PREPARED BY: Communications
DATE: 2026-05-14
SUBJECT: Language Supports and the French Language Services Act
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) serves a culturally diverse community with residents who speak a variety of languages. When people cannot easily read, hear, or speak the same language as service providers, it can slow down care and limit access to important health information. This report, and the corresponding Auxiliary report, explains the language supports utilized at the WECHU such as interpretation, translation, and designated bilingual staff. These supports help reduce barriers and deliver services that are clear, inclusive, and client centred.
A key part of this work is meeting the requirements of Ontario’s French Language Services Act (FLSA). The FLSA is Ontario’s foundational legislation guaranteeing the right for clients to receive provincial government services in French in designated regions, such as Windsor and Essex County. The Act ensures that French services are available from the first point of contact through to service completion. In 2025, the WECHU secured grant funding to improve compliance to the Act. Improvements included the addition of a French phone system menu, installing multilingual wayfinding signs in the Windsor office, providing French writing software to designated staff, and giving clerical staff access to phone interpretation for incoming calls.
Overall, the WECHU remains committed to fostering equitable, accessible, and culturally responsive public health services for residents of our community. As we continue strengthening our alignment with the FLSA and expanding multilingual resources across programs, the WECHU is well‑positioned to further enhance access to our services. Next steps include offering FLSA education to staff and Board of Health members, exploring bilingual voicemail options, and creating internal processes to support our Francophone clients. The corresponding Auxiliary report contains full details on the language supports and their utilization, as well as the WECHU’s continued work towards the FLSA.