This webinar took place on Thursday, June 22, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. PT/2:00 p.m. ET – 11:45 a.m. PT/2:45 p.m. ET

The complex and paperwork-intensive process of applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security disability benefits can be daunting for everyone. For individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP), language access is an additional barrier that can make this process even more daunting. Efforts to improve language access should happen at multiple levels, such as by providing more forms and notices in non-English languages, extending SSI eligibility to more LEP individuals, and reviewing the Social Security Administration’s current language access systems and data in order to make improvements.

This webinar, Access to SSI – Improving Language Access for SSI and Social Security Beneficiaries, will provide a brief outline of how language access works for SSI and Social Security applicants and beneficiaries, and offer specific proposals to reduce barriers to access in this area. The webinar expands on our issue brief released this past fall, Improving Language Access for SSI and Social Security Beneficiaries.

Presenters:
Tracey Gronniger, Managing Director, Economic Security, Justice in Aging
Trinh Phan, Director, State Income Security, Justice in Aging