Overview
The language a person speaks should never be a barrier to justice. At the New York State Division of Human Rights, we are committed to serving all New Yorkers—regardless of the language they speak.
We provide free language access services, including interpretation services and vital document translation, in accordance with the New York State language access law.
The New York State Language Access Law
With over 800 languages and variants in New York State, millions of New Yorkers have a preferred language that is not English and who may not read, speak, write, or understand English well. These New Yorkers may face barriers to accessing important government programs and services. To begin removing those barriers, Governor Hochul signed legislation codifying and expanding New York State’s language access policy as part of the FY 2023 Enacted Budget.
Under the language access law, all State agencies that interact with the public must provide interpretation services in any language with respect to the provision of agency services or benefits, and must translate vital agency documents into the top 12 most commonly spoken non-English languages among LEP New Yorkers based on Census data.
Know Your Language Access Rights
The New York State Human Rights Law makes it illegal for employers, housing providers, educational institutions, places open to the public, and others to discriminate against you because of the language that you speak or because of how well you speak English. If this happens to you, report it to us by calling (844) 697-3471 and a trained agent will help you in your preferred language. For more information about reporting discrimination, visit our Report Discrimination page here.
Free Help in Your Language
We provide free interpretation services in any language for anyone who want to report discrimination. Call us at (844) 697-3471 and tell us your language. A trained agent will help you file a discrimination report.
We provide translations of important agency documents into the top 12 languages most spoke in the state. You can find our complaint form in these languages here: Español, 한국어 , русский, 中文, বাঙালি, Italiano, Kreyòl ayisyen, اردو, Język Polski, אידיש, Français, عربى.
You can find additional information and educational resources translated into your language here: Español, 한국어 , русский, 中文, বাঙালি, Italiano, Kreyòl ayisyen, Język Polski, אידיש, Français, عربى.
Discrimination Complaint Forms in Your Language
The easiest way to file a discrimination report in your preferred language is through our Call Center at (844) 697-3471. Upon calling, you will be directed to select your preferred language and be connected with an interpreter who will assist you in communicating with the Call Center agent, who will then ask you questions about your discrimination experience and submit a report for you. This helps you make sure that your report is clear and complete. This will help the rest of the process run more smoothly. When you’re done reporting, we’ll email you a copy for your records.
Help Us Serve You Better
If you experience difficulty accessing or issues when receiving language access services at the Division of Human Rights, you can file a complaint online. The form is available in many languages.
You can find the language access complaint form here.
The information that you provide on the online complaint form will help improve our language access services. Please note that this form asks you to provide contact information so that we can contact you to help address your complaint. All of your personal information will be kept confidential.
Website Language Translations
If you are using a desktop or laptop and would like to translate a website into your preferred language by changing your browser settings, visit NY.gov for directions.