New tool makes driver’s test prep accessible for Spanish-speaking Kansans

By: Noah Taborda - July 28, 2020 2:31 pm

The Kansas driver’s test tool is the first of its kind to offer English and Spanish options. (Kansas Department of Revenue)

Spanish-speaking Kansans can practice for their driver’s test in their first language by using a newly developed Alexa skill.

The tool, released by the Kansas Department of Revenue in partnership with the Information Network of Kansas, is the first driver’s license practice test in the nation to accommodate both English and Spanish speakers.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, limited-English-speaking families make up 24.7% of Kansas households.

“Expanding this service helps us provide a driver’s practice exam to more people while increasing awareness of roadway safety in Kansas,” said revenue secretary Mark Burghart. “In addition, this tool helps deliver the practice curriculum in a manner suited for audio-visual learners.”

The Alexa skill originally was released in English in 2019 and is now available for Spanish speakers on Amazon.

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Noah Taborda

Noah Taborda started his journalism career in public radio at KBIA in Columbia, Missouri, covering local government and producing an episode of the podcast Show Me The State while earning his bachelor’s degree in radio broadcasting at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Noah then made a short move to Kansas City, Missouri, to work at KCUR as an intern on the talk show Central Standard and then in the newsroom, reporting on daily news and feature stories.