Language Access Rights Background

Many immigrants and refugees are not aware of their legal rights with respect to interpretation/translation services. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Presidential Executive Order 13166 of 2000, “Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency,” stipulate that all programs that receive Federal Financial Assistance must provide interpretation/translation services to their Limited English Proficient (LEP) clients/patients at no cost. Similarly, the “No Child Left Behind” regulations require that schools communicate with parents in an appropriate way.

What We Do

Culture Connect, Inc. works to inform and educate LEP individuals about their legal rights to free interpretation/translation services from any entity in the United States that receives federal funding, following the above legislation. Without interpreters these individuals often receive no, or sub-standard, medical, educational, and legal services and protection. We work with our interpreters, as well as with bi- (or multi-) lingual community members to spread the word and to educate LEP individuals about their rights.

We provide education regarding Language Access throughout the Metropolitan Atlanta area in a variety of ways:

• By educating our interpreters about Title VI federal legislation, and by encouraging them to inform the clients/patients for whom they interpret, as well as their own family and community members, about LEP rights;
• By inviting our interpreters and other bi-lingual/bi-cultural representatives to speak to LEP community members;
• By speaking and/or providing information to cultural and ethnic organizations around the Metro-Atlanta area about LEP individuals’ rights; and
• By distributing dual language “I Speak” Cards with printed information about Title VI legal requirements and the need for an interpreter, in English and Arabic, Somali, Vietnamese, Korean, Mandarin, Turkish, Russian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Bosnian. (Additional language translations will be added.)

Culture Connect, Inc. also advocates on behalf of LEP individuals by educating health care providers and educators/school administrators (i.e., entities that receive federal funding) about their responsibilities under Title VI and No Child Left Behind legislation to provide interpretation and translation services free of charge to LEP individuals. We also educate health care providers and educators/school systems about the relevance and importance of providing culturally-sensitive and appropriate services, as well as the skills to do so.

Culture Connect, Inc. staff facilitates such education on an ongoing basis by:

• Providing written materials to health care providers and educators/school administrators;
• Offering workshops and presentations around the Metro Atlanta area to health care providers and educators/school administrators; and
• Attending association and organizational meetings of relevant professionals (i.e., social workers, health care providers, agency representatives) to network and to share information about the importance of providing interpretation and translation services.

For more information or to request a Culture Connect, Inc. staff member to conduct a presentation to your LEP clients, ESOL students, or your staff, please contact us.

Both the Office of Minority Health and the Office for Civil Rights are also strong advocates for the rights of LEP clients.