Orange County NC Website
11 <br /> Attachment 2 <br /> Providing Meaningful Communication with Persons with Limited English Proficiency <br /> Orange County, North Carolina <br /> NC CDBG-CV Program <br /> January 2021—June 2023 <br /> The purpose of this Policy is to ensure compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, <br /> and other applicable federal and state laws and their implementing regulations with respect to persons <br /> with limited English proficiency(LEP). Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits <br /> discrimination based on the ground of race, color or national origin by any entity receiving federal <br /> financial assistance. Administrative methods or procedures, which have the effect of subjecting <br /> individuals to discrimination or defeating the objectives of these regulations, are prohibited. <br /> POLICY: <br /> The language below is from the Orange County Language Access Policy, approved by the Orange <br /> County Board of Commissioners on June 16, 2020: <br /> https.11www.oranzecountync.movIDocumentCenterIViewl]15651 <br /> I. Policy Statement <br /> It is the policy of Orange County to provide timely meaningful access for Limited English Proficiency <br /> ("LEP")persons to all Orange County government services,programs and activities.All language <br /> assistance services are free to all LEP individuals who requests language assistance services. <br /> II. Purpose and Authority <br /> The purpose of this policy is to establish effective guidelines, consistent with Title VI of the Civil Rights <br /> Act of 1964 and Executive Order 13166,for Orange County employees to follow when providing services <br /> to, or interacting with, individuals who have limited English proficiency("LEP"). Following this Policy is <br /> essential to the success of our mission to provide meaningful access to the LEP community to all Orange <br /> County services,programs and activities. <br /> III. Staff Compliance <br /> Orange County personnel shall provide free language assistance services to LEP individuals whom they <br /> encounter or whenever an LEP person requests language assistance services. Each County Department <br /> Director is responsible to ensure their respective departments have a Language Access Plan, LEP persons <br /> have access to the services their department provides, and to ensuring department staff receives training <br /> on providing language access services to the LEP community. <br /> IV. Definitions <br /> A. Bi-lingual staff—A staff person employed by Orange County who has demonstrated <br /> proficiency in English and reading,writing, speaking, or understanding at least one other <br /> language as authorized by his or her department. <br /> B. Interpretation—The act of listening to a communication in one language(source language) <br /> and orally converting it to another language (target language)while retaining the same <br /> meaning. C. <br /> C. Language Assistance Services—Oral and written language services needed to assist LEP <br /> individuals to communicate effectively with staff, and to provide LEP individuals with <br />