Press Release

The Language Access Toolkit is a manual created by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), which houses the National Asian American Education Advocates (NAAEA), to guide community-based youth programs in their efforts to obtain equal linguistic access to kindergarten through 12th grade public education. Crafted in collaboration with Asian American education advocates and youth service providers, the manual addresses the urgent civil rights violation of schools failing to provide language access to education, which disengages parents and students alike in the process.

The manual includes a basic introduction to federal and state laws on access to education, as well as strategies and sample materials to use in community organizing and advocacy campaigns for improved interpretation and translation infrastructures. It shows students and community-based organizations how to tailor their campaigns to their unique environments and specific needs.

Our goal in releasing this manual is to share the expertise and experiences of NAAEA member organizations with other community organizations interested in developing language access campaigns. We hope it offers a solid starting point for other Asian American and immigrant communities fighting full and equitable access to the public education system.

Download the Language Access Toolkit >

Contact:

Ujala Sehgal
212.966.5932 x217
usehgal@aaldef.org