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e) Ridership surveys;and <br /> 0 Operator surveys. <br /> Factor 3: Determine the Importance to LEP Persons of Your Program Activities and <br /> Services. <br /> Generally speaking,the more important the program,the more frequent the contact and the <br /> likelihood that language services will be needed. The provision of public transportation is a vital <br /> service,especially for people without access to personal vehicles. 5310 regional planning <br /> activities will impact every person in a region. Development of a coordinated plan to meet the <br /> specific transportation needs of seniors and people with disabilities will often also meet the needs <br /> of LEP persons. A person who is LEP may have a disability that prevents the person from using <br /> fixed route service, thus making the person eligible for ADA complementary paratransit. Transit <br /> providers, States,and 5310s must assess their programs,activities and services to ensure they are <br /> providing meaningful access to LEP persons. Facilitated meetings with LEP persons are one • <br /> method to inform the recipient on what the local LEP population considers to be an essential <br /> service, as well as the most effective means to provide language assistance. <br /> Factor 4: Determine the Resource Available to the Recipient and Costs. <br /> Resource and cost issues can often be reduced by technological advances, reasonable business <br /> practices, and the sharing of language assistance materials and services among and between <br /> recipients,advocacy groups, LEP populations and Federal agencies. Large entities and those <br /> entities serving a significant number of LEP persons should ensure that their resource limitations <br /> are well substantiated before using this factor as a reason to limit language assistance. <br /> Developing a Language Assistance Plan. <br /> After completing the Four Factor Analysis, the recipient shall use the results of the analyses to <br /> determine which language assistance services are appropriate. Additionally,the recipient shall <br /> develop an assistance plan to address the identified needs of the LEP population(s) it serves. <br /> USDOT's LEP Guidance recognizes that certain recipients, such as those serving very few LEP <br /> persons or those with very limited resources,may choose not to develop a written plan. <br /> However,FTA has determined it is necessary to require its recipients to develop an assistance <br /> plan in order to ensure compliance. A recipient may formally request an exemption from this <br /> requirement if it believes it fits within the exception described. <br /> Recipients have considerable flexibility in developing a Language Assistance Plan, or LEP Plan. <br /> An LEP Plan shall,at a minimum: <br /> a) Include the results of the Four Factor Analysis, including a description of the LEP <br /> population(s)served; <br /> b) Describe how the recipient provides language assistance services by language; <br /> c) Describe how the recipient provides notice to LEP persons about the availability of <br /> language assistance; <br /> 29 <br />