10 Tips to ImproveYour Agency's 
Language Access 

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number 1
KNOW YOUR LEGAL OBLIGATIONS 

Learn about Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and Executive Order 
13166, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans 
with Disabilities Act (ADA). 

Number 2
TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR LANGUAGE 
ACCESS PLAN AND POLICIES 
Do you have a plan? Does it address how you provide access for 
both survivors with limited English proficiency and Deaf survivors? 
Does the plan address language access after business hours? 

Number 3
DON'T FORGET ABOUT ACCESS FOR 
WRITTEN MATERIALS 
Do you have written materials already translated into the most 
commonly used languages? Do you provide interpreters to 
go over these materials with survivors? 

Number 4
BUDGET FOR ACCESS 
Does your budget include line items for spoken 
language interpretation, American Sign 
Language interpretation, and translation? 

Number 5
UPDATE YOUR PLAN AND POLICIES 
What's working? What's not? Have you received feedback from 
survivors on your language access? How can you improve the plan 
based upon this feedback? 

Animation of an east Asian woman who is the CFO, sitting at her desk with budget papers. Graphs and charts are floating around her.

Number 6
Number 7
MAKE SURE STAFF KNOW YOUR PLAN 
AND POLICIES 
  
Have all staff received a copy of your updated language access plan and policies?Have you trained staff on the plan recently?

DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS 
WITH QUALIFIED INTERPRETERS 

Do you know who to call for spoken language and American Sign Language interpreting services? Have you already negotiated rates and have a contract in place for these services?

Number 8
NUTURE YOUR 
COMMUNITY 
CONNECTIONS 

Do you have connections at community agencies serving survivors with limited English proficiency and Deaf victims? Have you conducted community outreach?

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Number 9
Number 10
RECOGNIZE WHEN INTERPRETATION 
ISN'T WORKING 

Does the survivor seem confused? Is there a mismatch between the questions being asked and the answers being given?
Check in with them. You may need to request a different interpreter.

DON'T...

As a general practice, use children, family members, friends, or other program participants as interpreters--use qualified interpreters!

Learn more at reachingvictims.org 

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