Making Government Agencies More Accessible with AI Translation

How North Las Vegas and San José are breaking language barriers with Wordly

Table of Contents:

• Why Language Access Matters in Government
• How Wordly Works: Real-Time, AI Translation
• North Las Vegas: A Community-First Rollout
• San José: From Cost Concerns to Civic Growth
• Addressing Misconceptions About AI Translation
• The Future of Language Access in Government
• Watch the Webinar + See Wordly in Action

In a world as diverse as ours, making government communication accessible to all is no longer optional, it’s essential.

That was the driving force behind our latest webinar, “Making Government Agencies More Accessible with AI Translation.” We brought together civic leaders from the City of North Las Vegas and the City of San José to discuss how they’re leveraging real-time AI translation to bridge language gaps and create more inclusive, engaging government experiences.

Here are the key insights and standout moments from the conversation.

Why Language Access in Government Matters

Nearly 68 million people in the U.S. speak a language other than English at home, according to recent census data. Government agencies are under increasing pressure to ensure that every resident, not just English speakers, can access services and participate in civic life.

“Language accessibility isn’t just a legal requirement anymore. It’s essential for serving our nation’s diverse population.” - Evan Mimms, Moderator

From federal mandates like Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, Quebec Bill 96, and the European Accessibility Act (EAA), to local accessibility laws, agencies have both a legal and moral imperative to act.

How Wordly Works: Real-Time, AI Translation

Wordly’s Co-Founder & COO, Kirk Hendrickson, kicked off the session by sharing how the platform enables real-time, simultaneous translation and transcription in over 60 languages—all powered by AI.

“With Wordly, you can create a session in under a minute and instantly make your meeting accessible in dozens of languages.” - Kirk Hendrickson, COO, Wordly

Highlights of Wordly’s capabilities include:

• Automatic language detection
• Custom glossaries for local terminology
• Dialect-aware speech recognition
• On-demand access via QR code, browser, or in-person displays
• No data sharing or training on customer input

“Your data is your data. We never use it to train our AI model or retain it in our system.” - Kirk Hendrickson, COO, Wordly

North Las Vegas: A Community-First Rollout

City Clerk Jackie Rodgers shared how North Las Vegas, where 42% of residents speak a language other than English, rolled out Wordly to support full community engagement.

They started with a soft launch, using the tool internally across all 14 city boards, commissions, and committees to build confidence and train staff. Once the team was ready, they hosted a hard launch to introduce the public—complete with Wordly representatives onsite and strong community turnout.

“It was thrilling to see how excited our community was… and it really pleased our council.” - Jackie Rodgers, City Clerk, North Las Vegas

Their outreach strategy included:

• A communications campaign via YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and X
• Posters and QR codes throughout council chambers and city buildings
• Preset translations for the 8 most spoken languages in the community
• Real-time translations on large-format displays at every meeting

San José: From Cost Concerns to Civic Growth

With just 41% of its population being English-only speakers, San José faced a similar challenge. They previously spent over $350,000 per year on interpretation for just two languages—and still encountered logistical hurdles and inconsistent service.

Switching to Wordly allowed them to:

• Cut translation costs by 75%
• Support 60+ languages on demand
• Eliminate scheduling stress with interpreters
• Reach new audiences through a Spanish-language YouTube channel

“Now people can participate in any language. They don’t have to plan ahead. Wordly is always there.” - Toni Taber, City Clerk, San José

Other benefits Toni highlighted:

• Custom glossary (e.g., ensuring “LUNA” never translates to “moon”)
• Bias-free translation (“There’s no spin.”)
• Improved transcript accuracy for meeting minutes

Addressing Misconceptions About AI Translation

Both Jackie and Toni addressed common concerns about Wordly head-on:

Looking Ahead: The Future of Language Access in Government

Both Jackie and Toni emphasized that this is just the beginning. Cities across the country are already expanding Wordly beyond council meetings into:

• Passport offices
• Public service desks
• Reception and visitor centers
• Emergency briefings and disaster response
• Education settings like school board meetings and parent-teacher nights

“You’ll see more organizations adopting this technology, and expanding it into every part of civic life.” - Jackie Rodgers, City Clerk, North Las Vegas

Want to See Wordly in Action?

Curious how cities like North Las Vegas and San Jose are using AI translation to connect with more residents, cut costs, and improve public engagement?

Watch the full webinar recording here to hear their stories firsthand.

Want to explore how Wordly can help your agency break down language barriers?

‍Schedule a personalized demo and see how real-time AI translation works in action—live, secure, and scalable.

Learn more about Wordly Government Translation solutions.