In other news: stories from the language industry and beyond
US study reveals that language-based discrimination limits access to mental health services
A recent study in California showed the implications of not offering language support on access to mental health care. Using the example of Spanish, a very widely spoken language in California, the study demonstrated how difficult it was for service users to receive good quality care if they were not fluent in English. One of the report’s key findings was for interpreters to be included in healthcare planning as well as delivery.
UK Parliament Q&A on the Accessible Information Standard for public sector health providers
In December, MP for Crawley, Henry Smith, asked the Commons about levels of compliance with the Accessible Information Standard, a way of ensuring access to healthcare for those with communication needs. Click on the link above to read the response by MP Maria Caulfield, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care).
And finally…
Machine translation has come a long way, but this article about mistranslations spotted on holiday is a hilarious demonstration of how far it still has to go! Knowledge is powder…