Hello all Accessibility Mavens and gurus out there ,
I wanted to find out a bit more about usage of Google Translate API, and using a menu to allow users to change their usage language
Is that good practice or not etc
or as long as we have a proper Lang set then what we do with the user agent is down to the user and how that impacts their needs??
feel free to shoot me down
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Ian Robinson
03/14/2024, 6:30 PM
I get NHS Trusts asking me this, because it's a quick and can be a cheap solution to engaging witn non english speaking visitors. I have seen it used on a number of NHS websites. My gut feeling is it's seen as quick fix but I try to make it clear to the client that it's not necessarily the "best" solution. The translation might not be entirely accurate and in some cases, an inaccuracy might even confuse or even offend a visitor. So I suggest they make this clear in their terms and conditions.
Ian Robinson
03/14/2024, 6:33 PM
Given all that, for (often cash strapped) public organisations I believe Google provide it for free, and if it helps a non english speaker to find their way to hospital, or find the telephone number of the outpatient clinic they need to attend, I believe it must be better than no translation at all. I would be interested what others think, such as @Rachel Breeze 's take on it from an accessiblity point of view?
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Rachel Breeze
03/14/2024, 8:14 PM
I haven't used Google Translate for a long time, so can not attest to its accessibility. I would set the correct language on the page this let's translation tools work correctly. The best choice is to translate the page into alternate languages directly (but I appreciate there is a cost in this)
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Ravi
03/15/2024, 7:50 AM
Yeah.. I feel it’s a grey area, I’ve not done a huge amount of research, but as you both say it feels on the edge ..
To clarify the service from Google is free if it’s related to covid other wise it’s a cost.
As ever thanks to both of you taking the time to e to respond. Appreciate it..
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Ian Robinson
03/15/2024, 10:26 AM
Thanks for the clarification Ravi. You're right, Google re-introduced a free option for non-profits during COVID, and could of course take this away at any time. I would be interested to know what you decide on doing, whether you find an alternative solution or go with Google.
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Ravi
03/15/2024, 11:01 AM
its a classic time versus money vs function vs commitment conundrum.. my gut and i think the best option would be a multilingual site , but we target the pages for launch so they don't have to have every page and language built but can expand it over time
or have common questions in multi-lingual
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Ian Robinson
03/15/2024, 1:17 PM
Targeting the pages for launch, sounds like a practical compromise. Good luck!