Announcing the Language Access Rights Initiative

The Language Access Rights Initiative (LARI) is a collaborative effort between Partnership for Community Action (PCA), the New Mexico Asian Family Center (NMAFC) and Valley Community Interpreters (VCI) to educate and inform the Limited English Proficient (LEP) communities on their legal rights to access to language services.

The objective of the Language Access Rights Initiative (LARI) is to increase access to health and community services for Limited English Proficient (LEP) families and their children by educating and informing parents and community members of their right to language access afforded by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act states: “No person in the United States shall, on ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, or be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." Federal financial assistance today is granted to services in multiple sectors of our society beyond healthcare.