Dina Titus wants translations for signs at US airports
WASHINGTON — ¿Donde esta el avion?
Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., filed a bill Thursday aimed at easing air travel for non-English-speaking travelers at McCarran International Airport and other U.S. airports.
The legislation, expected to be taken up and passed by a House committee next week, would require the Transportation Security Administration to translate signs and airport videos in other languages, as well as address the needs of people who are hearing- and visually impaired.
“You shouldn’t have to worry about missing a flight just because you don’t speak English,” said Titus, subcommittee chairwoman on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which has jurisdiction over the TSA.
The panel is expected to take up the Nevada Democrat’s bill next week. It has the endorsement of Chairman Peter DeFazio, D-Ore.
Roughly 65 million individuals in the United States older than 5 speak English with difficulty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Titus said an estimated 34 percent of Clark County residents speak a language other than English at home.
Las Vegas is an international tourist destination. Last year, 50 million passengers traveled through McCarran airport, according to Clark County figures. Titus said that, as an international city, Las Vegas and its international airport should be comfortable to “all residents and visitors alike.”
“Making signs at airports easier to understand for non-English speakers and those with vision impairments is common sense,” Titus said.
Contact Gary Martin at gmartin@reviewjournal.com or 202-662-7390. Follow @garymartindc on Twitter.
