Why Is Language Access Vital
According to the Migration Policy Institute, in 2022 there were more than 46 million foreign born New Americans legally living in the US, who have come here for varying reasons, including for being displaced because of national disasters, because they are being persecuted, or because they are fleeing armed conflict. Learning a language – such as English – takes a long time, and it is an impossible expectation to ask of someone when they are running for their life.
The unprecedented growth of limited English proficient (LEP) individuals over the last 50 years, has created a communication crisis that affects both newcomers and host communities alike, as they engage in conversations about their needs such as education, finances, health, and safety.
Public transportation in Tennessee is limited and, in a vast number of areas, nonexistent. One must drive to work, drive to buy food, drive to take a sick child to the hospital, and drive to pick up medication for an elderly parent.
Not being able to legally drive means crippling an individual’s opportunity – and their family’s - to be self-sufficient, and thwarting their chance to become productive members of our society.
Additionally, not being able to appropriately communicate when serving those who are LEP, means not being able to perform one’s job at the expected level.