Small City Government Case Study

Why don't traditional interpreters work for diverse city council meetings?

Providing interpreters only when residents requested them proved inefficient for a city as linguistically diverse as Sunnyvale, where nearly 60% of residents speak a language other than English at home and there is no single predominant language. The request-based model fell short for three reasons:

• Disrupted conversations: pauses during interpretation broke the flow of conversation‍
• Lost tone: because interpretation wasn't simultaneous with the speaker, tone often failed to carry over, making it harder for residents to understand the nuances of discussions.‍
• High costs: hiring multiple interpreters to cover a range of languages was expensive and often impractical, especially when language needs varied from meeting to meeting.

"We knew our traditional interpretation model wasn't working for a city as linguistically diverse as Sunnyvale," said David Carnahan, City Clerk. "It was expensive, inconsistent, and can leave residents feeling like outsiders in their own community meetings."

The stakes were clear in City Council and commission discussions. A Spanish-speaking Human Relations Commission member, without real-time translation, faced barriers to fully engaging in live commission discussions, which withheld valuable perspectives from both the Commission and the City. "Too often, residents who didn't speak English fluently were sidelined," said Fernanda Perdomo-Arciniegas, Equity, Access, and Inclusion Manager. "It wasn't intentional, but without the right tools, they were disconnected and left without a meaningful way to contribute to the decisions affecting their lives."

How can cities provide real-time translation at public meetings?

Sunnyvale adopted Wordly in July 2023 to create a truly inclusive environment where every resident could actively engage in public meetings, regardless of the language they spoke. The benefits to Sunnyvale include:

• Expanding the Voice of the City with Multilingual Leadership: Wordly enables translation that not only supports bilingual leaders but also expands the voice of the City by allowing more presenters to communicate in their preferred language.‍‍
• ‍Authentic, Multilingual Communication: Wordly delivers seamless live translation in dozens of languages, including Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Hindi - so all Sunnyvale residents can fully engage in discussions. Beyond just words, it captures nuances, preserving context and promoting deeper understanding and empathy across language barriers.‍
• Uninterrupted Communication Flow: Translation in real time, ensuring that the pace of the meeting continued without disruption or delay.‍
• Unified Experience for Every Participant: The ability to keep all residents in the same room ensures that no one feels excluded based on their language.‍
• Effortless Setup and Accessibility: Wordly integrates seamlessly into meetings, providing real-time translation from the start. Residents can simply scan a QR code to access translations on their personal devices, such as smartphones and tablets, ensuring everyone stays engaged without disruptions, French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, and Thai.

Does AI translation increase civic participation in local government?

Sunnyvale adopted Wordly in July 2023 to create a truly inclusive environment where every resident could actively engage in public meetings, regardless of the language they spoke. The benefits to Sunnyvale include:

• Stronger Representation in Leadership: Wordly has enriched the diversity of perspectives shaping Sunnyvale. For example, a Spanish-speaking Commissioner can now engage fluently during meetings, offering insights, raising questions, and responding to colleagues without delay. The result is a more inclusive, multilingual environment that mirrors a mini ‘United Nations Council,’ fostering equity, representation, and diverse leadership.‍
• Cost Savings: The City saves up to 55% compared to the costs of hiring multiple interpreters. This reduces taxpayer expenses while expanding service.‍
• Empowered Participation: More residents feel included and engaged, with the ability to participate in real time. Civic participation is growing among non-English-speaking residents, who now feel they have a voice in how decisions are made and issues are debated.‍

“Many of our residents have said this is the first time they feel like they truly have a say in the decisions shaping their community,” said Perdomo-Arciniegas. “It’s not just about understanding the conversation; it’s about being part of it. This effort is transforming the way our community sees local government: not as something removed or out of reach, but as something they can participate in.”

“Wordly has made it possible for us to serve more residents,” said Carnahan. “We’ve significantly reduced the logistical and financial burdens of live interpretation without sacrificing quality or inclusivity. It’s a smarter, more efficient way to run our meetings and engage our diverse community.”

Does AI translation help cities meet Title VI language access requirements?

Yes. Wordly supports Sunnyvale's compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by strengthening both its Language Access Plan (LAP) and Public Participation Plan (PPP), making public engagement more inclusive, equitable, and accessible. By providing real-time translation in dozens of languages at City Council and commission meetings, Wordly helps the City serve residents who speak a language other than English and give them a meaningful way to take part in local government.

‍Future: Sunnyvale’s Vision for the Future: Smarter Engagement, Stronger Communities with Wordly

Sunnyvale is committed to expanding Wordly’s use beyond City Council and Human Relations Commission meetings. The City is looking into adding Wordly to create more engaging activities, reinforcing its dedication to inclusive and accessible governance.

Looking ahead, Sunnyvale aims to leverage Wordly more to understand engagement patterns among its multilingual communities, making smarter policy decisions that better reflect the needs of all residents.

With Wordly, Sunnyvale is proving that AI-powered translation can do more than just translate words. Wordly empowers voices, bridges divides, and creates an empathetic, inclusive community where every resident’s voice is heard and respected.

About Sunnyvale, CA

Sunnyvale is the heart of Silicon Valley and the largest city in the Bay Area. It’s a center of technology and innovation, but also a town of quiet family neighborhoods, strong schools and a diverse community of people. The city has 26 parks; facilities for golf, tennis and swimming; a library; and an arts complex.

Sunnyvale’s historic downtown is home to a variety of local eateries and merchants, hosts frequent art festivals, concerts and a year-round farmers’ market. Sunnyvale has almost 11,000 local businesses that provide a rich mixture of goods and services, including many icons in tech, manufacturing, retail, and R&D.

About Wordly

Wordly is the pioneer and leader in live interpretation, providing a high-quality, secure, easy-to-use, and affordable live AI translation and caption solution for communicating across multiple languages. Wordly translates dozens of languages in real time, making in-person and virtual meetings and events more inclusive, accessible, and engaging.

Its SaaS platform meets enterprise-grade security and privacy standards and eliminates the need for human interpreters or special equipment. Millions of users across thousands of organizations rely on Wordly to make their events and meetings accessible to everyone.

See it in action – book a personalized demo.