Limited English Proficiency Plan

MARC is committed to providing quality services to all people, including those who do not speak English as their primary language, and who have a limited ability to read, speak, write or understand English. These individuals may be considered limited English proficient, or LEP, and may be entitled to language assistance.

As a recipient of federal funds, MARC must take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access to its programs and activities by LEP persons. The U.S. Department of Transportation recommends analyzing the following four factors to determine the level and extent of language-assistance measures required within the metropolitan planning organization’s area of responsibility:

• The number or proportion of LEP persons eligible to be served or likely to be encountered by the program or grantee.
• The frequency with which LEP individuals come in contact with the program.
• The nature and importance of the program, activity or service provided by the program to people's lives.
• The resources available to the grantee/recipient or agency, and costs.

The intent of this guidance is to find a balance that ensures meaningful access by LEP persons to critical services while not imposing undue burdens on the agency. Specific steps to be taken, in terms of translation or language interpretation, will depend on the information gathered from U.S. Census and other data, from fieldwork with LEP individuals and the organizations that serve them, and from analysis of agency resources and the costs of providing language assistance.