Understanding the Data
Language data is not always exact. The following are some limitations to the way the American Community Survey (ACS) collects data.
- Many languages are grouped together. For example, ‘Swahili and other languages of Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa’ can include up to 1,000 different languages.
- Languages do not reflect written languages.
- American Sign Language (ASL) is grouped with English even though ASL and English are two different languages.
Better data on languages helps improve access to key services. To learn more about languages most frequently encountered in health care facilities, read the MassHealth Language Action Plan.