R.I. ACLU v. Rhode Island Department of Human Services

This was a formal administrative complaint filed with the Office of Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, claiming that DHS has failed to provide adequate interpreter services to clients with limited English proficiency.  Among other things, a resolution agreement set obligations and standards for DHS to follow to determine the linguistic needs of affected individuals and provide them appropriate interpreter services, to translate important agency documents into languages spoken by 5% of the population affected by DHS programs, to ensure that the language assistance provided to applicants and clients is timely, and to train employees of their obligations under the law.