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Language Access

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Welcome to the Language Access section.  This section provides resources and legal, demographic, and other materials to help improve and increase the access of people with limited English proficiency to the legal system, including to courts, administrative agencies, to other public systems, and to lawyers, other advocates, and legal services programs. It also contains information about how to use plain language tools to write more clearly in English.

Has your client experienced a time when information was not provided in his/her language by a state agency, school, court or other forum? The LAC is interested in collecting information about language access law violations in Massachusetts. If you have an incident to tell us about, even if you're not sure there was a violation of the law, click here to tell us more about it.  

LAC Mission: The Language Access Coalition promotes the right of all members of our community to access justice and public services regardless of their ability to read, write, speak or understand English. We are a group of Massachusetts advocates working to improve language access in the courts, government agencies and our own organizations.  We identify and work to remove systemic barriers facing limited English proficient individuals through collaboration and advocacy.

 

Latest Content

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Millions more Americans now have the right to vote in non-English languages

12/21/2021 - Gabe Osterhout and Lantz McGinnis-Brown - lock_open
Access to voting materials in a citizen’s native language helps boost involvement and voter turnout.

Working with an Interpreter

08/02/2010 - Legal Services of New Jersey - lock_open
In this video, you will learn some basic tips that will allow you to communicate effectively and easily through an interpreter with a... Read more

How to Use Zoom With Interpreting

06/11/2020 - Transcend - lock_open
Because of the coronavirus, many meetings are now on Zoom. If you are meeting with someone who speaks another language, you can use Zoom... Read more

Plain Language Guide: How to Incorporate Plain Language intoCourt Forms, Websites, and Other Materials

01/07/2019 - National Association for Court Management - lock_open
A comprehensive guide on how to incorporate plain language into court forms, legal information handouts, websites, and other... Read more