ACCESSIBILITY FOR NATIVE PEOPLES

Accessibility can mean many things, physical access, attitudinal access, and communication access. And for some that means providing information in different languages. Social Security Administration has published the new Tribal Consultation and Call to Action Plan. This is for people who primarily communicate in native languages. This multi-pronged approach was created following many discussions with Tribal leaders.

Members of the American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities upon request, can be provided free interpreters to people who speak Navajo, Choctaw, and Alaskan Native languages, to name a few. You can learn more about the free interpreter services here. They are committed to:

• Partnering with organizations to market SS information using TV monitors in clinics, Indian Health Service lobbies, senior citizen centers, and other facilities on or near Tribal communities.
• Producing posters to display in SS offices promoting the various ways SS can support native languages.
• Providing updates at the Office of Communications’ Quarterly Advocates meeting and asking for feedback on how to best support native languages.
• Continuing to conduct Tribal Listening Sessions at national conferences to measure their progress in Tribal communities.
• Releasing Dear Tribal Leader and Dear Urban Indian Organization Leader letters with up-to-date information about language support.
• Actively recruiting and hiring bilingual employees to better support our customers in their native languages. To learn more about their many Tribal resources, please visit their AIAN page.

For more information about the ADA contact:

Dana Gover, MPA, and ACTCP Certification, ADA Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator 

For more information about ADA Technical Assistance visit the NW ADA Center Idaho website: nwadacenter.org/idaho

Email:dananwadacenteridaho@gmail.com
Phone: Voice and Text 208-841-9422
Idaho Relay Service: 7