Language access audits that hold up to federal scrutiny

It is a structured review of how your organization serves people with limited English proficiency (LEP). We examine every touchpoint, from signage, websites, and phone lines to front-desk intake and clinical or program encounters, and compare what happens against federal requirements. You receive a report of the gaps, rated by risk, with a plan to fix them.

Any organization that receives federal financial assistance, including hospitals and clinics, state and local agencies, schools, courts, and many nonprofits, is expected to provide meaningful access for people with limited English proficiency. A written language access plan is the standard way to show how you do it, and it is usually the first document an investigator asks for.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on national origin by recipients of federal funds. Federal agencies interpret it to require reasonable steps to provide meaningful access for people with limited English proficiency, such as interpreters and translated vital documents, at no cost to them.

Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act applies civil rights protections to federally funded health programs. Its rules address qualified interpreters, translated documents, notices telling patients that free language assistance is available, and limits on relying on family members to interpret. Requirements depend on your organization, so confirm the details with your counsel.

A Letter of Findings is issued by a federal civil rights office, such as the Office for Civil Rights, at the end of an investigation. It describes any violations found and usually leads to a corrective action plan or resolution agreement. A current audit and language access plan help you avoid one, and help you respond quickly if you receive one.

A strong plan identifies the languages your community speaks, describes the interpreting and translation services you provide, explains how people are told that free help is available, sets out how staff are trained, and describes how the program is monitored and updated. We draft the plan around your organization’s real data and workflows.

Federal guidance asks organizations to weigh four factors when deciding what language services to provide: the number or proportion of people with limited English proficiency they serve, how often they come into contact with them, the nature and importance of the program or service, and the resources available. Our gap analysis documents this analysis using your regional LEP data.

Relying on family members, and especially children, is a common audit finding. Section 1557 rules restrict it except in emergencies or when the person asks, and untested bilingual staff may not meet the definition of a qualified interpreter. We review who interprets in your organization and help you put qualified interpreters in place.

Audits can involve patient and client records. We work in a secure environment, limit access to the people on your project, and our staff are bound by confidentiality agreements. Our compliance program runs on an ISO 9001 quality management system.

Yes. We provide over-the-phone, video, and on-site interpreting, ASL and CART, and certified translation of vital documents, so you can close the gaps the audit finds with one partner.