Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. It ensures that all individuals have equal access to services, benefits, and opportunities funded by the federal government. In the context of health care, education, and social services, Title VI requires recipients of federal funds to take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access for individuals with limited English proficiency, helping eliminate barriers and promote equity across diverse communities.
28 C.F.R. § 42.405(d)(1) (1976): “Where a significant number or proportion of the population eligible to be served or likely to be directly affected by a federally assisted program . . . needs service or information in a language other than English in order effectively to be informed of or to participate in the program, the recipient shall take reasonable steps, considering the scope of the program and the size and concentration of such population, to provide information in appropriate languages to such persons. This requirement applies with regard to written material of the type which is ordinarily distributed to the public.”