"I Speak" Cards
In 2000, PALS for Health initiated an innovative 3-year community campaign to raise awareness and educate Limited English Language Proficient (LEP) patients about language rights. Many Lep health consumers are afraid to exercise their language rights for fear of retribution, and many do not have the language capability to say, "I need an interpreter for my health care appointment." In order to support LEP consumers' access to health care interpreters PALS for Health collaborated with several community-based organizations that have long established relationships with target ethnic groups to conduct a 30-minute workshop where health consumers were educated about:
PALS for Health developed the "I Speak" card as a tool for both the health consumer and health care staff. The purpose of this "I Speak" card was to enable the patient to ask for an interpreter him/herself, help health care staff immediately identify the language spoken by the patient, educate health care staff about Title VI, and the patient's need for an interpreter.
- Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964;
- Patients' legal right to request interpretation services from health care facilities;
- Roles and responsibility of health care facilities that accept federal financial assistance; and
- How to use the language identification card ("I Speak" card)
PALS for Health developed the "I Speak" card as a tool for both the health consumer and health care staff. The purpose of this "I Speak" card was to enable the patient to ask for an interpreter him/herself, help health care staff immediately identify the language spoken by the patient, educate health care staff about Title VI, and the patient's need for an interpreter.
