Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of national origin has been interpreted by courts to include discrimination on the basis of English proficiency. Under Title VI recipients are required to provide Limited English Proficiency (LEP) individuals with meaningful access to their programs and services. Providing "meaningful access" will generally involve some combination of oral interpretation services and written translation of vital documents.

LEP refers to persons who are unable to communicate effectively in English because their primary language is not English and they have not developed fluency in the English language. A person with Limited English Proficiency may have difficulty speaking or reading English. An LEP person may also need documents written in English translated into his or her primary language so that person can understand important documents related to health and human services. Information on the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization's work in the area of nondiscrimination on the basis of national origin can be found beginning on page 29 of the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization's adopted Public Involvement Policy (PIP).