Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, over 8% of the U.S. population, or more than 25 million Americans, have limited English proficiency, meaning they don't speak English as their main language and have limited ability to read, speak, write, or understand English. Those with limited English proficiency often face worse health care outcomes because of access and communication barriers.
Before we talk about language access plans, we must understand what exactly “limited English proficiency” means.
Click on the headings below to learn more.
People with LEP speak English less than very well and speak a language other than English at home.
That means people with LEP may speak English well, not well, or not at all.
This may mean that even if someone speaks English well, when faced with a traumatic situation like that in the video on the previous page, they may struggle to find or understand words in English and prefer to get information in a different language.