Language access is an issue of equity across all sectors of public life because it is essential to empowerment and self-determination. When refugee and immigrant communities have meaningful access to information and services in a language they can understand, they have the tools they need to make choices that are in their best interest, utilize fuller service benefits, and adapt more quickly to their new country and culture.
One of the first tools that newcomers reach for after resettlement is a driver’s license. For refugee and immigrant newcomers with limited English proficiency, getting a driver’s license in Virginia can take up to a year or more because the DMV does not provide the meaningful language access needed to prepare for the learner’s permit test and navigate the testing process.
For years, ReEstablish Richmond has educated and empowered our newest neighbors in the pursuit of transportation independence. Along the way, we have seen first-hand the inequities of language access that exist at the DMV. Running into these barriers over and over has led us to advocate for systemic changes.
In partnership with the Legal Aid Justice Center, we documented the realities of the situation in Barriers and Burdens: Lack of Language Access at the Virginia DMV Creates Roadblocks for Refugee and Immigrant Newcomers.
This report outlines the driver’s license process in Virginia, explains the overwhelming barriers to language access that newcomers experience while navigating this process, and presents specific, practical changes at the DMV to provide language equity for newcomers and improve the overall safety of Virginia’s roads.
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OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY
We believe that the same opportunities should be available to everyone, everywhere. Although the journey from surviving to thriving can take longer for those who have experienced displacement, resettled newcomers who are given the necessary information and the means to take action are empowered to pursue their goals at their own pace.
While working to connect our newest neighbors to resources that aid their integration, we also break down barriers that inhibit or prevent this connection.
As part of our commitment to equity, ReEstablish Richmond employs bilingual interpreters and translators to ensure that newcomers are able to communicate clearly, participate fully in our programming, and more equitably access the resources they need to rebuild their lives and integrate into their new communities.
Where our clients experience barriers that are too big and too broad for our programming to overcome, ReEstablish Richmond highlights the inequities as we have opportunity, educating others about the practical impact of these barriers and advocating for improvement.