Limited-English speakers struggle to access and receive appropriate health care in D.C.’s hospitals and clinics, a new report finds. Of the 72 limited-English-speaking community members surveyed by the D.C. Language Access Coalition, about half of whom were uninsured, many told stories of trouble accessing medical services. The District’s population includes about 27,000 people who acknowledge speaking poor English, according to the 2008 American Community Survey.
The study’s subjects struggled to communicate their concerns and understand the instructions of their providers. They spoke of having appointments canceled because no interpreter was available, of being “left for last” while waiting for care, of struggling to have questions answered over the phone, and of not having access to important forms and documents in their native language.
