Language Access Plan and Protocol Template

Date:
Author:
Moriah Nelson

Any organization that interacts with limited English proficient clients and populations should have a Language Access Plan & Protocol, especially if it receives federal funding (directly or indirectly). The purpose of a Language Access Plan & Protocol is to identify your organization's general plan for how it provides equal access to limited English proficient individuals and set in place procedures and protocol for staff to follow in order to implement the plan.

Attached is a sample template of a Language Access Plan & Protocol that was developed to be edited and adapted to fit the needs of your legal services organization. For more information about assessing language access needs, see DOJ's Language Access Assessment and Planning Tool. This is an example of what a Language Access Plan & Protocol can include, each organization's plan will look different based on the services provided and how the organization interacts with client populations. 

The Language Access Checklist for Agencies and Organizations was developed by Community Legal Services of Philadelphia and is a resource to identify what things your organization is already doing to be accessible to LEP populations and how to become more accessible.

Both documents are available for download below.