its website, fema.gov
[https://fema.gov/disaster/4615]. And its telephone interpretation
service is able to communicate in 117 languages.

When calling the FEMA HELPLINE AT 800-621-3362, those who use Video
Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others should give
FEMA the number for that service. Helpline operators are available
from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Press 2 for Spanish. Press 3 for an
interpreter for other languages.

You can visit a Disaster Recovery Center and meet in person with FEMA
staff and representatives of other federal and state agencies who can
provide information about disaster assistance. FEMA staff are trained
in using the interpreter service.

A survivor who may have limited English proficiency will be shown a
language identification guide with the phrase “I Speak … ” in 69
languages. Disaster survivors can point to the language they
understand, and the FEMA representative can connect to an interpreter
who speaks that language. 

Disaster survivors who live in the following nine counties are
encouraged to apply for disaster assistance: BRONX, DUTCHESS, KINGS,
NASSAU, QUEENS, RICHLAND, ROCKLAND, SUFFOLK AND WESTCHESTER.

For the latest on New York’s Hurricane Ida recovery efforts, visit
fema.gov/disaster/4615 [http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4615]. Follow us
on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion2
[https://twitter.com/femaregion2] and facebook.com/fema
[https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=TeZUXWpUv-2B6TCY38pVLo9jw1V-2Bo5zjnJlDYvuv2Uss9fUVdD4qLUR5g5P6aeNyAlWOKN_LMDzpl4Nq0l0W7twxHuEzy-2BkxlPg1d7K-2BpAa67OMQF5aA3Z72-2FXM6Bwrk4PgC4ALq-2FN1KZFbq0dIvnjAHIkenOosVeIy4jryNdFhuuVQTvMNeSZQoq3SlT5fPNb9sLEVqccFjBpGLgekSvXV4V4hRGXKdRoDwH7rTrfqYkkwnBGBQ7mTam70ypCa7vTSGgQPx3VU-2BsGnPThHbfDLBkZWFlMiQwx8seofD3qtXHJlJ4IB4EF6LVlCG5HnEzQtAAkMrLOBTy9t4Vb7B3fmmefuNpMnUhT-2Fjwku7Jg2LYMW7EUDxOK70xI4UAjuhp332OxfRqkwLThQXmMBpNL4AL1zHZnUDpnOkYUu-2B-2BxUfTtmne8-3D].