Promoting health equity through language access

Equity and equality. To many, these two words are practically interchangeable. But understanding the difference is crucial – especially when it comes to promoting health equity through your language access plan. As Caroline Belden, a writer for The Inclusion Solution, explains: “Equality is leaving the door open for anyone who has the means to approach it; equity is ensuring there is a pathway to that door for those who need it.” This distinction, while subtle, should not be understated. Equality means resources are distributed evenly across a group of people, while equity is focused on distributing those resources based on the needs of each individual. When creating a language access policy, many hospitals and health systems assume that providing access to interpretation services delivers an equitable experience. But that’s not always the case. In this post, we’ll explain why that approach misses the mark – and how you can develop organization-wide strategies to advance health equity. (author introduction)