Compliance FAQ: language access & accessibility.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibits national-origin discrimination by recipients of federal financial assistance, which federal guidance and Executive Order 13166 interpret to require meaningful access for limited-English-proficient (LEP) individuals — through interpretation and translated vital documents proportionate to need.

It's the framework federal LEP guidance uses to decide what language assistance is reasonable: (1) the number/proportion of LEP people served, (2) how often they interact with your program, (3) the importance of the service, and (4) the resources available. It drives what you translate and interpret, not a blanket 'translate everything' rule.

Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act requires covered health programs to take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to LEP patients using qualified interpreters and translated materials — not untrained staff, family members, or minors.

Under Title VI, the EEOA, IDEA, and Title III, districts must communicate essential information to LEP parents in a language they understand — including interpretation for IEP meetings and translation of parent notices.

The DOJ's ADA Title II rule requires state and local government web content and mobile apps to meet WCAG 2.1 AA. Following a 2026 extension, entities serving 50,000 or more people have until April 26, 2027, and entities under 50,000 (and special district governments) until April 26, 2028.

The HHS Section 504 rule requires recipients of HHS federal financial assistance to make web content and mobile apps meet WCAG 2.1 AA. Following a 2026 extension, recipients with 15 or more employees have until May 11, 2027, and smaller recipients until May 10, 2028.

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires federal agencies (and, in practice, their contractors and vendors) to make electronic and information technology accessible. It's an ongoing obligation, commonly measured against WCAG 2.1 AA.

Yes. Web pages get the attention, but the PDFs and Office documents an organization has published are covered too — they must be tagged, navigable, and usable by assistive technology (the PDF/UA standard).

A certified translation is accompanied by a signed statement attesting the translation is complete and accurate. USCIS requires this under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3); most courts, schools, and licensing boards expect it too.

No. Certification is the translator's signed statement of accuracy; notarization only verifies the signer's identity and does not vouch for the translation. Some offices require both — confirm with the requesting agency.

No. Machine translation produces no accountable certification and frequently mishandles names, formatting, and legal terminology. Official filings need a certified human translation.