The Importance of Translated Public Health Information Comes Home

Spotted these notices in the arrivals area at Dublin Airport as I returned from abroad. The information is about the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease. These notices are in Gaeilge (Irish), English, and French, and are published by the Irish Health Protection Surveillance Centre.

Ebola health protection signs at Dublin Airport in Gaeilge, English, and French.
Ebola health protection signs at Dublin Airport in Gaeilge, English, and French.

A reminder that we live in a globalized world, sure. Not that disease ever respected national boundaries.

But, it’s also a reminder of the importance of translated public health information.

In this case the information was translated by the state, but there are plenty of places and situations worldwide where translated information is not, or cannot be, done that way for the local audience. So, you help deliver important translated public information by contributing to Translators Without Borders (@TranslatorsWB)or by seeking some other way to use your translation skills, or some of your hard earned money, for humane causes.

Ultan Ó Broin
Ultan Ó Broin (@localization), is an independent UX consultant. With three decades of UX and L10n experience and outreach, he specializes in helping people ensure their global digital transformation makes sense culturally and also reflects how users behave locally. Any views expressed are his own. Especially the ones you agree with.

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