Horizon Credit Union – Language Assistance Plan (LAP)
Horizon Credit Union (Horizon) is dedicated to fostering financial inclusion and community development. This plan focuses on providing equitable access to financial resources for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP).
Introduction
Acknowledging the potential diversity of the linguistic landscape, Horizon underscores the significance of linguistic accessibility. This plan emphasizes our commitment to serving all members of our community, irrespective of language proficiency. The purpose of this Language Access Plan is to make reasonable efforts to eliminate or reduce English proficiency as a barrier to accessing Horizon products, services, and programs.
Language Assistance Plan
Horizon affirms its commitment to language assistance, ensuring that LEP individuals have equal access to financial services. This commitment aligns with the principles of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, emphasizing nondiscrimination in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.
Horizon employees shall take reasonable steps to provide LEP individuals with meaningful access to all products, services, and programs offered by Horizon.
Horizon Credit Union shall take reasonable steps to effectively inform the public of the availability of language accessible programs and activities.
Identification of Language Needs
To identify language needs, Horizon reviews census data, our communities, and our membership to track language preferences of members. This proactive approach enables us to tailor our language assistance services to the unique needs of our communities.
Language Assistance Services
Horizon will provide the following language assistance services, with a primary focus on Spanish:
Translation Services
- ATM transactions are offered in English and Spanish.
- Key development services documents such as financial education materials are primarily in English but can be translated as needed.
- Key documents, such as applications, disclosures, and marketing materials will be translated as needed.
Implementation Plan
To seamlessly integrate language assistance services into our operations, Horizon will:
Staff Responsibilities
- Designate specific staff members responsible for language assistance services.
- Management will oversee the implementation and maintenance of language services.
Feedback Mechanism
- Establish a system for collecting feedback on language services.
- Regularly assess and improve language assistance efforts based on community input.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Horizon will employ regular assessments and feedback analysis to monitor the effectiveness of language assistance services. The results will inform adjustments to the plan to better meet the needs of any LEP persons.
Compliance and Reporting
To ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, Horizon will maintain thorough records of language assistance activities and provide timely reports to the CDFI Fund and other regulatory bodies.
Horizon is dedicated to promoting financial inclusion through linguistic accessibility, primarily for the Spanish-speaking community. We believe that the successful implementation of this Language Assistance Plan will contribute to building a more inclusive and thriving community.
