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. Before we talk about language access plans, it’s important to understand what exactly “limited English proficiency” means. Click on the headings below to learn more.
Individuals with LEP speak English less than very well and speak a language other than English at home.
That means individuals 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 previous video, they may struggle to find or understand words in English and prefer to get information in a different language.