Language Assistance Services

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. IDPH does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.

IDPH provides free language services assistance to people whose primary language is not English, to be used solely in conjunction with IDPH services.  Available resources include qualified interpreters and information written in more than 100 languages.

IDPH also provides free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us, such as qualified sign language interpreters.

See the information below on how you can access these services.

There are over 20 IDPH staff members who are fluent in Spanish and can communicate directly with the Spanish-speaking public. To ensure calls to IDPH are routed properly, a list of these staff members is maintained by the Office of Human Resources. Callers may contact Customer Service at 217-782-4977 or HR at 217-785-2031 and ask to be connected to a bilingual staff person.

IDPH can facilitate oral interpretation by telephone or in person. For interpretation by telephone, IDPH can provide a three-way phone call. Contact the IDPH Center for Minority Health Services at 217-524-6525 and ask to be connected with an interpreter by phone.

For interpretation at in-person events hosted by IDPH, contact the IDPH Office of Communications in Springfield at 217-557-2556 or in Chicago at 312-814-5278. Requests for in-person oral interpretation should be made at least six weeks in advance of the event. Individuals whose primary language is not English may also provide an interpreter of their own choosing at their own expense. This interpreter will be used as a supplement to the services provided by IDPH. Minor children only be used as interpreters in emergency situations. Using minors as interpreters can lead to errors, breach of confidential information, and emotional harm.

IDPH can translate documents into languages other than English. For larger documents, such as reports, brochures, fact sheets, contact the IDPH Center for Minority Health Services at 217-524-6525 and ask to have a document translated into the language of your choice. Requests for written translation take at least two weeks to be completed. For more urgent written translations, contact the IDPH Office of Communications in Springfield at 217-557-2556 or in Chicago at 312-814-4669. You can find existing translated documents and forms and publications on the IDPH website.

If you have questions, concerns, or feedback regarding interpreter sessions by phone, including the quality of the interpretation, contact the IDPH Center for Minority Health Services at 217-524-6525 or complete the agency’s Language Access Complaint form.

IDPH can provide interpretation services in American Sign Language (ASL) for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Requests for ASL interpretation should be made at least four weeks prior to when the services are needed.

IDPH can accept calls from individuals who use auxiliary aids and services for people with hearing impairments, including teletype (TTY) and telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD). Individuals using a TTY can reach IDPH at 800-547-0466. Illinois also has the Illinois Relay Center, a free service available 24 hours a day and seven days a week that allows people who are deaf, hard of hearing, speech-disabled, or deaf-blind to place and receive calls to standard telephone users via a keyboard or assistive device. 

If you have questions, concerns, or feedback regarding ASL interpretation, contact the IDPH Center for Minority Health Services at 217-524-6525 or complete the agency’s Language Access Complaint form.

Complaints may also be made to:

Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission (IDHHC)
Attn: Interpreter Complaint Department
528 S. 5^th St., Suite 209
Springfield, IL 62701

217-557-4495 (voice)
217-303-8010 (video)
888-261-2698 (TTY)
217-557-4492 (fax)

If you believe IDPH has failed to provide the services noted above or have been denied the benefits of this Language Access Plan, a complaint may be filed using the agency's Language Access Complaint form or by contacting the agency’s Language Access Plan Coordinator at dph.cmhs.info@illinois.gov. If you need help completing the form, contact the IDPH Center for Minority Health Services at 217-524-6525.

Complaints will be reviewed by the Language Access Plan Coordinator within 14 business days of receipt. If you are not satisfied with the response to your complaint or if you fail to receive a response, a complaint can be filed with the Office of New Americans.

If you feel you have been discriminated against in another way based on race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex, a grievance can be filed via the form linked above or by contacting the EEO/AA Office and ADA Coordinator at 217-558-0857.

You may also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, electronically through the Office of Civil Rights Complaint Portal or by email, mail, or phone at:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave., SW
Room 509F, HHH Building
Washington, DC 20201

800-386-1019
800-537-7697 (TDD)
OCRMail@hhs.gov