We always hear about the United States being a country of immigrants because ancestors from countries all around the world came to America for a new life. Despite the growing immigration debate the United States remains a country of immigrants and some of those immigrants speak English as a second language or don’t speak English at all. It is hard to imagine how difficult it would be to communicate on a daily basis in American without the ability to speak English let alone access government services like Social Security. Luckily Social Security has many different interpreter programs in place that allows those who speak little to no English to communicate and access government programs. Below is a summary from Social Security of the different programs Social Security offers to those who face a language barrier.
How to Request a Reasonable Accommodation
Social Security is committed to communicating effectively with the public, which includes providing meaningful access to all SSA activities, programs, facilities, and services to persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. We will provide you, free of charge, with a reasonable accommodation that enables you to participate in, and enjoy the benefits of, Social Security programs and activities. We cannot provide individually prescribed devices or other personal devices, such as hearing aids or cochlear implants.
You may request a reasonable accommodation for an upcoming appointment by calling us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 or 1-800-325-0778 (TTY), between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. You may also write or visit your local Social Security office. We currently provide several reasonable accommodation options to ensure that we communicate effectively with you, including:
- a certified and qualified sign language interpreter;
- handwritten notes;
- lip-reading or speech reading; and
- telephone devices for the deaf (TDD or TTY).
You may use your own interpreter, such as a family member, friend, or other third party. However, we will only pay for an interpreter that we hire. Generally, we cannot permit a child younger than age 18 to serve as an interpreter due to the sensitive nature and complexity of Social Security matters.
