This issue explores a shift happening quietly across public systems: "Language access is beginning to be treated not as a courtesy we extend when convenient, but as critical infrastructure we plan for, document, and maintain." Not because it sounds progressive, but because reactive approaches keep failing the people who need help most.

If you look closely at the story of the United States, you'll see that multilingualism wasn't something that appeared later. It was baked in from the start, shaped by treaties, invasions, migrations, and expansions that brought hundreds of languages into contact.

If you've been following global language-access trends, you know the UAE is becoming one of the world's most multilingual business hubs. But here's the twist: the UAE does not have a Title VI, an EO 13166, or a "Section 1557" equivalent. No one is using the phrase "LEP services." There's no umbrella law that triggers language obligations.

I often use this analogy when I speak about language access: "If English is the stairs, then language access is the ramp." Because in our society, English isn’t just a language. It’s the default pathway. The policies, the forms, the systems are all designed with an assumption that everyone can “climb the stairs.” But for millions of people across the U.S., those stairs might as well be a wall.

When we talk about equitable healthcare, we often focus on insurance coverage, workforce diversity, or access to preventive care. Yet, the most fundamental requirement for health equity is simpler: patients must be able to understand and be understood.

This is the first edition of The Access Point, Equal Access Language Services’ monthly newsletter. Our goal is simple: to shine a light on how language access shapes equity, safety, and justice in every public service — from hospitals to schools to courts.