Language Access Is a Right, Not a Privilege
The First Amendment of the US Constitution protects our freedom of speech. This has enabled many to confidently voice their opinions and ideas, expressing themselves without hesitation. However, we cannot discuss freedom of speech without talking about the freedom to be understood and to understand. There is a term for this: Language Access.
Language Access means ensuring that people with limited English proficiency (LEP) can fully understand and take part in programs and services just as those who speak English fluently. For instance, if a person with LEP is at the doctor’s office, they have the right to have the services interpreted or translated into their language. However, things have changed recently.
The Shift
The Executive Order issued on March 1, 2025 making English the official language of the United States dealt a few blows to the policies that once protected language access, namely Executive Order 13166. In short, Executive Order 13166 required federal agencies and federally funded organizations to provide meaningful access to LEP individuals, ensuring interpreters and translators were available for everything from court hearings to doctor’s visits.
Now, with the new policy in place, agencies are no longer federally required to offer interpretation or translation services unless explicitly outlined in state laws or specific funding agreements. While the order does not outright ban the use of interpreters, it shifts the responsibility away from institutions, placing the burden of understanding on the individual, rather than ensuring access is built into the system.
Become a Language Access Advocate
In the midst of these changes, the good news is that you can be an advocate for language access. For organizations, we encourage you to consider a few things. Do your current services offer certified interpreting and translation instead of relying solely on bilingual staff? Are your LEP (Limited English Proficient) clients or patients receiving the same quality of service as English speakers? If the answer is no, then it’s time to reassess.
How We Ensure Language Access
What hasn’t changed is Kaplan Interpreting Services’ dedication to language access and providing quality interpreting and translation services. We offer over 200 languages, certified professionals, HIPAA compliance, virtual and remote support, and fast scheduling.
Everyone Deserves to Be Understood
Language access is about respect, safety, and equity, all of which are rights, not privileges. If you need help ensuring language access for your clients, patients, or team, contact us to learn more about our interpreting and translation services.
CEO & Founder
Born in Dallas, Texas, Alexandra grew up surrounded by Spanish, English, Arabic, and Italian. After moving to Venezuela, Spanish became her primary language. She holds a Master's in Healthcare Administration from Washington University in St. Louis and is a California court certified and medical interpreter.
She founded Kaplan Interpreting Services after seeing an industry that treated interpreters as interchangeable and clients as ticket numbers. She built a protocol-driven operation where every interpreter is hand-selected and credentialed for the specific setting, every client has a dedicated point of contact, and risk management is built into every assignment.
Her career reached a historic milestone when she interpreted the conversation between President-elect Biden and Pope Francis. That assignment, along with engagements for Nike and the Summit of the Americas, set the standard for every client engagement that followed.
"The same protocols that protected that historic conversation now protect every assignment we handle."