Orange County NC Website
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://www. oranzecountync. zov/DocumentCenter/View/115651 <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 />