People who are not fluent in English have a right to an interpreter in many places, and options to enforce those rights.
Some common places that are required by law to provide interpreters are hospitals, public and charter schools, courts, public housing agencies, Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Veterans Administration, Unemployment Compensation, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and the county Department of Job and Family Services.
A person not fluent in English should ask for an interpreter when going to these agencies. If they do not provide an interpreter, ask for a supervisor or for a customer service representative. If they still do not provide an interpreter, a person has the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice. For more information, go to: https://www.justice.gov/crt/filing-complaint or call: (888) 848-5306 - English and Spanish (ingles y español); (202) 307-2222 (voice); (202) 307-2678 (TDD).
The police are also required to provide interpreters for people who are not fluent in English. In the City of Cleveland, if a law enforcement officer does not provide an interpreter while communicating with a constituent who is not fluent in English, that person can file a report with the Cleveland Police’s Office of Professional Standards and Civilian Police Review Board (OPS/CPRB). For more information go to: Office of Professional Standards or call: 216.664.2944. In addition to filing a complaint with OPS, a person also has the option to file a complaint with the DOJ for the denial of an interpreter by the police (see above DOJ contact info.). If the police force that denied service is one other than the City of Cleveland, the person can file their complaint with DOJ or check and see if there is a local option like in Cleveland.
What organizations in Northeast Ohio must provide you with an interpreter?
- ALL public and charter schools (NOT Catholic or other private schools)
- Public and subsidized housing agencies
- Social Security Administration
- Unemployment Compensation Agencies
- Welfare Office (County Department of Employment & Family Services)
- Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA)
- Courts
One of these agencies does not provide me with an interpreter or with a staff member who speaks my language. What do I do?
- Ask for an interpreter or to speak to a bilingual staff member
- Talk to a supervisor, customer services person, or ombudsman (person who hears complaints)
- File a complaint; most agencies have their own complaint form you can ask for over the phone, in-person, online, or by mail. Be sure to:
- Submit the complaint in writing (in English or your first language)
- Sign and date the complaint
- Keep a copy for your records
Next Steps
Contact Legal Aid. In some cases, Legal Aid may be able to help you when an agency has refused to use an interpreter to talk with you.