A major effort ATA’s PR Committee has undertaken this year is the creation of a Language Access Card for limited-English-proficient (LEP) individuals to exercise their right to a translator or interpreter. The committee felt that with the many challenges to language access this year in particular, it was important for ATA to speak up and speak out, not only for its members but for the communities we serve.
The card is designed so that LEP individuals can carry it in their wallets or on their phones. The front of the card indicates to the English-speaking provider or recipient of the card what the LEP is requesting, in what language, and how to find a translator or interpreter easily in ATA’s online Language Services Directory.
The back of the card is for the LEP individual to get a basic understanding of their rights in their language and access more resources on the ATA website’s Language Access page. The PR Committee plans to continue building out the resources on this page with more helpful content and translations over time.