Ohio Legal Help, a Foundation grantee that leverages technology and innovation to help all Ohioans access the civil justice system, first expanded its content to a broader community when it launched a Spanish version of the site in 2022. Now, the nonprofit has added new content and a self-help tool for recent arrivals from Ukraine, further expanding access to immigration and benefits resources.
“As more Ukrainians make Ohio their home, we recognized a need to expand our content,” said Ohio Legal Help Executive Director Susan Choe. “We were pleased to work with experts in the Ukrainian community to develop resources that will help Ukrainians living in Ohio address their legal challenges.”
An estimated 47% of Ukrainians have limited English proficiency, with Ukrainian and Russian as the most common first languages spoken. Other languages used by Ukrainians include Polish and German. Ohio Legal Help implemented a multi-language translation of its entire site to accommodate the multiple languages used by Ukrainians.
In addition, as part of Ohio Legal Help’s commitment to digital inclusion, it implemented a text-to-speech integration to remove barriers to access for Ukrainian users with low literacy or diverse learning styles.
The website offers a Ukrainian Immigration and Benefits Tool, information on Temporary Protected Status for Ukrainian nationals and Ukrainian Humanitarian Parole, and connects visitors to immigration and refugee resources.
The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation is the largest funder of civil legal services in Ohio. A gift to the Foundation supports legal aid’s work.